Ormond go down fighting to dominant Con

RUGBY: Bank of Ireland Munster Junior Cup Final

Cork Constitution 38

Nenagh Ormond 20

Report: Thomas Conway in Dooradoyle

Photos: Bridget Delaney

MATCH DIGEST

Player of the Match: Johnny Murphy (Cork Constitution).

SCORERS – Cork Constitution: Tries - Murphy, Hedderman, Sheehan, G Good, O’Riordan, Scannell. Cons - Murphy (5)

Nenagh Ormond: Tries - O’Shaughnessy, Crofts (2). Con - O’Doherty (1). Pen - O’Doherty (1)

In the end, there was to be no moment in history for Nenagh Ormond on Sunday. No beautiful full-circle story for captain John Brislane, whose father Martin lifted the Munster Junior Cup in 2000; no farewell triumph for Derek Corcoran or Rob Buckley, both of whom are set to hang up their boots after sterling service.

Instead, there was only disappointment, as a brutally physical and fine-tuned Cork Constitution thundered to their 21st Munster Junior Cup, their first time recording back-to-back triumphs since 1994/1995.

Nenagh’s performance seemed to mirror the weather. A day that had started brightly gradually darkened. By the time the final whistle sounded there was rain streaming down upon the Dooradoyle pitch, and probably a few tears streaming down Nenagh cheeks as well.

The Tipperary side had surged into an 8-0 lead courtesy of a Charlie O’Doherty penalty and a Conor O’Shaughnessy try in the corner, but Con came cascading back with three tries in a twelve minute spell midway through the half.

Really though, it was the two try salvo which the Cork outfit produced in the opening minutes of the second half that inflicted the killer blow. It sent Con into an unassailable 31-8 lead, and extinguished Nenagh’s hopes.

Another Con try in the 55th minute made the outcome inevitable, but Nenagh, to their credit, did not give up. A brace of tries from the explosive Tom Crofts lifted the supporters’ spirits and restored some pride. Still, it was never going to be enough. The damage had been done.

On another day Nenagh might have built on their early lead. O’Shaughnessy’s seventh minute try, the product of a searing Derek Corcoran line-break and a nice carry by Patrick Scully, instilled Ormond with belief and although O’Doherty couldn’t convert, he had already nailed a penalty, meaning Nenagh were 8-0 up.

It would be unfair to blame all of Nenagh’s downfall on the yellow card picked up by Irish under-20 international Fionn O’Meara in the thirteenth minute, but there is little doubt that it contributed to what happened next. O’Meara is a clutch player and his temporary absence left Nenagh exposed.

Seconds after he departed, Con centre Johnny Murphy snatched a floating pass from out-half Ronan Byrd and coasted over the line on the wing. Five minutes later, Rob Hedderman did the same.

Following that, the play gravitated towards the other side and eventually Con number 8 Jacob Sheehan could be seen just about grounding the ball amid a sea of bodies in the corner. There were crunching tackles and bodies flying everywhere, but Con’s sheer and utter power told in the end.

Trailing 19-8 at the interval, Nenagh were by no means out of the game. Con full-back Rory Byrne had even been yellow carded on the cusp of half-time, handing Ormond a brief numerical advantage. It mattered little.

Billy Good’s 42nd minute try was probably the best score of the game, although it wasn’t exactly pretty. The Con hooker kickstarted the play by spinning a perfect lineout just inside the Nenagh 22.

From there, Con piled bodies into a superbly effective driving maul which powered its way to the line. The man who started the move then supplied the finish, Good carrying the ball over the line and grounding it just left of the posts.

The subsequent introduction of veteran flanker Rob Buckley should have given Ormond a boost and yet, one minute after his arrival, Con were breaking up the field in an unstoppable counter-attack which culminated with Gavin O’Riordan sliding over the line.

Nenagh’s mistakes were numerous - a botched pass here, a knock-on there, a mistimed tackle. It just wasn’t happening for them, until Tom Crofts started to show his stuff. Sprung from the bench in the 45th minute, the electric scrumhalf swept in to score two identical tries in the space of some ninety seconds in the 57th & 58th minutes. Both were precipitated by the O’Shaughnessy, who was later forced off with a head injury.

It was a game riven by stoppages, but in those final seconds before the full-time whistle you had to wonder what was going through the minds of both Corcoran and Buckley, if this really was their “last dance”. Both have served the club with distinction on the field, and both will no doubt continue to drive Nenagh Ormond forward in their capacity as coaches.

The fact that the club’s second team can reach the Munster Junior Cup final is a sign of just how powerful a force Nenagh have become. The overall story is a positive one.

TEAMS - Cork Constitution: Rory Byrne (7), Rob Hedderman (8), Bruce Matthews (7), Gavin O’Riordan (8), Johnny Murphy (8), Ronan Byrd (8), Louis Kahn (7); Mike Cogan (8), George Good (8), David Good (7), David Bamidele (7), Richard Thompson (7), Cian Desmond (8), Alex Alderson (7), Jacob Sheehan (8).

Reps: James Morrison (7) for Bamidele (37), Billy Scannell (8) for G Good (54), Julien Royer (7) for D Good (56), George Good for Alderson (64), Herman O’Donoghue (7) for Matthews (72).

Nenagh Ormond: Sam Cusack (6), Conor O’Shaughnessy (7), Patrick Scully (6), John Healy (6), Fionn Higgins (6), Derek Corcoran (6), Charlie O’Doherty (7); Richie Whelan (6), Jack Devanney (6), Matthew Burke (6), Jake O’Kelly (7), Fionn O’Meara (6), John Brislane (Capt 7), Joe Coffey (6), Robbie Tynan (6).

Reps: Rob Buckley (6) for Coffey (43), Tom Crofts (8) for Tynan (45), Ivan Struzia (7) for Whelan (52), Niall O’Gorman (7) for O’Meara (54), Kevin O’Gorman (6) for Burke (54), Conor O’Brien (7) for O’Shaughnessy (65 inj).

Referee: John Purcell.