Clontarf opened their AIB League campaign on Saturday in blustery Templeville road and by the 27th minute had blown up in a flurry of basic errors which manifested themselves in a 24 point deficit and a bonus point for the home side.
The pity of it was that Clontarf had started relatively brightly and were strong in the tight phases of the game, however, basic errors have a habit of becoming infectious so when the concession of a silly penalty resulted in the kick coming back off a post it was not surprising that Marys reacted quickest for the score. From that point on Clontarf lost all defensive shape around a loose ball and Marys made hay on the scoreboard without having to create anything. They simply defended a ponderous Clontarf attack and countered aggressively into a defence that missed enough first up tackles to put the Clontarf under 13’s to shame.
It is, perhaps, a little early for alarm bells.
The second half was considerably better and the introduction of Keating reminded the Clontarf support what can happen when class gets ball and space. The scrum and lineout held their own so there is a platform to rebuild on.
Next week we entertain Dolphin at Castle Ave. They will be confident given that they beat Cork Con in their first outing.