Let’s start with some relevant statistics and a shout out to an unsung hero.
Saturday’s win was the fourth time this season that Tarf have won with the last play of the game ….. literally. In St Marys, for the first game, we were 8 minutes into injury time when Barry Gray scored the winner. In Con, Aitzol King got in on the right with time up. Con Kelly beat Lansdowne with a penalty in injury time and on Saturday, Will Reilly completed the set with an outrageous poach for Con K to let the clock run down for the final conversion. That is, at a minimum, a 12 point pickup which is the difference between being currently in the top 4 of the League, as opposed to the bottom 4. No doubt, strength of will and resolve is playing a part here. But, so also is fitness and conditioning. Leo Tiernan take a bow!
Leo is the squad’s Strength and Conditioning Coach (S and C, or BDSM, depending on your view) and will take pride in the manner in which his squad are outlasting the opposition.
On Saturday, as the game moved into the final quarter, Con were out on their feet. The attritional nature of the game took a heavy toll on the visitors and forced them to dig into their bench resources much earlier than they would have planned. Tarf may have been inaccurate but, oh wow, were they relentless. They remind me of the army of the dead from Game of Thrones. Not pretty but they keep on coming, and coming, and coming, shredding as they go.
The first half was an old style arm wrestle. Tarf dominated possession and territory and Con defended like wild dogs. The territorial imbalance was so marked that Con only made meaningful entry into the Tarf half twice in the first period. Early in the second quarter, they got as far as the home 10 metre line, before being hunted back to their own 10 metre line, where they box kicked. With 5 to go they made a telling entry off a line out. An inside ball put their right winger clear. Full back Matthew Bowen carried it close and the big units took it from there for the score converted by Out Half James Taylor and 0 7.
Tarf’s efforts were yielding nothing due to questionable option taking and frustrating inaccuracy in the red zone. Con Kelly was lucky not to pick up a serious injury when he was on the receiving end of a clumsy clothesline tackle from centre Sean French.
Con declined the opportunity for rolling hysterics after the hit and after some treatment had the sang froid to accept Sean’s apology with a hug. Respect or what ?
Cork Con struck first in the second half with a penalty from Taylor and 0 10, Con Kelly replied for Tarf and 3 10 and, as we moved beyond 60 on the clock, the home side started to rumble. Aaron Coleman got in after a surging drive from John Vinson was taken on by the pack ably assisted by winger Seni Reilly for 8 10. Taylor added another penalty for 8 13 and it looked like the visitors were going to hold on.
With time running out Tarf came again and after some toing and froing on the Con line earned a penalty which they tapped and promptly knocked on. (We really should have a Valium stall in the Club!).
From the ensuing scrum, the Con 7 picked and was mugged by Aaron Coleman under the posts. As they set the defensive ruck, Tarf increased the pressure and the Con scrum half dropped the ball over his own line and Will Reilly reacted quickest for the touchdown and try. Con Kelly allowed the clock to run over 80 before dabbing the ball over for 15 13 and victory.
Madness or wha ?
This was not a pretty game, but it had everything that rugby people appreciate. Two sides with enormous respect and familiarity with each other. Huge discipline from all concerned, despite the nature of the hits all over the park. Enough chat and argument and sledging and finger pointing to grace a large family Christmas Dinner.
Both sides emptied the tank in the effort but, thanks to Leo T, Tarf, on the day, had the deeper tank.
