Belvo crowned champions as Nenagh look to the playoffs
RUGBY: Energia All-Ireland League Division 1B Round 15
Old Belvedere 34
Nenagh Ormond 22
Report: Shane Brophy at Ollie Campbell Park, Ballsbridge
MATCH DIGEST
Player of the Match: David Wilkinson (Old Belvedere).
SCORERS – Old Belvedere: Tries: Thatcher, Dunne, Keating, O’Beirne; Convs: Wilkinson 4; Pens: Wilkinson 2
Nenagh Ormond: Tries: Gleeson (2), Blackmore; Convs: McMahon (2); Pen: McMahon
Nenagh Ormond’s quest to play in top tier rugby next season will have to be achieved through the playoffs after Old Belvedere secured the All-Ireland League Division 1B title with a bonus-point win this high-quality top of the table clash on Saturday.
Despite Leinster being in URC action across the Liffey at the same time, a big and vocal home support were present at the home club of the great Ollie Campbell for what they hoped would be a promotion party, if they secured a bonus-point win and Nenagh Ormond left with nothing.
It looked as if the champagne would be left on ice as going into the final minute, they had won the game but only scored three tries with Nenagh on the offensive to try and get within seven-points as they trailed 27-17.
However, an overthrow from replacement hooker Shane Maloney was gratefully received by Old Belvedere skipper Calum Dowling who, despite being a hooker, played more like a back-row such is his pace and he took the ball from this own ten-metre line to close to the line before off-loading to Peter O’Beirne who crossed over in the corner to get the celebrations underway in earnest; man of the match David Wilkinson converting completing his superb all-round display.
Nenagh Ormond more than played their part in a superb contest, one that wouldn’t look out of place in the top-tier, and the visitors will hope they’ll get to renew rivalry with the famed Dublin side next year if they were to come through the relegation/promotion playoffs next month.
They’ll focus on that after the Munster Senior Challenge Cup final against Old Crescent on Sunday week, when they will hope to have centre Willie Coffey and prop Colm Skehan back from injury.
It may well be that they don’t rush tighthead prop Skehan back too quickly, particularly with Jack O’Keeffe hobbling off in distress after sustaining a serious knee injury in the final quarter. It leaves Nenagh short in that department with Matt Burke getting a rare start in this game, and did well in his forty minutes on the field against a very strong Old Belvedere front row.
O’Keeffe’s injury came at a difficult time for the versatile prop as he was twice pinged for penalties, one on each side of the scrum, shortly after the hour-mark, at a time when Nenagh had the momentum in the game.
A frustrating aspect for Nenagh all season has been their slow starts, and on this occasion, it proved costly, with the home side crossing for two David Wilkinson converted tries inside the first thirteen minutes from lock Kale Thatcher and livewire scrum-half Jack Dunne. The margin could have been greater but for a missed Wilkinson penalty as Nenagh struggled with the power and physicality of the home side.
It took Nenagh almost twenty minutes to build a sustained period of pressure but poor discipline in the 22nd minute saw a penalty in a promising position reversed. Conor McMahon did open their account from a 31st minute penalty as they were growing into the game but that was stalled seven minutes later when Jack Keating finished off a flowing wing to wing move to lead 21-3.
Nenagh gave themselves a lifeline going into the second half when a high tackle by Jayden Beckett saw the centre sin-binned and from the lineout, a strong surge by John Healy was the key in leading to David Gleeson scoring in the corner, converted by McMahon to trail 21-10.
The opening ten minutes would be important for Nenagh but they were pressurised into conceding penalties, David Wilkinson converting two from long range to lead 27-10 after fifty minutes.
Old Belvedere were reduced to fourteen men again on 57 minutes when replacement prop Adam Howard was sin-binned for a deliberate knock-on and Nenagh made the extra man count when a sustained attack led to Angus Blackmore sniping over from the base of a ruck to run in under the posts for a converted try, 27-17.
It was game-on with the superb David Gleeson making another break down the right wing, but a big tackle led to a knock-on. It wasn’t long after when a scrum in a promising position was penalised and with it went Nenagh’s best chance of piling on more pressure.
Following the late Old Belvedere try, Nenagh did get their third try with a superb attack instigated by Matt Burke and Evan Murphy led to David Gleeson crossing for his second try but it was mere consolation for Nenagh who now know that lies ahead in the coming weeks, an attempt to win a first ever Munster Senior Cup, and then securing home advantage in the league playoffs, they would have taken that at the start of the season.
TEAMS – Old Belvedere: Joe White (6); Jack Keating (7), Jayden Beckett (7), Justin Leonard (7), Andre Ryan (6); David Wilkinson (9), Jack Dunne (8); Hugh Flood (6), Calum Dowling (capt 8), Ryan McMahon (7); Kale Thatcher (7), Eddie Rees (7); Paddy Dowling (6), Anthony Ryan (6), Josh Ericson (8).
Reps: Adam Howard for Flood (54); James Ruddy for Anthony Ryan (54); Hugh Flood for Rees (61-69); Ariel Robles for Andre Ryan (66); Peter O’Beirne for Dunne (71); Tom Mulcair for Ericson (71); Hugh Flood for Dowling (71).
Nenagh Ormond: Josh Rowland (6); David Gleeson (8), Conor McMahon (7), Angus Blackmore (6), Conor O’Shaughnessy (6); Ben Pope (6), Charlie O’Doherty (6); Mikey Doran (6), Dylan Murphy (6), Matthew Burke (6); Jake O’Kelly (7), Kevin O’Flaherty (capt 7), Rob Buckley (6), John Healy (7), John O’Flaherty (6).
Reps: Jack O’Keeffe (6) for Burke (HT); Nicky Irwin (7) for Rowland (45); Joe Coffey (6) for Buckley (51); Evan Murphy (7) for Healy (51); Derek Corcoran (6) for Pope (51); Matt Burke for Doran (66); Ben Pope for McMahon (71); Mikey Doran for O’Keeffe (71 inj); Shane Maloney (NR) for D Murphy (71).
Referee: Stuart Douglas