A game that swung wildly between control and chaos saw Clontarf hold off a ferocious late surge from Belvedere, surviving a nerve-shredding finish to win 54–51 at Castle Avenue.
Even typing the score gives me the dry heaves. Now I know what it must have felt like as a prehistoric spear chucker being chased by a sabre-toothed tiger into a cave.
A great game for the neutrals I hear you say! One for the prawn sandwich brigade in the Aviva. For everyone else it was a biblical trauma.
I was watching with my usual crew at the clubhouse end, one of whom is a grandee of the Club. An accomplished, thoughtful, high achieving, articulate supporter who, as the game wound towards its frantic finish, was reduced to howls of anguished animal noises – so great was the tension. His dying calf imitation is very good.
Is this what we have to look forward to?
Never being able to relax no matter the size of the lead?
Jeez …. I think I’d get more laughs on the killing floor in a meat processing plant.
The game opened with solid work from Belvo which earned a couple of penalties for a 0 6 lead. Tarf responded with a lineout maul for 7 6 and Belvo added another 3 for 7 9.
From the kick-off, Belvo went long down the right, Dylan O’Grady carried through the defence and Peter Maher was on hand to finish in the corner. Con Kelly added the 2 for 14 9.
Right on 20 minutes a defensive mix-up let Belvo’s 7 in under the posts for 14 16.
The second quarter was all Clontarf.
Feeding off a dominant set piece, the home side built multiple phases with the ball and hounded the visitors without it. After 28 minutes a collapsed maul outside the Belvo 22 was dispatched to the corner and, despite being fouled the maul, made it 21 16. As we approached the last 5 minutes, a high tackle in midfield saw Tarf back in the away 22. Belvo defended the first effort, but couldn’t hold out the pick and drive for 28 16.
Right on half time Tarf went right to left from a lineout 10 yards outside the Belvo 22. Fahy thundered into the away red zone, Soroka carried hard, and Hugo Lennox looped one to Peter Maher for his second. Con Kelly kept his kicking at 100% with a sideline conversion for 35 16 and Half Time.
So ….. Everything under control or so it seemed!
Tarf kicked off the second half towards the clubhouse. Peter Maher chased brilliantly and knocked it back to Fionn Gilbert who started an eight phase play that ended with a peach of a cross-kick to Maher who, having started the phases, caught the ball on the angle and scored a classic under the posts for 42 16.
To Belvo’s eternal credit they kept plugging away.
Their next effort was repulsed by a turnover on the Tarf line. From the resulting home lineout a mix-up saw the ball intercepted by Belvedere, who went right then left and broke through for a well-deserved 7 pointer and 42 23.
With 28 to go Tarf got in again with a maul for 47 23.
Belvo responded when Tarf conceded a penalty trying to exit the kick-off in their 22 for 47 30 and 25 minutes to go.
Tarf kicked off, Peter Maher went up for it, Belvo tapped it back into Hugh O’Sullivan’s hands and he released their right winger, whose kick ahead was regathered, moved left and Belvo got in again for 47 37, two tries in 2 minutes, a massive dose of adrenalin – and game on !!
Belvo now threw caution to the wind, upped their pace and went wide with everything.
With exactly 20 to go Tarf got a penalty in front of the posts and opted for a scrum and a potential 7 points rather than a definite 3.
It was a crucial decision. After multiple penalties the ref awarded a penalty try and Tarf moved out to 54 37 rather than 50 37.
The final 15 minutes was very difficult for the home support. Belvo were chasing the game hard and moving the ball aggressively left and right onto a defence that had gone leaden and lost its discipline.
Marshalled brilliantly by O’Sullivan, and benefiting from yellow cards they ran Tarf ragged and brought the score to a tooth grinding 54 51, with two more tries before a perfect intervention by Conor Gibney snuffed out their last chance at salvation with a turnover right on the Tarf line.
Firstly, fair play to Belvo. They smelled weakness and went for it and got whisker close to a biblical comeback victory.
Last season Clontarf won four games when losing with the clock in injury time. So we have some experience of the focus required to chase a game and snatch victory at the death.
On Saturday Tarf got a dose of being the hunted rather than the hunter. There are valuable lessons to be learned as individual players and as a team by comparing the two perspectives. When you are chasing the game against the clock what you do NOT want the opposition to do? …… It’s worth reflecting and discussing. On Saturday the Tarf set piece was perfect and monstrous, but it damn nearly wasn’t enough. The lessons from this experience could be the most valuable this season.
Peter Walsh
Chronicler of scrums, storms, and all the beautiful chaos at Castle Avenue and beyond.
