Last gasp Belvo halt Ormond’s unbeaten start

RUGBY: Energia All-Ireland League Division 1B Round 4

Nenagh Ormond 31

Old Belvedere 32

Report: Shane Brophy at New Ormond Park

MATCH DIGEST

Player of the Match: Kevin O'Flaherty (Nenagh Ormond)

SCORERS - Nenagh Ormond: Tries – W Coffey, Pope, Penalty try, K O’Flaherty Convs – McMahon (3) Pen – McMahon (1)

Old Belvedere: Tries – Dowling (2), Dunne, Ryan Convs – Wisniewski (3) Pens – Wisniewski (2)

Nenagh Ormond fell to their first defeat of the season as a last gap Sam Wisniewski penalty snatched victory for Old Belvedere in a pulsating top of the table clash in Division 1B of the All-Ireland League on Saturday.

It looked as if Nenagh Ormond were about to add the famed Old Belvedere, the club of Karl Mullen, Tony O’Reilly, Ollie Campbell, Neil Francis, and Jack Conan, to their list of big name conquests when skipper Kevin O’Flaherty touched down in the final minute of normal time, with Conor McMahon converting for a 31-29 lead.

There was time for more with Nenagh defending well and three minutes into added time, forced a knock-on on their own 22-metre line and that looked to be that. However, referee Robbie Jenkinson said there was time for the scrum and with Colm Skehan forced off, it was a baptism of fire for debutante prop Matt Burke, and Old Belvedere sensed an opportunity, driving Nenagh back in the resultant scrum which yielded a penalty which the unerring Wisniewski converted in front of the posts to snatch victory.

However, it was a victory they merited overall as they controlled the contest for long spells, punishing Nenagh’s inaccuracy as unforced errors handed the Dublin side possession and territory which yielded four tries, and it could have been more but for some outstanding home defence.

Nenagh also managed to bonus-point for scoring four tries, but it was from fewer opportunities such were the limited opportunities in the Old Belvedere half.

One aspect the Nenagh coaching group will look to address is their slow starts, which reared its head again, conceding two tries inside the first five minutes as the visitors raced into a 14-0 lead.

The first came in conceding a penalty for offside off a clearance kick which led to a lineout close to the line which the visitors mauled over with captain Calum Dowling touching down for the first of his two tries. Wisniewski converted and his break in midfield led to the second with scrum half Jack Dunne on his shoulder and his side-step was too good for full-back Ben Pope to run un under the posts.

It’s hard to know how much the loss of Josh Rowland before the kick-off was as it meant a reorganisation with Ben Pope moving from out-half to full back with player/head coach Derek Corcoran coming in. They were further compromised inside eleven minutes when back row Joe Coffey and wing Conor O’Shaughnessy were both forced off through injury, the latter being most significant with scrum half Nicky Irwin forced onto the wing with Charlie O’Doherty coming on at nine, and went onto half a fine game.

Nenagh overcame the sluggish start and a high tackle by the visitors gave the home side field position and off a set-move from a five-metre tap penalty, Irwin and Corcoran combined to play in powerful centre Willie Coffey and there is no stopping him from that close to touch down close to the posts with Conor McMahon adding the extras to halve the deficit.

Aided by the breeze, Nenagh were on the front foot, but sloppy handling and good Old Belvedere defence saw them held out, while at the other end, they also survived a period of pressure where the visitors turned down kickable opportunities in the search of a third try but skipper Kevin O’Flaherty again did what he does best, robbing a lineout as Nenagh cleared their lines which resulted in a 50-22. From there, they carried well and patiently before Old Belvedere ran out of defenders with Ben Pope touching down for a McMahon converted try on 36 minutes.

There was time before the break for Nenagh to go in front who good involvements by Jake O’Kelly leading to a penalty which McMahon converted for a 17-14 lead at half time.

However, as in the first half, Nenagh were slow out of the blocks as Belvo crossed for their third try on 44 minutes as Ormond conceded a penalty in the lineout and from a close range lineout, Calum Dowling touched down from another maul with Wisniewski again converting to retake the lead.

He added a penalty four minutes later as the visitors took complete control and only superb Nenagh defence prevented them scoring again but they finally yielded on 54 minutes with Andre Ryan touching down in the corner for an unconverted try for a 29-17 lead.

Nenagh had played much of the third quarter without the ball but on the hour mark they managed to earn a penalty which led to a series of lineouts in the 22 from where Old Belvedere conceded a number of penalties which resulted in a penalty try and skipper Calum Dowing being sin-binned.

Belvo dealt with the ten-minute period well and indeed had their own chance to extend their advantage as time began to run out, but Nenagh managed to get field position on 74 minutes and in a similar passage to the third try, with the visitors lucky to avoid another sin-bin, Nenagh managed to turn it into a try with Kevin O’Flaherty touching down from close range with McMahon converting for the lead which looked like being the winning score but it wasn’t.

TEAMS – Nenagh Ormond: Ben Pope (7); Conor O’Shaughnessy (6), Angus Blackmore (8), Willie Coffey (8), Conor McMahon (8), Derek Corcoran (7), Nicky Irwin (8); Mikey Doran (7), Dylan Murphy (6), Colm Skehan (7); Jake O’Kelly (7), Kevin O’Flaherty (Capt 8), Joe Coffey (NR), Evan Murphy (7), John O’Flaherty (7).

Reps: John Brislane (7) for J Coffey (6 inj); Charlie O’Doherty (7) for O’Shaughnessy (11 inj); Jack O’Keeffe (6) for Skehan (HT); Colm Skehan for Doran (52); Craig Hannon (6) for O’Kelly (52); Jack Devanny (6) for D Murphy (71), Mikey Doran for O’Keeffe (80); Matt Burke (NR) for Skehan (80+4).

Old Belvedere: Joe White (7); Jack Keating (6), Jayden Beckett (8), Justin Leonard (7), Andre Ryan (7); Sam Wisniewski (8), Jack Dunne (8); Hugh Flood (6), Calum Dowling (7), Ryan McMahon (6); Fionn McWey (7), Eddie Rees (7); Paddy Dowling (6), Will McDonald (7), Tasipale Valavala (7).

Reps used: Luke McLoughlin (6), Hugh Hogan (6), Kale Thatcher (6), Peter O’Beirne (6), David Wilkinson (6), Gavin Nugent (6).

Referee: Robbie Jenkinson.