After a topsy turvy regular season, Clontarf earned a home semi-final with a bonus point win over UCD on the all-weather pitch last Saturday.
Somehow we need to try to avoid UCD in these games because despite all plans and bucket loads of local talent the young visitors always manage to give us the heeby jeebies for long periods of the match. Case in point being the chronology of scores in the first half. We opened with an error and fell behind by 7 points, tacked on a great score from COB and a penalty from Joycer to go 10 7 up ….. Then leaked two more 7 pointers in keystone cops circumstances to go 21 10 down and managed to grab one back to go in at half time 15 21 down. In these error strewn circumstances playing against UCD is like handing a psychopath a knife and turning your back. Don’t be surprised if you get hurt.
Thankfully in the second half Tarf tightened control and, by cutting out turnovers, closed off the student’s most likely route to score. Tarf won the second half 22 7 with the students 7 pointer coming at the death. In reality that last score to them was the only try they created; the rest were counterpunches due to Tarf errors.
What was very heartening and bodes well for the run in was the composure that Clontarf showed despite the run of bad luck against them in the first half. At no stage was there panic. The home side oozed confidence and made the necessary adjustments to swat their opponents in a super second half. That is extremely powerful and speaks to a team that has a vast well of experience.
Hard to bet against.
Next Sunday at 2.30 we face our friends from Limerick, Young Munster, in what will be a titanic UBL Semi-final between two clubs rooted in their local communities.
Young Munster are renowned for their fantastic travelling support for these games.
Let’s give them a noisy North side welcome and make it a belter of a day.
As you know the game coincides with the Clermont Leinster Semi-final which will be recorded and shown after the TARF/YM game in the Clubhouse.