Ormond make history in reaching first Munster Senior Cup final

RUGBY: Bank of Ireland Munster Senior Challenge Cup Semi-Final

Nenagh Ormond 28

Highfield 5

Report: Thomas Conway in Lisatunny

MATCH DIGEST

Player of the Match: Patrick Scully (Nenagh Ormond)

SCORERS – Nenagh Ormond: Tries: Rowland, Coffey, Scully. Convs: Scully (2). Pens: Scully (1), O’Brien (2).

Highfield: Try: Banon.

There was magic in the air last Saturday in Lisatunny!

Not the type you might associate with circus illusionists or Harry Houdini. This was the real thing, Harry Potter style - authentic magic in a sporting form. It wasn’t just that Nenagh managed to defeat one of Cork’s traditional rugby powerhouse clubs, nor the fact that they became the first Tipperary club to achieve qualification to a Munster Senior Cup final since 1908.

It was the manner in which they performed - the sheer, unadulterated class of their display. Despite having home advantage, they entered this fixture as underdogs. Highfield are a Division 1B side with their eyes on potential promotion to the top tier of the AIL. And yet on Saturday, Nenagh made them look feeble and elementary. The Tipperary club dominated in every sector, from the breakdown to the breakaway. It was a masterful performance from John Long’s men, one which will surely raise eyebrows across the club rugby landscape more generally.

It could well have been regarded as the perfect performance, combining skill and precision with inexhaustible work-ethic and vigorous flair. Within seconds of the whistle, Derek Corcoran had raced in to pull off a valiant block, setting the tone for what would follow.

Highfield flickered to life in glimpses. In fact, they dominated the opening stages, flinging the ball around with abandon in a manner not dissimilar from some of the great southern hemisphere sides. They were on top, but their control was to prove short-lived.

Within minutes, Nenagh had seized the initiative. In a flash, Josh Rowland could be seen bursting after a bobbling ball following a brilliant block on the opposition full-back. The ball trickled towards the corner as the crowd held its breath. Would he get there? Of course, he would. Rowland pulled off a spectacularly acrobatic dive to ground the ball just beyond the corner flag. It went unconverted but it was still the ideal start. Nenagh had momentum.

It was at this point that Highfield began making mistakes. Or rather, Nenagh began forcing them to. The home side’s pack suddenly sprung to life, securing a series of crucial turnovers, and enabling them to enjoy a purple-patch which would eventually yield a second try, this one the work of Willie Coffey in the 32nd minute. The captain has developed a reputation for his fearsome runs and bulldozing tackles, but on this occasion it was his footwork which lit up the play. He collected the ball some thirty metres out, shimmied, sidestepped and effectively dodged his way past several opposition bodies. Seconds later he was coasting in over the try-line, allowing Patrick Scully to nail the easiest of conversions, 12-0.

The situation would improve further before the interval - Scully knocked over another penalty to send Nenagh fifteen points ahead. The mood amongst both sets of supporters was one of slight befuddlement. Highfield are a tier above Nenagh in the All-Ireland League. A scoreline like this was not in the script.

To be fair to the Cork outfit, they play an outstandingly attractive brand of off-the-shoulder rugby, full of quick interchanges and diagonal runs, but things just simply did not materialise for them on Saturday. Their widely anticipated renewed second-half offensive never really emerged.

Instead, Nenagh continued to dominate, and on 49 minutes they were pinning down their third try. Patrick Scully was the finisher, cascading through on the far side following a delicately weighted kick pass from Derek Corcoran. It was a training ground move, probably rehearsed under the lights during a session last week, and it was executed to perfection. As was the conversion. Scully struck the ball with venom to send it zipping over the upright, pushing Nenagh’s lead to 22 points.

The introduction of Conor O’Brien, who starred in last weekend’s junior cup victory for Nenagh’s second-string outfit, had an element of risk attached to it. Could the young out-half cut it at senior level? He answered the question almost immediately, pinging over a penalty within two minutes of arrival and looking thoroughly at ease amongst his senior team colleagues. He would land another some six minutes later, during which time Highfield managed to finally register on the scoresheet, powering over the Nenagh line via a textbook maul. The try was merited, but it was also consolatory. Even they knew at that stage that there was no way back.

And so, the closing minutes played out pretty much without incident. Granted, there was the occasional flare up, with tensions fraying on either side, but they produced no card of any hue, and were immediately forgotten upon the final whistle.

Nenagh now progress on to a Cup final against Young Munster. They also sit fifth in the division 2A league table, with their eyes firmly fixed on a play-off place. The mood in Lisatunny is buoyant. Life is good, and it could soon get even better.

TEAMS - Nenagh Ormond: Josh Rowland (8), David Gleeson (7), Willie Coffey (8), John Healy (7), Patrick Scully (8), Derek Corcoran (7), Nicky Irwin (8); Mikey Doran (7), Dylan Murphy (8), Seán Frawley (7), Jake O’Kelly (7), Kevin O’Flaherty (8), Rob Buckley (8), Evan Murphy (NR), John O’Flaherty (8).

Reps: John Hayes (8) for Murphy (7 inj); Niall O’Gorman (8) for Frawley (38); John Brislane (7) for O’Kelly (45); Cian Ryan (6) for Irwin (55); Conor O’Brien (8) for Rowland (57); James Finn (6) for Scully (68); Peter O’Connor (6) for D Murphy (72).

Highfield: Luke Kingston (7), Gavin O’Leary (7), Liam McCarthy (6), Cian Bohane (6), Colin O’Neill (6), Shane Buckley (6), Chris Banon (7); Cillian Buckley (6), Rob Murphy (6), Darragh Fitzgerald (6), John O’Callaghan (7), Eoin Keating (7), David O’Connell (6), Mark Fitzgibbon (7), Miah Cronin (6).

Reps: Niall Downing (6) for Fitzgerald (HT); James Taylor (6) for O’Connell (HT); Michael McLoughlin (6) for O’Leary (50); David O’Sullivan (6) for McLoughlin (67 inj).

Referee: Mike Scanlon.