Clontarf came up short 31–19 against Lansdowne in a game where the hosts threw caution to the wind, chased everything, and made it count when it mattered.

This was a belter of a game with a sharp reminder that the opposition are not the only actors in the performance that need to be “played”.

Lansdowne approached this fixture knowing that a win was crucial to avoiding a stress filled trip to Cork needing to get points, so they approached the game like a drunken Earl in the Monte Carlo Casino. Throw everything on red !, win !, go again! Win, go again !! ….. and so on. In every facet of the game where risk was required, Lansdowne threw the dice and came up trumps.

It was a great performance and they deserve credit for their victory and their piratical game management!

Lansdowne opened proceedings with a mauled score after Clontarf wobbled a bit in the lineout. Tarf responded with strong phases after Peter Maher forced a knock on at the restart. Lansdowne got in again, after attacking the blindside, off a maul for 12 7, which held until half time.

I the second half Lansdowne scored early after Tarf stole a lineout and inexplicably gave the ball straight back to the home side. Lansdowne carried, got a penalty for a high tackle, mauled the lineout and good work from the backs got it to the line, where grunt and shunt got it home for 19 7.

Tarf now began to dominate possession. Jordan Coghlan took a ball from a static maul and contributed to the mechanical engineering debate about whether torque is more important than acceleration, by crunching four defenders, as he mashed his way over from the 22 for a score of 19 12.

The game then went wobbly for a while with Tarf kicking the ball to Lansdowne in the scrum, followed by multiple turnovers to each side, followed by a forward booting a ball downfield, followed by a missed forward pass. Eventually Conor Gibney put manners on it, with a turnover penalty which was dispatched to touch for a Tarf throw. Play went left from the lineout and Hawkshaw made great ground into the home 22 where Peter Maher carried it to the line. Lansdowne infringed but Clontarf were penalised for a neck roll which relieved the siege. After some solid defending Dylan Donellan forced a turnover and Tarf were back in the home 22 where after multiple phases and penalty advantage Tarf were penalised for a dangerous clear out.

Lansdowne then capitalised and, after great work down the right and a heavy carry by Juan Buekes their no 7, broke through and scored by the posts for 26 12. That was a killer score, arguably against the run of play and scant reward for the visitors effort in the second half.
After the kick off Tarf came  again, but were held in the maul for a home scrum. Lansdowne attempted a breakout from the scrum, but were turned over again, this time by Luke Brady …… Back we go again !

Again, the home defence prevailed at the maul and a relieving penalty took them 10 yards beyond their 22.

Tarf won the lineout against the head and headed back to the home 22 again !!

Lansdowne managed some respite and, off a suspiciously crooked looking lineout, managed a breakout up the right, which involved a possible forward pass for the try and 31 12.

That was the game.

Tarf were deemed “held up” on the line after a surging maul, which probably summed up the day for the visitors. With time pretty much up Tarf got a consolation through Paul Deeney for 31 19 and full time.

Congratulations to Lansdowne who secured their semi-final spot with the win.

For Clontarf ….. well it was like that nightmare …. The one where you’ve met Jennifer Lawrence in a swanky NY Hotel. For once your script is on point, for once you don’t have food slobber on your jacket or beer dribble on your shirt. It going to happen!! …. You slide upstairs to the Presidential Suite (yours) ….. You walk in the door and close it gently behind you ….. you turn on the light …. And ….. sitting on the bed is…… your mother !! …… In a Lansdowne jersey ! …… and nothing else !!!

Aaaaaaaaaaaaagh !!!!