Cashel RFC stumble slightly in a hard-earned draw away to Navan

All-Ireland League - Division 2A - Round 12

Cashel RFC 13

Navan RFC 13

For those those not at Dublin Road, Navan on Saturday last for the Division 2A All Ireland League game between Navan and Cashel close your eyes and put yourself in a red Cashel Jersey. 

The game has been a rip-roaring contest. You have burst a certain part of your anatomy for the cause and the score is 13 points apiece. You are playing against the wind and the electronic scoreboard has stopped and registers 80 minutes but you know at least three minutes of extra time has been played. 

The penalty count is 15-8 against your team and the Navan team is going through multiple phases to get the winning score. You put in another tackle and the red wall gradually pushes the opposition to the 22. 

However, you know deep down in your being that based on what has gone before a Navan penalty will come. And sure enough, it did. Everybody knew it would be the last kick of the game and the home crowd was delirious- they badly needed a win. 

Your supporters are downcast and you wonder how Cashel managed to stay in the game and indeed to get to second place in the league with a penalty count twice that of the opposition.

The Navan penalty was awarded on the 22 slightly left of the goal posts and the kicker had converted three far more difficult kicks during the game. You can do no more than look and hope. 

The kick was hit well but in trying to steer the ball it drifted left of the post and wide.There was total silence except for the few loyal Cashel supporters who traveled. 

There were some comments after the game. To some Cashel supporters, it confirmed that there is a God but the overriding feeling was that justice had been done and the game ended in a draw.

Every game in the league is important. Cashel needed a win to stay competitive in second place. The Navan need was greater as they were rooted at the bottom of the table for some mysterious reason for such a fine team. 

From the kickoff, they came out of the blocks like a bat out of hell and tore into the Cashel. They went through phases of pick and go and at every opportunity flashed the ball to the backs. 

They had pace to burn out wide. Within three minutes they had been awarded four penalties. Cashel weathered the storm and more than held their own in the lineout. 

On the ten-minute mark, Richard Kingston won a ball at the breakdown and cleared to halfway. Five minutes later Ben Twomey made a break down the right wing to the 22. 

Navan were penalised and Twomey slotted the penalty to register the first score of the game. The Navan backs continued to cause trouble with good running lines and buckets of pace. 

On 23 minutes Cashel received a yellow card for a high tackle. James Ryan won a scrum for Cashel by holding up a maul and Cashel won a penalty in the scrum. On thirty minutes a blow for Cashel as centre Jamie Ryan had to leave the field with an injury. 

As Cashel were in possession they got a scrum and won another scrum penalty on the ten-meter line. Ben Twomey pushed Cashel six points ahead. Four minutes before half time Navan broke out of their half. 

They knocked on twice but the play continued and they scored a try under the posts to edge ahead by a point. They missed a penalty thirty meters out but in injury time went further ahead with another attempt. 

Half-time score Navan 10 Cashel 6. It was slightly against the run of play as Cashel had the wind and found themselves four points in arrears. They had the upper hand in the scrums the lineouts were shared equally but the breakdown was a lottery.

The pace of the game increased in the second half as Cashel fought their way back into the game. Making ground was difficult against the wind as box kicks almost blew back to the kickers. On 48 minutes another Navan penalty pushed them seven points ahead. 

Cashel battled on with the Ryan twins Brendan and Ciaran, James Ryan, Brendan Crosse, Ed Kelly and Mikey Wilson, Cormac O'Donnell and Cathal Ryan making the hard yards. The try of the game came after 55 minutes. 

Jack Evenden made a break for Cashel on halfway. James Ryan and Brendan Ryan made ground and offloaded to Kevin O'Connor who weaved his way over in the corner. 

The conversion would grace any rugby field. Out on the left wing with the wind blowing into his face Ben Twomey slotted the kick to level the game. Cashel had a period of total dominance during which the brought play to the ten-meter line but Navan were awarded a relieving penalty. Ben Twomey made a break of forty meters deep into Navan territory. 

James Ryan made a break but was caught short of the line. Navan got back into the Cashel half but knocked on twice as they attacked and Cashel cleared their lines. Then it all hinged on the last few frantic minutes as the game ended in a draw, 13 points each. 

Both sides got something from the game. Navan moved off the bottom but still had work to do. Cashel are still in second place but are being chased down by Barnhall who will visit Cashel on February 10th in what will be another stiff test. 

With 12 games played and six to go it is still all to play for. Nenagh are now in pole position to nail down the automatic promotion spot after a huge bonus point win over Malone. There are no All-Ireland League fixtures next week.

Cashel team (1-20): C O'Donnell, C Ryan, B Ryan, B Crosse, E Kelly, M Wilson, J Ryan, C Ryan, K O'Connor, J Evenden,T Tobin, J Ryan, R Kingston, P Leamy, B Twomey, P Ryan, A Shirley, B O'Connor, J O'Sullivan, J Armshaw.