Sloppy Ormond handed first defeat by Instonians

RUGBY: Energia All-Ireland League Division 1B Round 3

Nenagh Ormond 21

Instonians 23

Report: Thomas Conway at New Ormond Park

MATCH DIGEST

Player of the Match: Oliver Clarke (Instonians)

SCORERS – Nenagh Ormond: Tries - Falla, Graham, Salanoa. Cons - Stewart (3)

Instonians: Tries - Clarke, Prinsloo, Boyd. Cons - Eagleton (1); Pens - Eagleton (2)

Nenagh Ormond’s unblemished start to Division 1B of the All-Ireland League was ended on Saturday afternoon, with the hosts falling to an industrious Instonians side who departed home for Belfast feeling more relieved than elated, given the manner of their narrow two point victory.

One moment at the climax could have tipped the balance in Nenagh’s favour but Jonty Stewart’s 78th minute penalty – some 35 metres out and dead straight in front of the posts – skewed off his boot and drifted right, well off from the target. Had Stewart converted, it would have bookended an impressive Ormond come-back.

The home side had initially fallen 15-0 behind and trailed 18-7 at the interval. However, they clawed their way gradually back and eventually reduced the deficit to two in the 72nd minute, courtesy of a try from substitute prop Roman Salanoa, who was hugely impactful.

A frantic final ten minutes ensued but Nenagh were unable to clinch a winning score. Instonians, who had yet to secure any points prior to Saturday, badly needed this win and it showed. Nenagh, on the other hand, now sit third in the table after the first block of games.

In truth, this was an error-strewn affair which failed to really ignite until just before the half-hour mark. Frequent stoppages and unnecessary mistakes frustrated the spectators on both sides and from a scoring perspective there was little to shout about early on.

Instonians out-half Josh Eagleton landed an ambitious penalty from close to halfway in the ninth minute, while Nenagh were held up on the try-line some six minutes later.

Neither side could gain a foothold, although Ormond did manage some impressive carries and exchanges – in the 24th minute, Willie Coffey unleashed Conor McMahon with a skilful offload, but the latter was eventually brought down some metres short of the line.

When Instonians hooker Oliver Clarke surged over to score the game’s first try in the 29th minute, it marked the end of a period of sustained pressure from the Belfast outfit. It also marked the beginning of a succession of scores. Three minutes later full-back Bevan Prinsloo touched down to extend Instonians’ lead to 15 points and leave Nenagh in crisis mode.

The home side had to respond and they duly did. Ignacio Falla was the scorer, finishing a move that was to a large extent created by Jonty Stewart, who pulled off an exquisite dummy before slipping through the Instonians line.

Eagleson then landed his second penalty elegantly over in the dying seconds of first-half stoppage-time, to leave Nenagh trailing 18-7. The scoreline reflected the half. No question who the better side had been.

There was a moment, just after half-time, when Nenagh should have seized this game and pushed on to victory. Winger Luke Graham had just snapped a bouncing ball some thirty metres out and cascaded into the clubhouse corner to land his side’s second try. Stewart had followed it up with a delightful conversion from the wing.

It was still 14-18 but Nenagh had the momentum and Instonians looked rattled, fearful perhaps of squandering the lead and enduring a third successive defeat.

In fairness to the away side, however, they managed to arrest that Nenagh momentum. Number 8 Adam Boyd muscled his way over for their third try in the 51st minute, affording them some more breathing space.

That prompted Derek Corcoran and the Nenagh coaching team to rotate the pack, and what an impact those fresh bodies made. Munster’s Roman Salanoa, in particular, roared into the game. Fiery and fearsome, the Hawaiian-born 28-year-old made a number of vital carries and eventually got the try he deserved in the 72nd minute, which was converted by Stewart.

The latter, who performed relatively well throughout, was unlucky with his 78th minute penalty, which he miscued badly. However, there was still time thereafter, and Nenagh very nearly snatched victory when scrum-half Aaron Moloney almost intercepted a pass just outside his own 22. He would have had to run about forty metres, but the field had opened up in front of him and the former Cistercian College Roscrea player is something of a speed merchant. Unfortunately for Nenagh, the ball slipped his grasp and Instonians then played down the clock with a frustrating degree of poise, before ultimately rifling the ball into touch.

Nenagh will be disappointed with the outcome, particularly at home, but on balance, Instonians probably deserved to shave this one. Ormond face a difficult trip to the centre of Dublin to take on Dublin University (Trinity) on Saturday week. All in all, it has been a broadly successful first block of games for the Tipp team.

TEAMS - Nenagh Ormond: Matt Brice (6), Luke Graham (8), Conor McMahon (6), Willie Coffey (7), Fionn Higgins (6), Jonty Stewart (7), Aaron Moloney (7); Richie Whelan (7), Ignacio Falla (8), Matt Burke (7), Cillian Ryan (6), Kevin O’Flaherty (7), Oli Ayling (7), John O’Flaherty (Capt 6).

Reps: Patrick Scully for Coffey (50); Roman Salanoa (8) for Whelan (50); Taylor Coles (7) for Falla (50); Willie Coffey for Graham (51); Kevin Seymour (7) for Ryan (52); Ivan Struzia (7) for Burke (57); Luke Graham for McMahon (57).

Instonians: Bradley McNamara (7), Bevan Prinsioo (8), Lukas Kenny (7), Ian Whitten (7), Jack Truesdale (7), Josh Eagleson (8), Seb Clarke (7); Anton Lupari (Capt 7), Oliver Clarke (8), Liam Kaprigannis (6), Kyle Gill (7), Harry Sheridan (7), Marty Vorster (7), Paul Pritchard (7), Adam Boyd (8).

Reps: Freddie Clarke (7) for Truesdale (41 inj), Kian Mulholland (7) for Boyd (54), Schalk Van Der Merwe (7) for Kaprigannis (54).

Referee: Shane Gaughan.