Rugby Newsletter
Clonakilty’s Good Home Run Continues
Clonakilty 34
Old Crescent 13
Three wins in a row now and Clonakilty will be disappointed that a gap of a week takes place before they travel to Dublin to take on Leinster HQ club, Bective Rangers. These wins have transformed a side that has rediscovered its try-scoring penchant and it is now highly likely that they will celebrate their tenth season in The All Ireland League in the second division. Five seasons in the second division to match the five in division three would be a huge achievement for the small West Cork club. However there are points still to be won if they are to reach this target. They have moved into the top half of the table but all the chasing clubs have games in hand so Clon need to keep a gap by taking points from their three remaining games.
Unfortunately these are against two clubs currently in the play-off spots, Bruff and Bective, who will want to remain there, and Terenure who will be looking for points to ensure that they too, will at least play Div 2 next season. Terenure will not have given up either on play-off aspirations as they have a game in hand over every other side and two over five sides including Clonakilty. All the chasing clubs, bar Greystones, have the capability of overhauling the gap that has opened up now for Clon so there can be no complacency. Tough task but the mood is good. The squad was: John O’Donnell, Derek Dillon, Paul Dillon, David Lombard, Noel O’Sullivan, Kurt Morath, Alex O’Mahony, Tom Ryan, Alfie Harte, Joe Knowles, Mike Keohane, Dean Landy, Jason Fleming, Lenny Harte, Liam Swanton, Hugh O’Neill, Cathal Kirby, Mike O’Hea, David Cookson and Danny Whelton.
Kurt Morath opened the scoring for Clon with a 30 metre penalty. Crescent missed an opportunity to draw level before John O’Donnell broke two tackles to score a great try to give Clon an 8 – 0 lead after 25 minutes. Great work from David Lombard ripping possession and finding excellent support on the ground looked to set Clon up for another but Crescent transgressed and the opportunity lost as the penalty was wide of the mark. Morath did increase Clon’s lead dramatically five minutes later, when he turned good play by Mike Keohane, Tom Ryan and Alfie Harte into points with a great try and conversion. Crescent replied with a penalty after 35 minutes but the half ended with a dominant home side, Derek Dillon being stopped a metre short, and a 15 – 3 lead.
Dillon again, ten minutes into the second half, was given a vision of a ninety metre run-in when he intercepted an attacking pass (instantly regretted, I suspect) but was called back for an infringement which saw Clon given a fright as the expected revival from the Limerickmen commenced, with a well taken try from a rolling maul, following the sin-binning of Alfie Harte. The conversion left only five points in the difference and, although worrying, Clon responded well and Tom Ryan, Lombard and Morath combined to see Ryan over the line but he was adjudged to have been held up. The decisive score came when excellent decision making by O’Donnell saw him score a superb try following a sweeping back line movement. Faced with three defenders and with Noel O’Sullivan outside him, he chose to drive on himself, as the cover drifted slightly, to score his 100th point in the AIL for Clon with his 20th try.
Crescent did not lie down and drew closer with a penalty after sustained pressure forced the error from Clon on 17 minutes. The large frame of Mike O’Hea earned the bonus when he finished good work by the pack with Ryan again prominent. It came from a penalty award which Morath drilled to the corner. The lineout catch and drive ended with “Big Bird” stretching his 8’ 6” form to ground. It was a case of bonus won, bonus denied with the superbly struck touchline conversion from Morath, as it surely ended any hope Crescent might have had of gaining a losing bonus with six minutes to go and the score at 27 – 13.
O’Sullivan put it beyond any miracle with an opportunistic try and a wonderful 80 metre sprint after collecting a loose ball in his own 22. This followed sustained pressure from a Crescent side who will wonder how they could finish 21 points off the pace in a game they did not play badly in. (Clonakilty would be well able to tell them how that happens!) The sight of “Sully”, one of Clonakilty’s great crowd-pleasers, in Road-Runner mode, gliding across the park, head up with ball under arm, has entertained the faithful for the last nine years and more. I believe, subject to confirmation, that this, his 56th try in the AIL, brings him level with Ireland, Leinster and St. Mary’s winger John McWeeney as the AIL’s top try scorers of all time. McWeeney is, of course, retired so what are the odds of Sully going on to hold the record for some time? Some photos of the match may be viewed on http://www.flickr.com/photos/sebastian_tyrrell/sets/72157623479220444/
The J2s continued their good run also with an impressive 35 – 21 win over UCC in The Vale on Sunday. The students looked to be on course for their usual win when they opened the scoring with a fine try and conversion as Clon failed to match their young, speedy backs in the open. However encouraging play by the pack and surges from Terry Phair convinced Clon of the merits of keeping it in the forwards. This dominant area resulted in Phair scoring a typical storming try, which Eric White converted, to draw level after 25 minutes. A good assist from Mike Murphy saw Tom Nyhan crash over for Clon’s second try which White again converted. Phair and White again combined to set up Clon’s third and Phair’s second.
