Nenagh Seconds brought back down to earth by impressive Garryowen
RUGBY: Bank of Ireland Munster Junior Cup 4th Round
Nenagh Ormond 3
Garryowen 50
Report: Thomas Conway at New Ormond Park
Even on home turf, overpowering Garryowen was always to be a steep task, and so it proved for Nenagh Ormond last Sunday afternoon in this Munster Junior Cup last 16 tie.
In truth, the hosts were exposed, dismantled, and utterly outplayed. They tried their best, as this group of players always does. But there was no concealing it, Garryowen were a superior force, in every aspect, in every department.
They tore through Nenagh with blistering conviction, scoring eight tries and looking every bit like a side intent on winning this competition. If they continue to turn in performances like the one they issued in Lisatunny, it will take some team to stop them.
In the opening moments, an early box-kick from Garryowen scrum-half Edmond Barry overshot the mark and bobbled out beyond the endline. In the final analysis, it was probably the sole mistake made by the visitors all day. From that minute on, they took control, subjecting Nenagh to a barrage of attacking pressure which was almost cruel, yet at the same time beautiful to watch.
Their opening try, dotted down by winger Osama Farage in the sixth minute, was a slick and sumptuous attacking move, eventually resulting in the latter diving over in the corner. The conversion was arguably more impressive. Out-half and kicker Alexander Wood split the posts in Sexton-esque style. The young playmaker was by far and above the best player on the pitch. He didn’t pick it up off the ground either. His father, Keith, was apparently a handy player in his day.
As well as being dominant at the breakdown, Garryowen were energetic and combative in attack. Their backs played with a mixture of collective cohesion and individual flair. Their second try was well-finished by Colm Quilligan, who cascaded through the centre and touched down straight underneath the posts. Needless to say, Wood nailed the conversion. He wasn’t completely flawless all day, but he did seem to slot the kicks that mattered, and even raced in for his own try on the cusp of half-time, just seconds after Conor O’Brien had registered Nenagh’s only score - a penalty in the 39th minute.
To say that the penalty offered Nenagh the chance of swiping the momentum from the visitors would be an overstatement, but had Wood not darted in along the wing and touched down, Nenagh might have entered the interval in slightly better form.
The second half then, was a non-event. Again, Garryowen tore through the hosts, securing a penalty-try and then backing it up with several more from open play. Dean Fanning was among the scorers. So too was scrum-half Barry, who clearly felt the need to atone from his early mistake and did so by registering twice in the dying moments.
All told, there was little in the way of excitement or drama. It was, however, a joy to watch Garryowen attack. They play seamlessly, weaving together moves with extraordinary tempo and virtuosity. They may be the club’s second-string outfit, but you can be almost certain that some of them will feature at senior All-Ireland League level in the very near future. Wood will anyway. Whether he will emulate his father and become World Player of the Year is another matter. But as long as the kid is enjoying his rugby, and playing with the kind of richness that he displayed last Sunday, then that in itself is an achievement.
Should Wood and Garryowen continue in their current vein of form, then expect them to lift the Munster Junior Cup in a couple of weeks’ time. From this observer’s perspective, they are too good not to.
TEAMS - Nenagh Ormond: Joseph Gleeson (6); Brian Doughan (6), Jack Molamphy (7), Joseph Coffey (6), Jack Dunne (6); Conor O’Brien (6), Cian Ryan (6); Ben Armitage (6), Niall O’Gorman (7); Kevin O’Gorman (6), Michael Doughan (6); James Meagher (6), Evan Murphy (6), John Brislane (6).
Reps: Danny White (6) for Coffey (32 inj); Padraic Bourke (6) for Armitage (47); Cian Comerford (6) for K O’Gorman (55); Paul Colleran (6) for B Doughan (70).
Garryowen: Thomas Barry (7); Osama Farage (8), Sam Hanrahan (7), Hugh O’Brien Cunningham (NR), Louis Cunneen (7); Alexander Wood (9), Edmond Barry (8); Ben O’Sullivan (8), Dean Fanning (8), James Jones (8); Scott Leahy (7), Richard Costello (7); Patrick Naughton (7), Rhys Whyte O’Malley (7), Kieran Roche (8).
Reps: Colm Quilligan (8) for O’Brien Cunningham (7 inj); Eugene Begley (7) for Jones (32); Jack Costello (7) for Naughton (HT); Larry Kelly (7) for Fanning (50).
Referee: Niall Kendall.