Cashel back on the winning trail as they close space on Nenagh Ormond

All-Ireland League - Division 2A - Round 13

Cashel RFC 17

UL Bohemian 13

There is no doubt the pressure was on Cashel on Saturday last as they traveled to Annacotty, Limerick to take on UL Bohemians in round 14 of the All-Ireland League. 

To keep pace with the top teams they needed to win against a team brimming with confidence after a number of good performances. Cashel have had their fair share of injuries which can upset the rhythm of the team but the players who came in were outstanding and contributed to an excellent win. 

UL Bohs had plenty to play for as they still have a good chance of making the playoffs. Conditions were good with a slight breeze helping the home team in the first half. The home team dominated the first 17 minutes as they kept Cashel pinned back in their half. 

Their backs were adventurous and ran the ball at every opportunity. After five minutes a penalty gave them a lineout five meters out. Cashel defended well and when UL Bohs knocked on Cashel pushed them off the ball in the scrum winning a penalty. 

This set the tone for the day as Cashel dominated the scrums for the rest of the game. Several Cashel clearances were blocked down but they kept tackling and worked extremely hard to keep their line intact. 

It took Cashel 17 minutes to get into the UL Bohs half but when they got there they made full use of the visit. They won a scrum penalty inside their own half and kicked to touch the opposition 22. 

They won the lineout and passed to the backs where Ryan O'Sullivan, with a wonderful sidestep, beat the defence and fed Kevin O'Connor who weaved his way over for a fine try. 

Ben Twomey converted to push Cashel seven points ahead. Five minutes later a high tackle gave UL Bohs a penalty and three points. Cashel continued their scrum dominance but as half-time approached some sloppy play resulted in a forward pass inside their 22 when a kick to touch may have been a wiser option. UL Bohs were awarded a penalty but Cashel held on until half-time at which point the score was UL Bohemians 3 Cashel 7.

Four minutes into the second half UL Bohs narrowed the gap to a point when Cashel were penalised for a high tackle. Scores were hard to come by as both defences were on top. 

Jack O'Rourke was kept busy on the wing but he never put a foot wrong all day as he put in several important tackles. Paudie Leamy was equally effective on the right wing. 

Some decisions went against Cashel particularly in the scrum until it became clear that the opposition tight head prop was not engaging properly. 

At 62 minutes Cashel were awarded a penalty on halfway and Ben Twomey stepped up and pushed Cashel ahead with an excellent kick. 

Six minutes later another penalty to UL Bohs thirty meters out in front of the posts. A let-off for Cashel as their normally reliable kicker missed. The Cashel pack were working extremely hard to keep the team ahead. 

Front-row forwards Cormac O'Donnell, Cathal Ryan, and Brendan Ryan were totally on top. Ed Kelly, Brendan Crosse, and Brian O'Connor controlled the lineouts. Mikey Wilson and James Ryan covered every blade of grass. 

With ten minutes remaining, we saw the best score of the day. Richard Kingston picked up a loose ball on halfway. He worked hard to beat several players and carried twenty metres before offloading to Paudie Leamy who passed to Kevin O'Connor. 

Jack Evenden tracked them all the way and was on hand to take the last pass and score a wonderful try. Ben Twomey converted. The UL Bohs heads did not go down and they continued to press for a score which would give them a losing bonus point. 

It came as the clock went red. They went through numerous phases and eventually got over for a converted try. There were now only three points between the teams. Cashel kicked deep into the opposition 22 and kept them there until the final whistle blew five minutes into injury time. 

This was a tough hard slog for both teams. It was not champagne rugby but at this stage of the season injuries can be a problem, players get tired and the heavy ground can sap the energy from players. It was an important win for Cashel and UL Bohemians deserved their losing bonus point after putting it up to Cashel to the very end. Cashel's next fixture is away to Ballymena on March 2nd.

They remain in second place but only three points on points difference separate them from third-placed Barnhall.

It was a bittersweet experience for Ed Kelly as he started his rugby career with Cashel's minis, and then played for many years in the All-Ireland League with UL Bohemians. He won a Division 1 All-Ireland League medal two seasons ago with Clontarf. He is now back where it all began and contributing to the Cashel effort.

Cashel team (1-20): C O'Donnell, C Ryan, B Ryan, B Crosse, E Kelly, B O'Connor, J Ryan, M Wilson, K O'Connor, J Evenden, P Leamy, R O'Sullivan, R Kingston, J O'Rourke, B Twomey, A Shirley, J Evans, H O'Donoghue, J O'Sullivan, J Armshaw.