Much-changed Nenagh side still prove too good for Bohs

RUGBY: Energia All Ireland League Division 2A Round 18

Nenagh Ormond 26

UL Bohemian 21

Report: Thomas Conway in Lisatunny

MATCH DIGEST

Player of the Match: Derek Corcoran (Nenagh Ormond)

SCORERS – Nenagh Ormond: Tries: Rowland (2), Corcoran (2). Convs: McMahon (3)

UL Bohemian: Tries: Oji, O’Gorman, Traynor. Convs: Fagan (3)

In the final analysis, this final round AIL game against UL Bohemian never really mattered to Nenagh Ormond, and yet, it couldn’t have been more important.

True, they had secured their play-off berth long before last Saturday’s events in Lisatunny. True, the result was always to be dismissed as an irrelevance in the context of a much broader season. But momentum is crucial in AIL rugby. And with this win, Nenagh have generated some.

They now approach the playoffs with a pep in their step, with a shot of adrenaline. Will they prevail in their quest to secure promotion and ascend to Division 1B? Who knows. But if they perform like they performed in the opening forty minutes of last Saturday’s encounter against UL Bohs, they stand every chance.

It might have resembled a dead-rubber on paper, but truth be told, this game felt like a genuine high-stakes All Ireland League fixture, a match that truly meant something to either side. Of course, the atmosphere was aided by a noisy and exuberant home crowd. It was literally a packed house, and the home support made their presence felt from the outset, shouting on their side, and playfully cajoling the referee on several occasions - credit to the man, he remained impartial throughout, doing his duty pedantically over the course of eighty plus minutes.

The first forty of those eighty plus minutes belonged to Nenagh. Their first-half performance wasn’t vintage - the home side made plenty of mistakes - but their ruthless effectiveness with the ball in hand was a joy to behold.

Their first try, which arrived via Josh Rowland in just the fourth minute, was an altogether beautiful illustration of Nenagh’s opportunistic style. Rowland often spends games hovering on the periphery, waiting patiently for his moment to strike, but in this instance the winger only had to wait for four minutes. With UL Bohs attacking forcefully and approaching the Nenagh 22, Rowland bounced out of nowhere to intercept a pass which Oisin Fagan had flung towards the side-line. Six seconds and sixty metres later he was cascading over the Bohs try-line, having burst his lungs with an explosive charge up along the wing. Conor McMahon drifted the conversion majestically over, and Nenagh had their dream start.

From there the game entered a kind of stasis, with UL Bohs actually dominating possession but never really gaining ground beyond the halfway line. Their first real incursion into Nenagh territory almost yielded a try, but the Limerick side were held up on the line and the danger was averted. Instead, it was Nenagh who would strike next, in the 21st minute, courtesy of a stunning individual try from player of the match Derek Corcoran.

The player/coach resembles an interesting figure - he doesn’t look like he has the physical stature to compete at this level, but his magical footwork and rugby intelligence compensate for his lack of physical heft. His try was a joy to observe. Corcoran collected the ball some metres beyond the 22, before shimmying and dancing his way around several Bohs bodies and bursting over the try line, just left of the posts. He wasn’t finished there. On the cusp of half-time, in the 39th minute, Corcoran would slot his second, capitalising on a quick tap-and-go before rolling over the line once more. McMahon’s kicking was flawless in that first-half, granting Nenagh a 21-0 lead at the interval. They looked unassailable, too good to be beaten, too confident to allow a Bohs resurgence. But there is a fine line between confidence and complacency.

Indeed, the Limerick club came roaring back into the game after the break, finally bringing some efficiency to their play. In the 45th minute, Ihechi Oji piled over the line to secure their first five points, with Fagan adding an impressive conversion. Slowly but surely, the away side dug in, hassling, harrying, and creating all sorts of problems for Nenagh.

In the 57th minute, Darragh O’Gorman would add their second try, setting the game up for a grandstand finish. Ultimately however, it wasn’t to be for the Limerick outfit.

Credit to Nenagh, they withstood the surge of Bohs pressure and continued to press forward in search of scores. Finally, in the 71st minute, Rowland would put the outcome beyond doubt, collecting a long, looping pass and gliding over on the far wing to extend Nenagh’s advantage. It was another moment of opportunism from the well-built winger, another confidence-building try which should serve him well psychologically ahead of the play-offs. Indeed, this entire game should serve Nenagh well ahead of the play-offs.

The fact that they conceded three largely avoidable second-half tries (Jay Traynor would swoop in to land Bohs’ third just seconds before the final whistle) will probably frustrate John Long and his management team, as well as the sin-binning’s for John Brislane and John Healy in either half. However, the very fact that Nenagh held on to achieve victory was telling in itself.

In contrast to last year, the North Tipp club now know how to win, even if the odds and the momentum are stacked against them. Whatever happens in the next few weeks, Nenagh have had a fine season. The question is: how much more is left in the tank? Can they produce two more seismic displays and secure promotion in the process? All will be revealed starting next Saturday in Blackrock, but on balance, you wouldn’t bet against them.

TEAMS - Nenagh Ormond: James Finn (7); Josh Rowland (8), Conor McMahon (8), John Healy (7), Nicky Irwin (7); Derek Corcoran (9), Cian Ryan (8); Paudie Burke (8), Dylan Murphy (7), Niall O’Gorman (7); Joe Coffey (7), Kevin O’Flaherty (7); John O’Flaherty (7), Evan Murphy (7), John Brislane (7).

Reps: Cathal Ryan (7) for Burke (37); Conor O’Brien (7) for Corcoran (HT); Peter O’Connor (7) for D Murphy (HT); Rob Buckley (8) for E Murphy (51); Derek Corcoran for Finn (62).

UL Bohemian: Ignacio Garcia (7), Ihechi Oji (7), Paul Clancy (7), Harry Byrne (7), Ronan Deegan (7), Oisin Fagan (8), Alan Kiely (8); Kian Regan (7), Tom Cullen (6), James Burton (6), Jonny Kelly (7), Jay Traynor (7), David Rowsome (7), Seán Quirke (7), Eoin Sweeney (7).

Reps: Dave Kinane (7) for Traynor (32); Darragh O’Gorman (8) for Clancy (46); Jay Traynor for Kelly (55); Richard Wallace for Byrne (55); Kieran O’Shea for Cullen (61).

Referee: Kieran Barry