Oh dear what a day! You wouldn’t put your pet beaver out in that weather. Given the conditions and the attraction of the Autumn series on the telly, the attendance in Temple Hill was sparse and very very wet. It was a pity because the game was old style rugby from the top drawer and Clontarf’s most ruthlessly efficient performance in the league to date.
Cork Con started brightly with loads of intent around the Tarf 22, along with lots of shouting and arm waving which helped the atmosphere if nothing else.
The home side dominated possession and territory for the first 15 minutes, but it was clear that Clontarf had travelled with the kind of defensive resolve that reduces the opposition to bugs on a windscreen.
After repelling the home attacks, Clontarf forced a turnover penalty through Dylan Donellan and the ensuing lineout was marched 10 yards by a monstrous maul down the right hand side. The ball was released and Con Kelly moved it wide to Tadgh Bird who put it deep into the Con 22, where the defender tried to finesse Hugh Cooney and got dumped on his butt for his trouble. The scrambled defensive kick resulted in a Clontarf lineout on the Con 22. Fionn Gilbert dropped it to Aaron Coleman who fed Donnellan on the loop around. He passed to Connor Fahy, coming hard at the seam. Connor bounced three players and carried another towards the line where he offloaded to Paul Deeney who carried to a yard out. Sam Owens had a full pod to aim at and he found Fionn Gilbert who walked in untouched for the opening score.
So Tarf go from defending for 15 minutes to scoring pretty much untouched for the lead. It was a chilling lesson in rugby efficiency, particularly when you consider that the two penalties conceded, while defending, were borderline at least. I mean we all know that Coley likes to stand in front of the opposition scrum half at the ruck …… it’s a tradition!
Con added 3 after the ref found an issue with the Clontarf scrum, but the pattern was set for the rest of the first half with the weather the dominant factor. One glorious cameo, just on half time, saw Hugh Cooney chase a kick ahead and sweep it up one handed on the run! It deserved a score but got a turnover instead ….. c’est la vie!
So half time arrived with the score at 3 7.
The second half began in a torrential downpour that had everyone scrolling their phones for Noah’s number. In the circumstances, Clontarf’s handling skills were off the scale and when held up on the line they had the resolve to come again.
Two surges from Sam Owens and Niall Smyth got close and when Con infringed by the posts the tap and go set it up for Fionn to add a second try. That brought the score to 3 14 and Tarf were getting stronger in the murk.
Con Kelly added a penalty for 3 17 and, as the game headed into the final 15 minutes, the home side we’re looking for some divine providence. It came in the shape of Alan Spicer who emptied the Con out half with, what appeared to be a well-timed tackle, but which was deemed late by the officials
That brought Con into the Tarf 22, where their first effort at the scrum was monstered backwards for a turnover and their second effort at the lineout maul was turned over by brilliant work from man of the match Fionn Gilbert.
That was pretty much it. In the circumstances, power and efficiency was the winner.
Special mention to the two centres Fahy and Cooney who were brilliant on both sides of the ball. A day like Saturday creates a target-rich environment for players, who like to defend – and boy did they do a job ! It was like a shooting range at a carnival. We all know Cooney can play but Fahy defended like the thing from the shadows. Utterly intimidating wallop after wallop. Enough to warm the cockles if your heart on a stormy day !
Peter Walsh
Chronicler of scrums, storms, and all the beautiful chaos at Castle Avenue and beyond.
