Blackrock College RFC 36 Nenagh Ormond RFC 38

(Half -time 19-7)

Saturday 28th September 2024

KO 2.30pm

Venue: Stradbrook

Referee: Keane Davison

 

Scorers:

Blackrock College:

Tries - Inigo Cruise O’Brien, Kaylem Tytherleigh, Brian Colclough.

Conversions – Conor O’Shaughnessy (3)

Penalty goals – Conor O’Shaughnessy (5)

Nenagh Ormond:

Tries – Josh Rowland, John O’Flaherty, Nicky Irwin, Conor McMahon (2)

Conversions – Conor McMahon (5)

Penalty goals - Conor McMahon (1)

Player of the match: Conor McMahon (Nenagh Ormond)

These are heady days for this Nenagh Ormond senior squad as they maintained their 100%  record in division 1B with a second straight bonus point victory – this time on the road against very strong  opposition in Blackrock College. This win puts Nenagh in second place on points difference to Old Belevedere who are the only other team in this division with an unblemished record so far.

This was a scintillating game of rugby  which was dominated by the home team in the early stages but in which Nenagh Ormond produced a sensational comeback to snatch victory in the final quarter. Both teams can be immensely proud of their performances and will surely have a say in this division as the season progresses. The winning margin of just two points was reflective of an incredibly tight contest in which the pendulum swung several times with the outcome still in doubt to the final play.

Nenagh supporters keeping tabs on the early scoreline from afar would have been wondering what could be happening at Stradbrook, with Nenagh looking to be taking a battering as the home side went 10 points clear early and then took complete control of the scoreboard to lead 26-7 a minute into the second half.

Of course the scoreboard never tells the full tale but in fairness to Blackrock, they exerted serious pressure from the off, playing a fast offload game which had Nenagh at sixes and sevens, struggling to get a foothold in the contest. After an early home penalty by impressive young out half Conor O’Shaughnessy, it took the visitors a full 12 minutes to get out of their own half - full back Josh Rowland making a searing break from deep before he was finally brought to ground just outside the Blackrock 22. 

Unfortunately for Nenagh, as they tried to capitalise on this promising position, a loose pass was intercepted by Blackrock flanker Inigo Cruise O’Brien who sprinted clear to score under the posts and put his side 10-0 to the good. Shortly after, another O’Shaughnessy penalty had Nenagh looking at a 13 point deficit without having yet landed a blow of any significance.

The visitors were looking a little shell-shocked but responded in characteristic fashion as John Flaherty broke free from a ruck just before the half-hour mark, finding Rowland in support and he rounded the defence to touch down under the sticks. The large number of travelling supporters breathed a collective sigh of relief but O’Shaughnessy was shortly once again turning the screw as he kicked another two unanswered penalties to leave the half time score at 19-7 and Nenagh still looking for effective answers to Blackrock’s all-action but disciplined game plan.

Nenagh’s interval huddle would have undoubtedly emphasised the need for their team to claim the first score of the second half. Unfortunately for them, a fumble from the restart gave Blackrock a scrum which then yielded a penalty on the Nenagh 22. A quick tap saw second-rower Kaylem Tytherleigh barge his way right through the middle of the Nenagh defence to score far too easily. This was a very uncharacteristic score to concede from a team which boasted the meanest defence in the entire league last season and had yielded a solitary penalty score to Dublin University the previous week.

Having faced defeat in their previous two outings at this venue in 2022, Nenagh were now perilously close to a similar fate unfolding and needed to show massive resilience to turn this situation around. They did however have time  and a slight breeze in their favour and from the restart worked a good position inside the opposition 22. From another quick tap penalty, scrum half Nicky Irwin hurled himself bravely at the Blackrock line to score against all odds. However, this proved to be his final act in the game as he was injured in the play and replaced by Charlie O’Doherty.

With the half time margin of 12 points now restored, Nenagh ate into that deficit once again 5 minutes later as centre Willie Coffey made one of his trademark dynamic bursts through the middle and connected with the supporting John Flaherty who had a clear run to the line for Nenagh’s third try. Although the home team once again added another 3-pointer through O’Shaughnessy, Nenagh’s  confidence and belief was now visibly growing as the game approached the final quarter.

Winger Conor McMahon scored the first of his two tries with 20 minutes remaining as he finished off a flowing backline move in the corner and crossed once again nine minutes later to give his side the lead for the first time in the match. McMahon converted both tries himself to maintain a 100% return from the tee and a short time later added a penalty to bring his personal tally to an impressive 23 points. 

Almost unbelievably, the home side were now looking as if they might leave with nothing as they trailed 38-29 with only a few minutes remaining. To their great credit, they managed to secure a losing bonus point as full back Brian Colclough broke clear in open play to score in front of the clubhouse, thus reducing the margin to a mere two points with only time for the restart remaining. Nenagh held out comfortably in the final phase of play to secure the win – their sixth on the trot in all competitions as they continue to grow in stature under the leadership of head coach Derek Corcoran and his team. 

Nenagh travel to Donnybrook next weekend to face Old Wesley in the final game in this set before the league takes a one week break. Blackrock make the short journey to Old Belvedere and on this evidence will surely put it up to their table-topper neighbours. Elsewhere in the division, there were excellent wins for Naas, Shannon and UCC, giving 1B a very competitive look as we move into week 3.

Teams

NORFC

Josh Rowland; Conor O’Shaughnessy, Angus Blackmore, Willie Coffey, Conor McMahon, Ben Pope, Nicky Irwin; Sean Frawley, Dylan Murphy, Colm Skehan, Jake O’Kelly, Kevin O’Flaherty (capt), Rob Buckley, Evan Murphy, John O’Flaherty. Replacements: Jack Devanny, Jack O’Keeffe, Fionn O’Meara, John Brislane, Charlie O’Doherty, Patrick Scully.

BCRFC

Brian Colclough; Derry Moloney, Ciarán Mangan, David McCarthy, Barry Galvin; Conor O’Shaughnessy, Leo McFarlane; Andrew Savage, Liam McMahon, Alex Mullan, Roy Whelan (capt), Kaylam Tytherleigh, James Burke, Inigo Cruise O’Brien, Odhran Ring. Replacements: Stephen Judge, Shane Connolly, Tommy Butler, Dave Fortune, Jack Ringrose, Matthew Dwan.