Clontarf welcomed UCD to a recently soaked Castle Avenue on a lovely Autumn Day.
The decision to play the game on the 4G perplexed a few, until it was pointed out that the recent downpours had sprayed the grass pitch a beautiful green but the reality was it had the texture of soaked Weetabix underfoot and would have resembled a Jackson Pollock painting after mere minutes of play. Better the predictable, but faster, artificial surface for this one.
UCD are a new side. The cyclical nature of College rugby resulted in a mass exodus of senior players last year, so the visitors had an unfamiliar look but the usual buccaneering style. Added to that was a defiant scrum, a solid maul and committed maul defence into the bargain.
Up against them was a Clontarf side that was a big serving with lots of big on the side. I mean, it’s always been a big pack, but when you add the frame of Alan Spicer it starts to become a trick of the light, or a mirage. How do you make Fionn Gilbert, Paul Deeney and Jordan Coghlan look small? Put them in a lineout with Spicer. With all four in the lineup the props look like Oompa Loompas as well!!!
Clontarf started brightly and took the wide option early. Peter Maher looked certain to score, after being released by quick hands from deep in his own half, but superb covering from the UCD scrum half cut him down. UCD replied by taking the lead from a maul on the Clontarf line after a penalty for an infringement at a scrum was dispatched to the corner.
5 minutes later Alan Spicer found himself in the scrum half position 2 yards inside his own half and dispatched an outrageous kick which found its way to touch in the away 22 for a home throw. Tarf celebrated that cameo in traditional style and Dylan Donellan scored after the maul made good yards to the UCD line.
Spicer rose for the ensuing kick-off , was fouled in the air and from the resulting home lineout, near the half way, Dylan Donellan broke free and Tarf were back in the UCD red zone where, after some heavy carries Aaron Coleman got in for a well-deserved score. So Tarf went from 0 5 to 14 5 in about two minutes of play.
UCD then began to dominate territory and Clontarf were forced to defend repeated surges from the visitors. As we moved into the final 10 minutes of the first half the siege was lifted and normal service resumed with phases in the UCD 22. Fionn Gilbert made a superb offload, which released Spicer clear to the posts for 21 5. That was how it stayed until HT.
The second half was a messy affair with plenty of ambition being blighted by plenty of errors all round. Tarf went in pursuit of the bonus but continually fell foul of passing and system wobbles. UCD added a lovely mauled try and looked to be in with a shout of a losing bonus point. However, it was not to be. Clontarf cleared the bench and, with the power of the subs, were finally able to manufacture a lineout on the UCD line, where Dec Adamson did the needful right on the final whistle. Final score was 29 12.
Next week we head to Nenagh Ormond for the semi-final of the Bateman Cup. I don’t think we have ever played in Nenagh. That alone, makes it a very worthy occasion.
