Ormond’s Fairytale run continues with eighth straight win

RUGBY: Energia All-Ireland League Division 2A Round 8

Nenagh Ormond 38

Greystones 5

Report: Thomas Conway in Lisatunny

MATCH DIGEST

Player of the Match: Nicky Irwin (Nenagh Ormond)

SCORERS – Nenagh Ormond: Tries: Healy, McMahon, J Coffey, Scully, Irwin (2). Convs: McMahon (4)

Greystones: Try: Marmion.

There was still sorrow in the air in Nenagh last Saturday. On a poignant weekend for the town, nothing was ever going to overshadow the events of Friday afternoon, and so this occasion felt a little different.

But Nenagh Ormond paid tribute to the musical genius that was Shane MacGowan by continuing their own fairytale run in this year’s All-Ireland League Division 2A, eclipsing a Greystones side that never quite looked comfortable in Lisatunny.

New Ormond Park has, over the course of these past few months, become a veritable fortress, and its inhabitants have become a near unstoppable force at the summit of the Division 2A table. Nenagh are unbeaten thus far this season. Confidence is sky high, and you could sense last Saturday.

In truth, Greystones were feeble opposition. They struggled desperately to cope with the inclement weather conditions and lacked any real conviction on the front foot.

But Nenagh Ormond were a class above. The home side soared into an early lead after just ninety seconds, hooker John Healy bolting through a gap on the far side and grounding some metres left of the posts. Conor McMahon made his first conversion and would ping three more before the half was out, lacing the ball between the sticks despite horrendous rain and howling wind.

He would also snatch the second try, swiftly gliding onto an inch-perfect Ben Pope pass before striding over the line to send Nenagh fourteen points ahead with thirty minutes on the clock. The direction of travel was clear. Nenagh were in total control.

They would cement their hold further before the break, courtesy of two sublime moves, finished with aplomb by Patrick Scully and Nicky Irwin respectively. Scully’s 37th minute score was more an act of individual brilliance, a display of shimmering footwork and explosive running, but Irwin’s was the product of a well-rehearsed training ground move, with Ormond shifting the ball from the centre to the wing before the wily scrum-half provided the finishing touch. He might have a diminutive physical presence but looks can be deceptive. Irwin put on a show last Saturday, orchestrating play from the back of the rook and contributing two tries, the second of which arrived in the seventieth minute.

Ultimately, Nenagh controlled this game - in every way, in every sense, from start to finish. Anchored by prop Colm Skehan, their defence was, as it has been for the entirety of this season, superb. They played with composure and poise, manoeuvring the set-piece with excellence, and just generally dominating their Wicklow opponents. Why Greystones were so poor remains a mystery, but Nenagh’s ability to expose and exploit their adversaries was clear from the get-go.

Even as the game wore on and the action stagnated, the home side remained on top, coolly controlling the rook, and winding the clock down to the inevitable conclusion. Greystones would score late on, Killian Marmion pinning down a deserved consolation try, but it felt like an irrelevance.

This occasion was just more about Nenagh Ormond. The North Tipp club turned in a masterful performance, in atrocious conditions. They outplayed their opponents, just as they have outplayed every other side that has crossed their path since the season kicked off in October.

But next week will be different. Cashel down in Spafield is always a tough prospect, but rarely have the two clubs clashed in such auspicious circumstances. Two Tipperary clubs nestled first and second in the Division 2A table, both with their sights on direct promotion.

It should be a belter, a high-octane, high-intensity confrontation with more than just pride on the line. Nenagh are soaring, and a win next Saturday would send them into the stratosphere, just as the mid-point of the season is struck. It’s all set to be a very Merry Christmas in Lisatunny, but there’s a rugby match to be played before the festivities begin. And it might just be the most important rugby match Nenagh will play this season.

TEAMS - Nenagh Ormond: Josh Rowland (7); David Gleeson (7), Willie Coffey (8), Patrick Scully (8), Conor McMahon (8); Ben Pope (8), Nicky Irwin (8); Seán Frawley (7), John Healy (8), Colm Skehan (8); Jake O’Kelly (8), Joe Coffey (8); John O’Flaherty (8), Evan Murphy (7), John Hayes (7).

Reps: Dylan Murphy (6) for Healy (55); Mikey Doran (7) for Frawley (61); Jack O’Keefe (6) for Skehan (65); Kevin O’Gorman (6) for J Coffey (68); Derek Corcoran (6) for W Coffey (74).

Greystones: Stephen Corry (6); Ferdia Kenny (6), Shane Marmion (7), Billy Ngawini (7), Craig Kenny (6); Killian Marmion (7), Paddy Byrne (7); Jamie Mulher (6), Rob Byrne (6), Conor Pearse (6); Eoin Marmion (7), Patrick Kieran (6); Ross Mackey (6), Adam Benson (6), Michael Doyle (6).

Reps: Michael Douglas (6) for Mulher (46); Ken Murphy (6) for Benson (58); Ronan Mannion (6) for Corry (68); Darren Magee (6) for Pearse (70).

Referee: Paul O’Connor