It felt like no time had passed between the AIL Final and the opening fixture of the new season on Saturday in College Park.
So many people’s favourite ground and arguably our nearest away fixture.
There’s something about the classical architecture, the history of the Irish game and the fact that some Clontarf members actually attended some studies at the esteemed College, which makes it a warm venue. Add in some glorious late summer weather and we were primed for excitement.
What we were served was somewhat mixed. A curate’s egg of a match; good in parts.
Clontarf dominated the opening exchanges and seemed to lull themselves into a feeling of superiority with their physical approach.
An early try from the back of a maul to Dylan Donnellan had the away supporters bantering confidently and when the pack added a penalty try and Aitzol King went in for a beauty after a huge pass from Ben Murphy, there was a sniff of a bonus before half time. Trinity however, have a habit of making a game out of a conclusion and a superb move down the left saw them in for a try under the posts for 10 19 at half time.
Spurred on by this defiance and, no doubt, heated up by choice words at the break, they set about Clontarf for the second half and dominated possession through pace and their ability to shift the point of contact in the blink of an eye. Some lucky breaks with kicks ahead helped as well so when with 15 to go Clontarf found themselves 24 19 down and looking ragged. The smug smiles on the side-line began to freeze in the heat.
In the end another drive for captain Donnellan tied the sides. A penalty to Con Kelly restored a 3 point lead and when Trinity conceded a tired penalty on the restart, the Clontarf maul took over and when they were finished Dec Adamson had put the game beyond doubt and denied the gallant home side a losing bonus as well.
So a typical first fixture from Tarf. A bit of a curious mixture but a nice cocktail in the end.