Clonmel  Head For Last Chance Saloon

We learned nothing new from this Mansergh Cup semi-final encounter except that the intricacies of the electronic scoreboard proved too challenging for Brian. We already knew that if you throw a rugby ball in among thirty guys on a filthy March afternoon and ask them to play constructive, attractive, open rugby you are simply asking too much. This was a dour contest from start to finish but one in which the players can be complimented for striving to play rugby in such conditions. For the most part this was  bog-snorkelling with a side dish of unarmed combat punctuated intermittently by bouts of ping-pong kicking between the opposing fullbacks..

Clonmel kicked off with the wind, at times, behind them and the game went immediately into the pattern it would hold for the rest of the afternoon. Both packs scrambled on the ground for the “bar of soap” and the hard yards became the hard inches as handling errors in the poor conditions prevented either forward unit from dominating. The Clonmel lineout worked well while Melbourne, Crosse and Long put everything into the close, messy exchanges. Despite that it was difficult to gain meaningful territorial advantage and the match swung between both “22”’s for most of the first half. On 20 minutes Clonmel did overcome the ground conditions to put in a good driving maul towards the Newport “22” and were rewarded with a penalty which Conor Cooney slotted to put the home side 3-0 in front.

It wasn’t a day for flashy backs moves and another drive by Clonmel, for whom Paudge Leahy, John Stokes and Brendan Mullan were prominent, threw up another penalty on 30 minutes but the kick was narrowly wide. But the driving maul was the correct tactic and a repeat dose on 40 minutes coughed up another penalty which Cooney converted to put Clonmel 6-0 ahead. But Newport learned from this and a similar move by them at the other end gave them a penalty chance on 43 minutes which they took to leave the half-time score at 6-3 to Clonmel.

Some clever kicking by both scrumhalf John Long and Morgan Lyons had Newport trapped in their own “22” for the opening period of the second half but two penalties to the visitors allowed them to lift the siege. But Clonmel now appeared to be the stronger outfit and they returned to the Newport “22” on 15 minutes where a drive from the lineout almost had them under the posts – the ball was whipped right and Cooney had to battle hard but did get over to put Clonmel 11-3 ahead. In the prevailing conditions it looked like game over. But Clonmel now seemed to take their foot off the gas and it was Newport who applied the pressure for the next 15 minutes and Clonmel had to battle on the floor to preserve their line. But on 33 minutes, with the Clonmel forwards tied in, Newport swept the ball to the left wing where they went over in the corner. 11-8 to Clonmel.

Suddenly it was a different ball-game. But Clonmel responded positively and drove the visitors back into their “22” – an attempted clearance was blocked down and now Clonmel had a scrum just short of Newport’s line. The drive was organised from the scrum and Phil Corby overcame the visitors’ resistence to claim the try. 16-8 to Clonmel. There just wasn’t enough time or energy remaining to allow Newport to retaliate and the final whistle and the thoughts of a hot shower was probably greeted equally by both teams who had served up the best possible contest in the circumstances. For Clonmel it signals a meeting with Clanwilliam in the final and the last chance to grab some silverware – let’s hope that the right cards are dealt. It’s been a long, long season with some crushing disappointments along the way – these guys deserve something from it.