Ormond seconds follow senior lead in Munster Junior Cup

RUGBY: Bank of Ireland Munster Junior Cup Round 2

Nenagh Ormond 37

Ennis 7

Report: Thomas Conway in Lisatunny

MATCH DIGEST

Player of the Match: Conor O’Brien (Nenagh Ormond)

SCORERS – Nenagh Ormond: Tries: White, Dunne (2), Flannery, Gleeson. Convs: O’Brien (3) Pens: O’Brien (2).

Ennis: Try: Reynolds Conv: Mangan.

Success breeds success, momentum powers progress, and last weekend in Lisatunny, it felt as if the entirety of Nenagh Ormond rugby club was riding the crest of a wave.

Less than 24 hours after the senior side secured another precious victory in Division 2A of the All-Ireland League, Nenagh’s junior outfit took to the field and repeated the act, brushing aside Ennis to advance to the third round of the prestigious Munster Junior Cup.

It wasn’t quite a tour de force from the home side, but it still made for enjoyable viewing on an otherwise drab and dreary Sunday afternoon. The hosts emerged as comfortable victors, turning in a performance which suggested both promise and potential.

Some of these players will, in time, graduate to the senior ranks. For now, however, their focus is elsewhere, on a potentially glorious Cup run. Judging from last Sunday, they have both the personnel and the collective cohesion to foray deep into this competition.

Ennis, by contrast, seemed to wither under pressure. For a time early on it looked as if the Clare side might mount a serious challenge, but when their early attacking failed to yield anything concrete in terms of scores, the reality became clear - they just weren’t up to it. That was in large part thanks to Nenagh’s professionalism and outright efficiency. They controlled this game from the get-go, pinning down five tries without ever over-exerting themselves. Their backs ran amok. Out-half Conor O’Brien was imperious, both from the tee and open-play. Nenagh were better. Simple as.

Their first try, on eight minutes, was concocted out of nowhere by O’Brien. Having nailed an early penalty, his confidence was clearly high, hence the reason that he opted for an audacious kick to the corner while play was camped on the half-way line. The kick, a rather sumptuous spiral, was executed to perfection, shifting play deep into try-scoring territory and unleashing a devastating Nenagh counter. Seconds later, Danny White was wheeling over the line for the game’s first try. O’Brien missed the conversion, but it didn’t really matter. Nenagh now had the momentum.

From there, Ennis pressed hard, tediously pushing play into the Nenagh 22 via a series of rooks and breaks. Out-half Oisin Mangan looked impressive on the ball, while a few more of the Ennis backs flickered to life in glimpses, but they lacked a cutting edge. Ultimately, the Clare side failed to capitalise on what might have been considered their purple-patch, and they would eventually pay the price.

The 22nd minute arrived and with it Nenagh’s second try - another well-executed collective move, finished off by Jack Dunne following a neat offload from Michael Doughan. The conversion, some distance right of centre, was no problem for Conor O’Brien. He pinged Nenagh fifteen ahead and tightened his side’s grip.

For Ennis there would be no return. Nenagh began to control affairs in every sector. Their forwards looked commanding, their backs constantly threatening. O’Brien was having a field-day, and evidently enjoying himself too.

The outcome had already been looking increasingly certain, but any doubt regarding the result of this game was put to bed definitively in first-half stoppage-time. A third Nenagh try - finished brilliantly by Darragh Flannery straight underneath the posts - effectively sealed Nenagh victory. They entered the interval 22-0 in front, and in total control.

Rather than take their foot off the gas, as they were probably entitled to do, Nenagh actually hit the accelerator harder in the moments after half-time. They seemed to want to prove something, that they could close out a game perhaps - who knows? Anyhow, within ten minutes they had landed a fourth. Jack Dunne was the scorer this time, touching down his second following a wonderful curling pass from scrum-half Luke Graham. It went unconverted.

Ennis, to their credit, did respond. In the 54th minute, they managed their only try with David Reynolds bundling over in the corner. The conversion, stroked over from the touch-line by Oisin Mangan, was arguably the most impressive placed-kick of the game.

Any neutral would have lost interest in the last twenty minutes, but they might have perked up at the sight of Joseph Gleeson gliding along the wing and cutting in to register Nenagh’s fifth try. The try itself was borne out of classic opportunism - Gleeson spotted the gap and bolted, easily fending off several Ennis tackles in the process.

It was the perfect way to end a perfect day, following a display which inevitably raised questions as to what this particular Nenagh side might be capable of with a third round trip away to Muskerry on February 12th upcoming. Might they have silverware in their sights? Perhaps. They are not the only side in the club currently dreaming of success. That much is for sure.

TEAMS - Nenagh Ormond: Joseph Gleeson (8), Cian Ryan (7), Danny White (7), Darragh Flannery (8), Jack Dunne (8), Conor O’Brien (9), Luke Graham (7); Padraic Bourke (8), Ben Armitage (7), Niall O’Gorman (7), Kevin O’Gorman (7), Cathal Ryan (7), James Meagher (8), Michael Doughan (7), John Brislane (7).

Reps: Seán Frawley (7) for Cathal Ryan (54); Mark Armitage (6) for K O’Gorman (70); Cian Comerford (6) for Meagher (72).

Ennis: Colm Keaney (7), Jack Scahill (6), David Reynolds (7), Ben Quinn (6), Cilléin Mullins (6), Oisin Mangan (7), Zach Whelehan (7); Ryan Murphy (6), Brendan Cleland (6), Ruairí Quinlan (6), Cormac Browne (6), Stephen Dolan (7), MJ Malone (7), Osgar Ó Gormáin (6), David Flynn (6).

Reps: Alan O’Shea (7) for Murphy (51); Frank Coffey (6) for Quinlan (60); Oisin Madigan (6) for Scahill (66).

Referee: Bertie Assia.