Well . . . where do we start with this game? Probably the best place is to start at the end and discuss the implications of this bonus point win. In doing so I have decided to avoid the tempting debate on the mathematics of the upcoming St. Mary’s game.
All the what ifs, and the “if they score that” and “if we get that” etc . . . etc that invariably arrives at this stage of an enthralling season; driving the team and management to distraction and serving only to entertain that section of the Club who spent their time at school doing sums rather than rugby training . . . ! which includes me!
Suffice to say that the visit of St. Mary’s to Castle Avenue on the 14 April is probably the most important game in the history of the ground . . . It is highly probable that a winner on the 14th will be crowned champions, if not on the day, then a week later after the final round of games. As things stand Clontarf have a slight advantage in that we are 1 point ahead with a powerful lead in points differential. (I believe that Points differential is the primary separator in the event of two teams being level on points and the finish of the league)
Against that, Mary’s will be bursting with confidence having already beaten us in Templeville and coming off the back of a superb late win over Con in Cork.
It looks like it will be a final in everything but name . . . an immense occasion and potentially a very emotional day.
Saturday’s game had all the appearance of a banana skin. Garryowen are a slick outfit and pushed us to the edge of our collar defensively in Limerick to hold them out. True to their form they came at us in waves in the first 30 minutes and put us through a serious defensive test which fortunately only yielded two penalties for offside. This test could pay great benefits because St. Mary’s have a similar wide game so it was heartening to see the efficiency of the Clontarf defence where the wingers and Richie Lane had strong games. Having said that, their lives would have been a lot easier had we made touch when required.
Clontarf opened the scoring after 6 minutes when Killian Lett snapped up a dropped ball and went the length of the pitch. Then followed a period of Garryowen dominance until the 34th minute when another breakout resulted in a 5 metre scrum and a penalty try. ‘Tarf finished the first half with a maul on the visitors line which, after some rumbling around, was released to Reid who stepped inside the cover and scored for 21 6 at half time.
And there is the tale of the game, Garryowen were bloody dangerous when the game was loose and played at 90 miles an hour, but they had no answers to the home power and couldn’t make any inroads into the Clontarf set phases. Their goose was well and truly cooked 3 minutes into the second half when ‘Tarf went wide in their own 22 and McCoy was put clear in a surging run which saw Reid up to support for the try of the game under the posts. After that the visitors tired and mistakes came and the Clontarf back row feasted on the loose ball and added three more scores with Garryowen adding two for themselves after home errors.
Roll on the 14th April.