AVIVA Stadium main pitch, sunny calm day, surface like a putting green . . .
One would think there would be no excuses for not serving up a try fest. Unfortunately for the neutral, rugby is also a game of defence and on Saturday both Lansdowne and Clontarf cancelled each other’s attacking efforts out with a combined display of organisation and commitment to the tackle.
Lansdowne dominated first half possession but could not muster enough guile to breach the ‘Tarf line where Adrian Darcy gave a master-class in chop tackling and the ‘Tarf team competed manfully over loose ruck ball. Despite the surfeit of possession ‘Tarf showed what a dangerous unit they are by breaking out twice in the first 25 minutes and scoring on both occasions to go in at half time leading 6 – 3.
Unfortunately the loss of key players Ian Hirst, Collie O’Shea, and Michael Browne took the edge off the ‘Tarf team’s attack in the second half and despite looking the sharper side going forward, the visitors were unable to register another score and consequently were somewhat set up for a sucker punch which came from the boot of Lansdowne sub out half McKeon who, having levelled the scores on 67 minutes, stepped up in injury time to seal the win for the home side with, effectively, the last kick of the match.