On a day that suited the tactics and power of the visitors pack Bruff will be ruing the respect they showed Clontarf in this , the first senior fixture between the two Clubs.
As the rain teemed down , Bruff took an age to settle and by the time they had made their first foray into the Clontarf 22 they were behind by 11 points and 25 minutes had elapsed on the clock.
It didn’t help either that Clontarf had done their homework on the visitors and were prepared for the onslaught from the Limerick forwards. The Clontarf forwards took to their task with a degree of relish and gave no ground to their physical opponents. It was a powerful effort from all concerned. Outside the pack Clontarf also had real danger wide with Michael Keating back to his gliding best on one wing and a super composed Mick McGrath on the other. Inside them Evan Ryan and Killian Lett played the dual roles of rapier and bludgeon as required and Noel Reid showed the benefit of having a supreme goalkicker.
In the end it was the weather that dictated the game and the laurels were always going to go to the team that could create something from the developing gloom. First cut in the creative sense went to Sam Cronin who , after Noel Reid had put Tarf in front with two penalties, followed up a kick ahead , got in a block, and flopped on it for the first try.
In the second half a quick throw from Keating plus a quick return saw him stand up his opposite man and glide in for the score. Almost immediately Bruff showed what they could do and after a patient build up in the Tarf 22 which saw a multitude of recycling they drove over close to the touchline. That was the final score from the visitors to add to their two penalties and as the clock wound down Keating again appeared in the centre to add momentum to a move that saw substitute scrum half O’Donohoe score at the clubhouse corner.
So a hard fought victory to start the new campaign.
Next Saturday we are in Galwegians who also recorded a victory in their first game over UL Bohs.