It is a testimony to the skill and resilience of both sets of players that they managed to deliver a thrilling game of rugby in extremely trying circumstances.
Lansdowne have the benefit of a particularly unique home advantage. The pitch, tucked under the West Stand of the Aviva offers a challenge, even on a calm sunny day, to any visiting team. On Saturday, the storm served up conditions that made playing rugby like trying to thread a needle while sitting in a tumble dryer. In general, a windy day offers advantage equally depending on the direction of play. This swirling gale offered no hint of ball direction and made fielding an absolute lottery. That was crucial because Clontarf’s struggle with dropouts and the high ball gave Lansdowne entry to the away 22 without expending effort. It was crucial to keeping them in the fight to the eightieth minute.
Clontarf opened proceedings with two huge busts up the middle that failed to result in any advantage. First blood came after Jack Murphy threaded a penalty to the 5 yard line and, after some thumping around, Tony Ryan got the touch down. Lansdowne responded with a high kick that went to ground in the gale and winger O’Sullivan grabbed it for the equalising score in the corner.
Tarf responded again with a perfect lineout maul and, once again, Lansdowne equalled when the ball proved impossible to contain from the kick off. A home lineout in the Tarf 22 resulted in a lively surge from centre Marks who put O’Sullivan in for his second. Tarf then injected some control and carried well with superb momentum. Lansdowne continued to infringe and Jack Murphy continued to, brilliantly, nudge his pack to the 5 yard line where they made their power advantage tell for two more scores and the bonus point by half time. Lansdowne knocked over a penalty and went to half time 17-24 and, courtesy of the conditions, still very much in the game.
First play in the second half saw a Tarf buildup illegally stopped by Lansdowne and Murphy put us to 10 yards. Lansdowne did well to spoil the lineout maul, won a penalty at the ensuing scrum, but turned over the following lineout and after three phases Tarf probed the blindside and Matt Darcy scored their fifth try for 17-31. At this point the funeral bell was tolling for the home side, so when Dec Adamson won a penalty turnover at the next phase and Murphy put it to the 22, it looked like a hefty defeat could be developing.
Unfortunately, Clontarf, unlike the first half, could not make these field positions tell and when Lansdowne gambled and won a Tarf lineout, a brilliant break by Andy Marks took them to the visitors 22 where a penalty was conceded for a high hit. Lansdowne went to the corner and scored from the lineout for 22-31 .
From the kick-off Lansdowne came again with a superb break by no 8 VanEadon, which brought play back to the Tarf 22 where Tarf scrum half O’Reilly made a crucial interception of an inside pass to relieve the pressure. At this point, the conditions, fatigue, and a raft of substitutions led to a frantic looseness in the game.
Lansdowne sensed redemption through their superb back play, so when a penalty for not rolling brought them to the Tarf 22, a period of frenzy saw another attack penalty and another yellow for the visitors. Lansdowne went to the corner and deservedly scored a beauty on the blindside from the lineout for 27- 31.
That was the end of the scoring, but not the excitement. For the last 5 minutes, both sides emptied the tank in the cause. Multiple turnovers had the supporters queuing at the defibrillator as Tarf fought to hold on and Lansdowne fought for a miracle victory. In the end a superb turnover by Tadgh Bird allowed Mark O’Sullivan find touch for the final whistle.