Well, wasn’t that exciting!
A game that had everything. More excitement than the circus, more emotion than the opera, more drama than Hitchcock.
And it started soooo badly.
One of the great rugby truisms is that penalty jeopardy rests mostly with the defenders. Side-line chatter about penalty count is more of an indication of the balance of possession than the discipline of either side. Add in the recent law changes regarding high tackles and you have a recipe for a heavy lopsided penalty count.
Con are a good side and were made look even better by Tarf’s propensity to give them the ball. So, they poured onto us and the penalty and tackle count racked up. Add in the effective home maul defence and the visitors are looking at a long day. In the end one of Churchills great quotes applies … “ When you are going through hell, keep going !”
Tarf hung on gamely, got some luck from iffy kicking by Con and made it to half time at 16 6 which could have been much worse. Con failed to convert two tries and missed two kickable penalties as well, which was a fortuitous outcome to a torrid half for Tarf.
In the second half Tarf brought balance to the game by upping their pace with the ball. Tarf’s power game is much more compelling when the action is at pace. Large men moving slowly are targets, large men coming at pace are a different prospect entirely. Now the penalty count started to swing in the visitors favour because the possession stats were balancing.
Con got a great mauled score to push the scoreboard to 21 9 but as we moved into the final quarter the attrition started to tell. Tarf camped in the Con 22 and despite some relief from a scrum free-kick, Con could not prevail and substitute JJ O’Dea scored after some strong carrying to the home line. That brought the score to 21 16 and almost immediately Hugh Cooney read a Con move and intercepted to score by the posts for 21 23 and glittering salvation!
And don’t you love a frantic finish!
Con landed a penalty for the lead 24 23, Tarf responded with one of their own for 24 26 and as the time trickled away Con were awarded another scorpy one for 27 26.
All that was left was frantic attack and defence, scenes reminiscent of the fall of Rome on the side-line and the final refereeing decision and the result to Con.