RUGBY: Bank of Ireland Munster Senior Cup 1st Round

Nenagh Ormond 20

Midleton 7

Report: Thomas Conway is Lisatunny

MATCH DIGEST

Player of the Match: John Hayes (Nenagh Ormond)

SCORERS – Nenagh Ormond: Tries: McMahon, Corcoran. Convs: McGibney (2). Pens: McGibney (2).

Midleton: Try: Power. Conv: Lee

With their opening game in the All-Ireland League just over the horizon, Nenagh Ormond will have targeted this year's Munster Senior Cup as a means of generating some early-season momentum before that important Division 2A clash against MU Barnhall on October 2nd.

And last Saturday’s victory over Midleton wasn’t entirely convincing, nor did Ormond deliver a dazzling all-round performance, but the end result pointed to an inner stealth in this Nenagh side, boding well for their prospects going forward.

With most clubs still in the process of moulding a starting XV and tapering their pre-season training schedules, nobody was expecting a precocious display from either side, making this game a largely experimental affair. It played out something along those lines - nothing spectacular, but interesting all the same, with the game eventually starting to ignite following a stagnant opening period.

Much of that opening period saw play concentrated between the 22 metre lines, with the Cork side dominating possession and showing flashes of potential, but only ever managing the occasional line-break, largely thanks to the slick footwork of full-back Julian Power.

Credit to the home side - they defended aggressively and forced a series of ruks in the middle of the field, tight-head Niall O’Gorman anchoring the pack, assisted by Padraic Bourke and Brendan McAdams, all of whom make up a solid and sturdy front row. Out-half Fionn McGibney and number 8 John Healy did well to avert an early Midleton break on the stand side, forcing winger Rory Hone out over the line just as he appeared to have exploited a gap.

McGibney would nail Ormond’s first penalty approaching the eleventh minute, caressing the ball over from around forty metres, just left of centre. A native of Tarbert, Co. Kerry, the 22-year-old kicker previously featured for Listowel and Shannon, having also gathered considerable experience in the Munster underage academy and briefly with the Irish Sevens. With clear judgement and game-management ability, he certainly has the qualities of an excellent out-half, but faltered with a relatively easy penalty in the run-up to half-time, skewing his effort left of the posts from close range. Chalk it off as a rare aberration.

Really and truly, Nenagh should have gone over in the preceding play. John Hayes was to the fore, very nearly carrying over on his first attempt, before coming within inches a few moments later on the other side of the posts, with O’Gorman having come similarly close during the intervening phase. It would have been a nice boost at the end of a first-half in which Midleton occupied about sixty per-cent possession, but the pass from scrum-half Peter Rainsford flew astray and play was brought back for the missed penalty.

The 3-0 half-time scoreline probably didn’t do justice to the action on the field, which couldn’t be described as mundane but still fell well short of exciting. It picked up in the second period, Midleton out-half Stuart Lee beginning to orchestrate things for the Cork club, while their number 8 Luke Obersby started to exert his influence at the back of the rook.

Nenagh however, were also showing greater intent on the front foot, outside-centre Conor McMahon suddenly breaking through on 53 minutes, but mistiming his pass and causing the move to disintegrate. Three minutes later, McGibney was on target once again, launching another penalty over from some 32 metres, spurring a sense of confidence throughout the team.

On 58 minutes, they were in, McMahon making amends for the previous error by crossing the line at the town end, adding the finishing touch to a move which was crafted by the quick hands of McGibney and Cian Ryan. The former made no mistake in adding the conversion, and Nenagh looked comfortable. Not for long though.

Midleton full-back Julian Power had looked menacing all day, and in the 66th minute, he crashed over for a deserving try. A well-worked move, catalysed by a brilliantly executed Stuart Lee kick from inside his own 22, Midleton patiently shifted the play from one side to the other, eventually opening up enough room to let Power’s pace finish the job near the corner. The conversion was equally impressive, Lee not quite connecting sweetly but still ensuring the distance and accuracy to drift the ball over.

Another converted try was the prize which Midleton were chasing, but their efforts were repelled consistently by the Nenagh front line, whose performance in the closing stages indicated high levels of stamina as well as an ability to retain composure under pressure.

Maintaining those standards will be key as the season progresses, but so too will individual players, such as the centre partnership of Derek Corcoran and John Healy. Corcoran provided a glimpse of his capabilities in the final minutes, shooting onto a slick one-handed offload from McGibney, before setting the ball down straight under the posts.

Moments earlier John Hayes had precipitated the move with a quick tap-and-go, paving the way for Corcoran’s try and the subsequent conversion - the perfect end to a performance which leaves room for improvement, but indicates plenty of potential

TEAMS - Nenagh Ormond: Peter Coman; Colum Moylan, Conor McMahon, John Healy, Derek Corcoran; Fionn McGigney, Peter Rainsford; Padraic Bourke, Brendan McAdams, Niall O'Gorman; Kevin O'Flaherty, Darragh Tucker; John O'Flaherty, James Meagher, John Hayes.

Reps: Evan Murphy for Hayes (13-17 blood); Cathal Ryan-1 for Bourke (36); Jonathan Hayes for O'Gorman (38); Evan Murphy for J O'Flaherty (HT); Niall O'Gorman for C Ryan-1 (48); Cian Ryan for Healy (53); Mark Armitage for O'Flaherty (54); Cathal Ryan-2 for Meagher (60); Jonathan Hayes for Bourke (65).

Midleton: Julian Power; Fionn Bailey, Riain Hogan, Florence McCarthy, Rory Hone; Stuart Lee, Willie Casey; Mark Corby, Bryan Moore, Conor Smiddy, Rob Hickey Denis Broderick, Nick Daly, Charlie Murphy, Luke Obersby.

Reps: Rob England for Murphy (HT); Dave O’Sullivan for Daly (48); Jack Colbert for Casey (53); Fionn O’Connell for Smiddy (55); Charlie Murphy for Moore (61); Richie Daly for Hogan (64); Paul Kingston for Corby (75); Padraig Fives for Broderick (76).

Referee: Mike Scanlon