Tipperary Rugby: Late Galwegians try leaves Clonmel empty handed in AIL clash

All Ireland League Division 2C

Clonmel 10 Galwegians 21

Watching the Rugby World Cup on TV is fine but nothing compares to watching AIL rugby up close at one’s own club. So it was on Saturday last when Galwegians made their maiden visit to Clonmel on a nice day where a good crowd generated a buzzing atmosphere.
Galwegians had come down from Division 2B last season but their President was adamant that “they were going straight back up”. The visitors had their game face on but the early exchanges here reflected a very even contest. What unfolded was not the grim kick-fest (70 kicks!) which was served up by England and South Africa later in the evening but neither was it champagne rugby.

This was bread-and- butter rugby, a game initially played mostly in the centre of the pitch with neither team able to impose its game plan on the other. Clonmel did much of the early probing and some good work by Henry Buttimer gave us hope. But the visitors rallied and pressure down their left flank coughed up a penalty after 10 minutes – such was their confidence that they ignored a kickable shot in favour of a quick tap – however, that failed and Clonmel cleared their lines.
The first bit of bad luck struck Clonmel on 16 minutes when Buttimer had to retire. The trench warfare continued in midfield – this was a day when the forwards on both sides had to roll up their sleeves, with Cantwell, Brannock, O’Dea and Devaney putting in big shifts.

Clonmel now seemed to have an edge and good pressure produce a penalty on 21 minutes which Josef O’Connor converted with a good kick.
The home side threatened more but some good moves were spoiled by handling errors. The game continued as a midfield arm-wrestle and we wondered if the West was really awake. We got our answer – even if it took to the 37th minute – a Clonmel attack broke down and gave a penalty to Galwegians – their maul down the left flank brought them over the line and a good conversion put them 7-3 ahead.
So, after some very good work, Clonmel were disappointed to enter the break in arrears.
Clonmel commenced the second half with more intent and consistent pressure on the visitors yielded a yellow card. Clonmel’s subsequent penalty and maul brought them over the line but they were held up. No score. Shades of Ireland v New Zealand. What might have been.

The tempo of the game lifted but it seemed that both teams flattered to deceive as handling errors on both sides undid some good backs’ moves.
Good pressure from the home side did not yield any dividends – and then Galwegians struck in the 60th minute. A break down Clonmel’s right side by the visitors seemed to be going nowhere until their No. 13, Treacy, shimmied, dummied and danced through several attempted tackles to cross the line. He should never have made it, but he did. The successful conversion put the visitors 14-3 ahead.

But Clonmel kept at it and continued to attack – they were rewarded just before 70 minutes when a good maul put Jason Monua, who had worked very hard throughout, over for the try. The conversion by O’Connor reduced the deficit to 14-10. We were back in losing bonus-point territory but hoping for more.
With the clock winding down, Clonmel conceded a close-in penalty which was their undoing. Galwegians drove the kick into the corner and the ensuing maul brought them over to go 19-10 ahead. The bonus point evaporated. The conversion gave us a full-time score of 21-10 to the visitors.

The scoreboard did not really tell the story of this match – there was literally nothing between the teams – or, if there was, it was that extra sliver of experience shown by the visitors. Clonmel has a very young squad and some of their learning will have to be gained on the pitch in the heat of battle – but that will come over the length of the season and they will be a much more seasoned bunch in the months to come – they have the team, the coaching ticket, the organisation and the will to win which will see better days as the season unfolds.

ANOTHER TRIP NORTH AWAITS
We’re back on the road with a trip to Clogher Valley on Saturday, November 4.