Ormond manoeuvre their way to first league win

RUGBY UNION: Energia All-Ireland League Division 2A Round 4

Nenagh Ormond 22

UL Bohemian 11

Report: Shane Brophy in Lisatunny

MATCH DIGEST

Player of the Match: Fionn McGibney

SCORERS – Nenagh Ormond: Tries: Buckley, Coman, Corcoran. Conv: McGibney (2). Pen: McGibney (1)

UL Bohemian: Try: Botha. Pens: Byrne (2)

Nenagh Ormond claimed their first win of the All-Ireland League campaign at the fourth time of asking as they saw off UL Bohemian under the lights at New Ormond Park on Friday night.

This was a hugely satisfying win for Nenagh who dominated the game throughout and scored three clinical tries to keep the Limerick side at arm’s length as Bohs struggled to penetrate a well-drilled Ormond defense.

The heavy rain that fell for much of the first half meant that handling was difficult and playing the game in the right areas was going to be key and certainly Nenagh’s kicking game was the defining aspect of the contest.

From the moment the classy Derek Corcoran, at full back, pinned UL Boh’s back with a deep kick inside the first minute, Nenagh set out their stall to control territory with the visitors having few forays into the attacking third in the opening period. Indeed, that first kick helped yield a penalty for offside which Fionn McGibney slotted over confidently.

As well as his place-kicking, Fionn McGibney’s tactical kicking was superb also as both he and Nicky Irwin dictated the game well from the pivotal ten and nine positions respectively.

Indeed, it wasn’t until midway through the half that UL Bohs began to get their hands on the ball and a rare attack led to Nenagh’s Rob Buckley being sent to the sin-bin for a tip-tackle and Harry Byrne converted the penalty for a 3-3 tie.

Nenagh continued to dominate possession and territory despite being down a man for ten minutes, but Buckley quickly made up for his indiscretion by crossing for a try just two minutes after coming back into the fray. The livewire back row burrowed over from close range after patient Nenagh play on the line, after McGibney’s superb touch finder penalty right into the corner. McGibney added the extras with Harry Byrne slotting over a late half penalty to see the home side 10-6 in front at the break.

The heavy rain stopped for the second half and with better handling conditions, Nenagh benefitted, and how with a superb try on 42 minutes. Rob Buckley again made a great carry before Nicky Irwin moved the ball wide and just when Fionn McGibney was going to get clobbered in the tackled, he flicked the ball blindly overhead to Conor McMahon who put Peter Coman into space on the wing and whose lightning pace saw him race away from the ten-metre line to finish in the corner for an unconverted try.

McGibney was really running the show now with his boot, pinning UL Bohs back at every opportunity. Both he and Derek Corcoran read the game superbly and it was Corcoran who crossed for Nenagh’s third try on 58 minutes after Evan Murphy secured a lineout close to the line and after some patient phased play on the try-line, Corcoran cut a superb angle to cross over beside the posts for a try, converted by McGibney for a 22-6 advantage.

Nenagh had plenty of time to go in search of a bonus-point score, but they never threatened one, and it was the visitors who crossed for their only try in the 68th minute from Connor Botha, the one and only time UL Boh’s broke through the Nenagh defensive line.

This was a welcome win for Nenagh after a tough start with two defeats and a Covid enforced draw with Cashel. Having such experienced and tactically savvy players at scrum, full and out-halves is such a bonus for them as it can dig them out of tricky situations, particularly when their scrum wasn’t very solid on the evening, the only area UL Boh’s had dominance in.

However, any scrums on their own ball saw Nenagh get the ball in and out quickly, very aware that it is a facet of their game that isn’t their strongest at the moment but hopefully an area they will improve on in the weeks to come, starting with a long trip to Magherafelt to play Rainey Old Boys next Saturday.

TEAMS – Nenagh Ormond: Derek Corcoran (8); Patrick Scully (NR), Conor McMahon (7), Willie Coffey (7), Peter Coman (7); Fionn McGibney (9), Nicky Irwin (8); Damien Dunne (6), Ben Armitage (7), Niall O’Gorman (6); Kevin O’Flaherty (7), Kevin O’Gorman (6); Jack O’Keeffe (6), Rob Buckley (8), John O’Flaherty (7).

Reps: David Gleeson (6) for Scully (5 inj); Evan Murphy (7) for O’Keeffe (31 inj); Conor Muldoon (6) for Dunne (52); Brendan McAdams (6) for K O’Gorman (66); Peter Rainsford (6) for Coman (76); Kevin O’Gorman for K O’Flaherty (78); Damien Dunne for Armitage (80+2).

UL Bohemian: Darragh O’Gorman (6); Colin Ryan (6), Paul Clancy (6), Harry Byrne (7), Jamie McNamara (6); Oisin Fagan (7), Joe Murray (6); Pauric Nesbitt (6), Kieran O’Shea (6), James Burton (6); Niall Queally (7), Jay Traynor (6); Ian Condell (7), Mateo Ibanez (6), Eoin Sweeney (7).

Reps: Connor Botha (7) for O’Shea (30); James Moylan (NR) for Murray (48); Joe Murray for Moylan (52 inj); Stephen Hyland (6) for Nesbitt (52); David Rowsome (6) for Ibanez (58); Pauric Nesbitt for Hyland (66); Stephen Hyland for Burton (68); Joe Johnston (6) for Ryan (68).

Referee: Eddie Hogan O’Connell