Nenagh fend off ‘Rock to secure home semi-final

RUGBY: Energia All Ireland League Division 1B Round 17

Nenagh Ormond 21

Blackrock College17

Report: James Hayden at New Ormond Park, Nenagh

Photos: Bridget Delaney

MATCH DIGEST

Player of the Match: Conor McMahon (Nenagh Ormond)

SCORERS - Nenagh Ormond: Tries – McMahon, Blackmore. Conv – McMahon (1). Pens – McMahon (3)

Blackrock College: Tries – McMahon, Savage. Convs – Quirke (2). Pen – Quirke

Nenagh Ormond fended off a stiff Blackrock College challenge to secure home advantage in the AIL Division 1A/1B promotion playoff clash following an absorbing contest on Saturday afternoon.

Having overcome Old Wesley a week previous, Nenagh once again took on a side from the capital and this time it was in the guise of their nearest rivals in the table, third placed Blackrock with the prize of a home promotion semi-final on the line.

Both sides have had a number of close encounters in recent seasons and the reverse fixture back in September was an absolute cracker in Stradbrook with Nenagh winning, 38-36.

Blackrock came into the fixture minus the services of their influential up-and-coming young out-half, Conor O’Shaughnessy while Nenagh once again fielded a strong side with just positional changes in their back line. Willie Coffey started at inside centre in a switch with Charlie O’Doherty with O’Doherty moving to the replacements bench, while Josh Rowland moved to full-back.

Heavy drifting mist enshrouded the New Ormond all-weather pitch for kick-off making for greasy handling conditions with the home side playing with the benefit of a diagonal cross-field breeze.

In what proved a frantic start, Blackrock were forced to fight a rearguard action in the opening minutes as Nenagh piled on early pressure before the visitors were awarded a relieving penalty to allow them to clear their lines. Nenagh’s scrum came under some pressure as ‘Rock threatened the line in the fifth minute but Nenagh managed to exit in style before the home side turned the screw once more.

A sublime ninth minute touch-finder brought Nenagh to just inside the Blackrock ten-metre line and from there they fashioned a platform to attack down the left flank. Scrum-half Nicky Irwin, on his 100th AIL cap, picked well from the base of the ruck and spun a skip-pass to the marauding Conor McMahon on the wing and he crossed the whitewash for a fantastic opening try. McMahon judged the swirling breeze wind to perfection to add the extras and Nenagh were seven points to the good.

Nenagh continued to maintain the pressure with Ben Pope pinning Blackrock back with some searching balls but despite threatening they failed to capitalise on some promising attacking platforms.

Blackrock hit back on the twenty-minute mark with a perfectly executed line-out setting up an unstoppable maul with hooker Liam McMahon eventually coming up with the ball; Peter Quirke duly added the additional points to bring Blackrock level.

Nenagh regained the lead just three minutes later though after James Blaney’s charges were pinged right in front of the posts and Conor McMahon duly obliged.

Nenagh kept Blackrock under the cosh with a sublime 50:22 from Ben Pope bringing them to within ten metres of the line. However, an unforced handling error undone Nenagh’s best efforts to secure a second try and Blackrock exited once more.

With ten minutes to the interval and the heavy mist still sheeting down, the home side were gifted a penalty in front of the Blackrock posts after a deliberate slap down as Nenagh tried to free up their back line. Conor McMahon once again obliged to fire Nenagh 13-7 clear.

Injuries to Angus Blackmore and Blackrock hooker Liam McMahon served to break up the flow of the game on 34 minutes and what ensued afterwards was a period of frantic, broken play with unforced handling errors on both sides before Blackrock broke through the Nenagh cover to set up a ruck deep inside the twenty-two. Loose-head prop Andrew Savage picked and drove to dot down close to the posts before Peter Quirke converted to see the visitors, somewhat surprisingly, lead by 14-13 at the break.

Nenagh rejigged their front row at the break with Colm Skehan coming in for Matt Burke and once again the home side started the half on the attack. A sublime sortie deep into ‘Rock territory culminated with a Nenagh scrum in a dangerous position, but the visitors survived unscathed once more.

Pressure was building though and just five minutes after the restart Angus Blackmore cut a swathe through the ‘Rock defence to hand the initiative back to the men in red and white, 18-14.

With the heavy mist now easing, Blackrock responded impressively with a Peter Quirke 52nd minute penalty before a period which saw both sides battle for supremacy. The influential John Healy was forced to leave the field with ‘stinger’ injury to his shoulder but the openside flanker did return in the closing stages to bolster Nenagh’s defence.

Nenagh’s scrum really came into its own in this period with a fantastic shove-on in the 67th minute bringing a halt to Blackrock’s efforts to capitalise on another promising attack. Indeed, it was Nenagh who almost bagged a third try just seconds later after Angus Blackmore scorched down the wing only to be denied by a terrific last-ditch Chris Rolland tackle.

Charlie O’Doherty, now in at scrum-half, pinned ‘Rock back with a searching ball on 74 minutes. Blackmore was once more on hand to apply pressure and the visitors were pinged once more for holding on. Conor McMahon duly obliged from the resulting penalty and Nenagh were now 21-17 clear.

Nenagh put Blackrock’s lineout under fierce pressure in the closing stages and it yielded dividends with the Dublin side’s calls going awry. The visitors battled fiercely though to gain a foothold inside Nenagh’s half as the clock ticked towards 80 minutes but the home side held firm.

With virtually the last play of the game the visitors were awarded a scrum in what was a very promising position just outside the Nenagh 22. Nenagh’s pack were immense though and drove through the ‘Rock front eight forcing them to cough up a penalty and with it bringing a halt to the game and ensuring a hard-fought victory for the home side.

Nenagh Ormond will now face either Old Wesley, Blackrock or UCC in their home-semi-final with both Wesley and Blackrock meeting in the final round of the league on Saturday April 5th while Nenagh will play their final game of the season away to Dublin University on the same day. UCC are an outside bet to make the semis with their final game against champions Old Belvedere in the Mardyke and should they progress to face Nenagh will provide formidable opposition if this season's previous two meetings are anything to go by.

TEAMS - Nenagh Ormond: Josh Rowland (7); David Gleeson (7), Angus Blackmore (8), Willie Coffey (7), Conor McMahon (8); Ben Pope (8), Nicky Irwin (8); Mikey Doran (7), Dylan Murphy (7), Matt Burke (7); Jake O’Kelly (7), Kevin O’Flaherty (Capt 7); Joe Coffey (8), John Healy (8), John O’Flaherty (7).

Reps: Derek Corcoran (7) for Blackmore (HIA 34); Colm Skehan (7) for Burke (HT); Charlie O’Doherty (7) for Irwin (48); Fionn O’Meara (7) for O’Kelly (57); Rob Buckley (7) for Healy (61); Sean Frawley (7) for Doran (67); Derek Corcoran for Rowland (68); Jake O’Kelly for K O’Flaherty (76); John Healy for Murphy (80).

Blackrock College: Brian Colclough (7); Chris Rolland (7), Matthew Dwan (7), Dave McCarthy (7), Barry Galvin (7); Peter Quirke (8), Jack Ringrose (8); Andrew Savage (7), Liam McMahon (7), Joe Byrne (7); Roy Whelan (Capt 8), Kaylam Tytherleigh (8); Tommy Butler (7), Dave Fortune (7), James Burke (7).

Reps: Jack Angulo (7) for McMahon (34 inj); Paddy Moore (7) for Savage (46); Alex Mulla (7) for Butler (51); Tommy Butler (NR) for Tytherleigh (80); Odhran Ring (NR) for Galvin (80).

Referee: George Clancy.