Cashel rugby team lose out on bid for promotion despite brave bid

It was knockout rugby  as Navan came to Cashel for the semi final of the Division 2A promotion playoff. 

The sun shone brightly and with the Munster V Saracens game on television at the same time the expectation was that supporters would stay at home to watch this. 

However the people of Cashel and indeed Navan turned out in huge numbers to support their teams and we had one of the largest crowds ever seen at Spafield which proved, to the real rugby people, their home club is the bedrock of rugby and where they wanted to be. 

The game turned out to be a cracker and one would wonder how such a low scoring game could have kept the supporters on their toes from the start to the final whistle. 

Navan dominated the early exchanges but the Cashel defence stood strong. 

Cashel had their moments but could not make any headway. Play swept up and down the field.

 On twenty two minutes a kick through by the Navan outhalf was touched down by a Navan player but to the relief of the Cashel players the touch judge deemed that he had knocked on over the line. 

From the kickoff Cashel attacked and were awarded a penalty just inside the half way line. Jonty Rea made no mistake to put Cashel ahead.  

Navan had a very strong pack with a swift backline but Cashel worked hard to keep them at bay. 

Just before half time James Kendrick, Cashel's towering tighthead prop, limped off with an ankle injury. Half time score Cashel 3 Navan nil.

 It had been a most entertaining half with both teams running the ball at every opportunity. 

Cashel defended the clubhouse goal in the second half. Five minutes into that half Navan hit the post with a penalty.  Two minutes later Darragh Lyons put in a crunching tackle to save a try. The pace never slackened. 

Both teams tried hard to break down the opposition defence but both just could not find a gap. 

Then the turning point of the game - in most tight games there is a turning point and it came with twenty minutes left in the game. 

Cashel were awarded a penalty on the twenty two way out on the left. Jonty Rea kicked to the corner, Ed Leamy soared into the clouds and won the ball, Cashel set up the maul but the referee blew the whistle and penalised Cashel for sealing off the jumper. 

Navan kicked to half way, won the lineout and went on the attack. 

A gap appeared on the right wing and Navan were in for a converted try. 

There was still time for Cashel to come back and they tried very hard to get field position. 

Navan missed an easy enough penalty with three minutes left. 

Then Cashel began to play. They knew time was running out and like men possessed the worked their way up to the Navan twenty two where they were awarded a penalty. 

They kicked to the exact same position but this time they won the lineout, set up a maul and drove over the line. 

James Kendrick dived for the try, the referee had his hand half way up to award it but deemed that James had been held up. 

With that he blew the final whistle and Cashel's dream of promotion died in the heat, dust and sweat of Spafield. 

Both teams were exhausted but got a thunderous round of applause as they left the field after a game of the highest quality. 

Navan go on to play Queens University in the final and the winner will join Highfield in Division 1B next season. 

At the other end of the table Blackrock have a game to save their Division 2A status. Ballymena and Buccaneers will play their rugby in Division 2A next season. 

Cashel will start next season again with the same ambition.  Coach Denis Leamy, his management team and the large number of players who played during the season can be very proud of their efforts. 

They have kept Cashel at the forefront of club rugby in Ireland and while being, understandably, disappointed they can be very proud of their efforts. 

They played nineteen games in the league, winning thirteen, drawing one and losing five. 

Cashel  (1-25) I Miljak, N Fitzgerald, J Kendrick, R Moran, I Rqibi, E Leamy, J Ryan (C), M Casey, J Pickering, D Lyons, R Kingston, C Cashman, A McDonald, E Connolly, J Rea, M Kelly, C O'Donnell, K Melbourne, B Crosse, T Anglim, A Barron, P Leamy, S O'Connell, A Butler, R O'Sullivan.