Nenagh Ormond fall to table toppers in Belfast

All-Ireland League - Division 2A - Round 13

Nenagh Ormond 21

Queens University 48

Nenagh Ormond made the long journey to Dub Lane , Belfast on Saturday to take on league leaders Queens University in the 13th game of this AIL season. Both teams have had wildly contrasting fortunes over the season so far.

Nenagh have had only 3 wins and a draw whereas Queens were way out in front of the chasing pack with 11 wins from 12 starts before Saturday. As followers of Nenagh will know though, the Ormond men have shown much improved form since the resumption of the league after Christmas with two bonus point wins and a losing bonus point from the three games played in 2022. With more or less a full squad to pick from too the Nenagh men travelled quietly confident of taking something from this fixture.

As one would expect from a home side facing a team after a long bus journey, all the longer in fact for some very treacherous road conditions en-route to Belfast, the home team started at an eye watering pace. Within 15 minutes Nenagh had conceded a converted try and penalty and at 10-0 simply had to score next to stem the tide against them.

For that opening 15 minutes, Queens had totally dominated possession, demonstrating great efficiency in the breakdown and regularly stretching the Nenagh defence to the wide channels with the supply of quick ball.

The next 10 mins of the half however were all Nenagh. From the restart Queens were forced into a rushed clearance to touch. Nenagh got their maul game going from the ensuing lineout and built phases from there.

The Queens side who up to now looked extremely comfortable in attack started to look a little less convincing on the other side of the ball. They conceded a succession of penalties in dealing with the Nenagh attack and it must be noted were fortunate to keep 15 men on the pitch at this time.

Nenagh stuck to the task however and used close in attack tactics with forwards and backs involved before Nicky Irwin eventually found a chink in the Queens cover for a try which Fionn McGibney converted. At 10-7 with half time approaching it was very much game on.

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The Queen's response was swift however. Regaining possession in the Nenagh half they again stretched the Nenagh attack well. Despite Nenagh holding firm in the middle, Queens eventually worked an overlap to score wideout. A difficult conversion was missed and the score stood at 15-7 with just about time for the restart.

The remaining minute or so of the half and the opening 5 minutes of the second half proved to be the turning point of the game. From the restart Queens infringed and Nenagh had a penalty 10 metres inside their own half.

A tap and kick to touch would signal halftime but having built a score from a maul attack earlier Nenagh sniffed the opportunity to do so again. Unfortunately this time however the attack broke down and worse still a Queen's counter attack breached the Nenagh defence.

Just when the outcome looked bleak for Nenagh however Derek Corcoran showed a super turn of speed to scramble in defence and bundle the Queens attacker into touch. Crisis averted and regroup at half time though Nenagh.

However, the referee inexplicably awarded a penalty try to Queens and brandished a yellow card to Corcoran, and after restarting the game with 14 men for the second half, matters went rapidly downhill for Nenagh.

With just five minutes played and the score still at 22-7 Nenagh had a lineout on half way. A loose ball was recovered by Damien Dunne who was dragged in to touch by a Queens defender. A scuffle ensued which didn’t appear to be majorly sinister in any way. However the referee on the advice of his touch judge took the decision to show Dunne a red card.

Lesser teams would shrink in the face of such challenges. This is a dangerous Queens team who are difficult to handle with 15 on the field but holding out with a man down is nigh on impossible. To Nenagh’s credit not alone did they rise to the challenge but in fact they scored next. This time Derek Corcoran, back from his unlucky trip to the sin bin, got the touch down after a period of close in pressure.

Better still having once more conceded numerous penalties when under attack the referee finally saw fit to send a Queens player to the bin. Back on level terms numerically Nenagh sensed the opportunity to chase down the scores necessary to bring at least a point out of the fixture.

Unfortunately as can be the case when a team goes all out in attack they can be vulnerable on a turnover. This was the case when Queens who were once more defending deep in their territory, regained possession and quickly linked up in counterattack to cancel out the Nenagh score.

The remainder of the game was a story of Nenagh pushing hard for scores to get the necessary 4 tries and Queens for their part showing ruthless efficiency in exploiting Nenagh’s numerical disadvantage. Queens added three more tries. Injuries impacted Nenagh with Willie Coffey and John Hayes both big losses.

Having already lost Dunne to the red card Nenagh had to withdraw Rob Buckley too to introduce Niall O'Gorman to cover tight head. With Conor Muldoon already succumbing to injury to be replaced by Peter O Connor in the opening half it meant Nenagh had to use all their bench resources early and fatigue was a big factor in the last ten minutes.

Some quick thinking by Fionn McGibney soon after teed up Nicky Irwin for his second try of the day, but there was to be no time to chase a fourth try and possible bonus point as Nenagh fell to defeat.

Nenagh Ormond: Fergal Brislane, Conor Muldoon, Damien Dunne, Kevin O'Flaherty, John O'Flaherty, Rob Buckley, Evan Murphy, John Hayes, Nicky Irwin, Derek Corcoran, Patrick Scully, Willie Coffey, Conor McMahon, Cian Ryan, Fionn McGibney.
Subs: Peter O’Connor, Niall O’Gorman, Jake O’Kelly, Kian O’Kelly, Ger O’Gorman.

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