Clon’s backs started to come into the game and excellent reading of a ruck development by Padraig Kingston finished with the winger coming from the far side to collect the pass and score the bonus point try in the corner. White again obliged and Clon were out to 28 – 7. A classic 8-9-10 move saw White convert his own try to move Clon to an unassailable 35 – 7 lead. It was as well that it was unassailable in the time left as UCC came back with two breakaway tries to leave the final score 35 – 21.
The under 17s kept the flag flying with a second win on the road in as many weeks to put Clonakilty in a strong position to qualify for a play-off position in their U17 League. A win in their final game against Dolphin in The Vale this Saturday morning at 11.00am will secure that play-off position. Clon travelled to Youghal with a strong squad and started the game with the benefit of the wind in dry cool conditions. The team played with good tempo with the pack providing good possession from both set piece and ruck. The backs, varying their points of attack with good continuity and control saw Clon score four excellent tries. Youghal responded via an excellent mid-field line break to score their only points with a fine try. The second half saw Youghal raising their game to capitalise on the wind but Clon put in a strong defensive effort, defending the gain line well as a unit, to prevent the East Cork side from scoring.
Notable for Clon were Greg O’Mahoney, Jack O’Donovan, Chris Hayes and Eoin O’Neill, who had a huge impact in his first game up front. In the backs the halfback partnership of Gerry Ryan and Ruairc Courtney controlled the game well with Scott Sheehan putting in a big performance in the centre of the park. Wingers Sam Cronin and Terry O’Donovan were a constant threat in attack. Tries from Greg O’Mahoney, Gerry Ryan, Donal Duignan and Sam Cronin and three conversions from Gerry Ryan in the first half were enough to set Clon up for the challenge of the play-off spot. The Squad was: Shane O’Donovan, Ben Howarth, Eoin O’Neill, Chris Hayes, Donal Duignan, Jack O’Donovan, Ronan O’Mahoney, Greg O’Mahoney, Eoin Hartnet, Gerry Ryan, Josh Wilcox, Barry Hayes, Ruairc Courtney, Ruairi Nash, Scott Sheehan, Shane Deasy, Padraigh O’Donovan, Sam Cronin, Gearoid Brennan, Terry O’Donovan Andrew Ryan, Billy Verlinder and Connor O’Brien. U17 Training each Monday & Wednesday Night 6:30 Sharp. All Welcome
The Vets made it a clean sweep for Clonakilty in a great weekend for the club when they put Kinsale to the sword by 66 points to Nil in a free flowing exhibition of Barbarian running rugby. The Kinsale men had no answer to the serious and surprisingly mobile avoirdupois of Rob Walsh, Maurice Shanley, Bartle Murphy, John O’Toole and Dave Jennings with ball in hand and once the pack had taken control the superb half backs, Emmet McCarthy and Mark O’Connor, ran the show and a backline bristling with talent in which Conor Quirke was outstanding. 12 tries and three conversions was a nice haul for the sunny afternoon’s first run-out for The Veterans this season. Geoff Wycherley was the top try scorer and looked dangerous everytime he touched the ball.
Kevin O’Regan had people wondering why he was not still playing AIL as he romped around the park with impunity. Kevin O’Donovan and Aidan O’Regan starred in the backline and at Full Back Finbarr O’Mahony was in superb form. Andrew Bradley led from the front and the venerable Mel Long again created a record unlikely to be beaten now playing in his seventies. Refereed by Karl Llewellyn the match entertained a large crowd and great credit to Kinsale for never throwing in the towel. Interesting to hear the cries of “come on Dad” encouraging the combatants but who were the recipients of the “well-played Grandad” shouts? The squad was Finbarr O’Mahony, Aidan O’Regan, Seán Flood, Conor Quirke, Kevin O’Donovan, Geoff Wycherley, Mark O’Connor, Emmet McCarthy, John O’Toole, Andrew Bradley, Dave Jennings, Maurice Shanley, Bartle Murphy, Barry Dillon, Mel Long, Kevin O’Regan, Justin Crowley and Sam Kingston
The drawn numbers in the lotto were 1,3,29 & 30 and there was no winner so the Jackpot this Saturday night in Scannells Bar at 8.00pm will be €4,100.00. lucky Dip winners were Darren Solan, Jason Fleming, V. Collins, Pat Hogan and Susan Robbins-Fehily. The fund-raising table quiz in The Phoenix last Thursday night was a huge success and more are planned. Get swotting and form teams now.
This weekend’s fixtures:
Saturday:
Under 17 League: U17s V Dolphin in The Vale at 11.00
West Cork Cup: U15s V Skibbereen in Skibbereen – To Be Confirmed
Friendly: U14s V Midleton in The Vale at 12.00
Loose Head
Submitted by Loosehead on Wednesday, February 24th, 2010