Ormond push champs Clontarf hard in defeat

RUGBY: Energia All-Ireland League Division 1A Round 11

Clontarf 35

Nenagh Ormond 24

Report: Enda Murphy at Castle Avenue

MATCH DIGEST

Player of the Match: Angus Blackmore (Nenagh Ormond)

SCORERS – Clontarf: Tries - Donnellan, Kelly, Coghlan (2), O’Grady; Cons - Kelly (5).

Nenagh Ormond: Tries - W Coffey, Burke, Blackmore; Cons - Finn (3); Pen – Finn (1)

Another defeat for Nenagh Ormond last Saturday in this toughest of seasons but they can take huge credit for a gutsy display against reigning AIL champions and league leaders Clontarf.

Castle Avenue has been a fortress for the champions in recent years and coming off the back of nine straight victories, they looked sure to dominate this round 11 tie against the bottom placed side. However, that script simply didn’t play out as expected as Nenagh put in a highly competitive display and could easily have come away with more from what was a keenly fought context throughout.

Conditions were cold, breezy and wet but Nenagh started brightly and a break from the lively Angus Blackmore gave them good field position from which they won a penalty, converted by James Finn for an early lead.

It did not take long for the home side to respond, however, and did so in typical fashion, with hooker Dylan Donnellan touching down from a driving maul following a penalty to the corner to give his side the lead. Bread and butter for the powerful Clontarf pack.

The Dubliners went further ahead on fifteen minutes when fly-half Conor Kelly latched on to a loop pass and broke through to score under the posts.

With the score now at 14-3, one might have expected Clontarf to pull away, but it was Nenagh who went on the offensive and put together several good phases of play which culminated in a 20th minute try for the excellent Willie Coffey.

Clontarf’s game is built around a dominant scrum and maul, and Nenagh were doing a good job of frustrating the hosts by moving the point of contact and keeping the ball alive.

The home side finally managed to work an opening close to the line and although the defence thwarted a number of forward drives, they finally broke when number 8 Jordan Coghlan picked from a ruck to get over in the 32nd minute.

Showing tremendous spirit, Nenagh once again responded and within five minutes, they had reduced the deficit back to four points. This time it was prop Matthew Burke who crashed over after a period of sustained pressure from the visitors with Finn adding the extras.

With the score now at 21-17 and very much in the game, Nenagh were dealt a hammer blow when Jordan Coghlan scored with the last play of the half in a repeat of his earlier effort.

‘Tarf opened the second half very strongly and looked at times like they might take complete control but once again, the Nenagh defence kept them at bay. Ironically, it was a neat backline move up the left wing which finally gave Clontarf the breakthrough. Quick hands from Conor Kelly found winger Alex O’Grady and he rounded the covering defence in the corner.

With the lead now stretched to 35-17, the game was almost out of sight for Nenagh but they kept plugging away, eventually breaking into opposition territory following a neat break out of defence by James Finn.

With Willie Coffey and Angus Blackmore very much to the fore in midfield, Nenagh finished strongly and after a couple of near misses, they eventually won a scrum inside ‘Tarf’s 22. They got the try they deserved when John O’Flaherty linked inside to Blackmore, who ran a great line to touch down for a fine score which brought the game to fitting close.

With scores elsewhere in the division not going their way, Nenagh are now eighteen points adrift at the bottom of the table. However, the spirit of the camp will surely be lifted by this performance as they head into a home clash with second placed St Mary’s next Saturday.

TEAMS – Clontarf: Dylan O’Grady; Ross Deegan, Alex O’Grady, Tadhg Bird, Hugo Lennox; Conor Kelly, Michael Moloney; Ivan Soroka, Dylan Donnellan (capt), Charlie Ward, Fionn Gilbert, Alan Spicer, Luke Brady, Aaron Coleman, Jordan Coghlan.

Reps: Declan Adamson, Ben Griffin, Alvin Amaniampong, Sam Owens, Conor Gibney, Darragh Doyle.

Nenagh Ormond: Davy Gleeson; Patrick Scully, Willie Coffey, Angus Blackmore, Fionn Higgins; James Finn, Luke Kerr; Mikey Doran, Dylan Murphy, Matthew Burke, Kevin Seymour, Kevin O’Flaherty (capt), Rob Buckley, Joe Coffey, John O’Flaherty.

Reps: Mateo Sentous, Sean Frawley, Fionn O’Meara, Ronnie McElligott, Nicky Irwin, Conor McMahon.

Referee: Ross Whitfield.