Clonmel Snatch The Booty From Pirates!

In the darker recesses of our recent history, when this country exported people rather than products, Cobh was seen by many thousands of Irish emigrants as the gateway to a new life as they boarded ocean liners to “Amerikay”. When Clonmel’s 1st XV look back on last Sunday, they will appreciate that they too have come through a gateway – it’s full steam ahead, no going back to the old country now. Any team will know that it’s difficult to go to Cobh and survive – to go there and deprive the home side of even a score is really a high-seas affront to the Pirates. There is a focus about this team now and a renewed confidence in their abilities which will support them in weeks to come. Hats off as well to the travelling Clonmel support who proved invaluable on the day.

Clonmel kicked off this Division 1 league match with a marginal wind and the incline. From the start this game achieved a high tempo with good skills on display from both sides. Cobh discovered over the first few minutes that they were up against a formidable visiting pack from whom they would get no change over the 80 minutes. The Clonmel pressure told after 10 minutes when Cobh infringed and Daniel Lyons, who again proved a rock for Clonmel, put a great kick between the posts in difficult conditions. 3 – 0 to Clonmel. The game now swirled around midfield but it was evident that Clonmel were lording the lineouts, with captain John Long in great form being ably abetted by John Stokes and Philly Corby. Such was Clonmel’s dominance that it took the home side almost 30 minutes to cross the halfway line, when they then missed a good penalty chance, but having said that, this is a talented Cobh side and they at times showed glimpses of the dangers of their back unit – Clonmel had to drift smartly at times to cover their wings.

The niggling worry as the half moved on was that Clonmel were not converting superiority into scores – some of this was due again to Clonmel’s persistence in complicated backs moves – some of the manoeuvres would make Bertie’s bank transactions look simple! By contrast, Cobh put the ball quickly through hands and looked the more dangerous for it. But in truth this game was about the battle up front for good ball and here Clonmel were well ahead with the dynamic back-row of Melbourne, Crosse and Leahy being a huge irritant to Cobh. On 35 minutes, a great break down the blindside by scrumhalf John Long almost undid Cobh but they survived. From a deep dropout Cobh then had another kickable chance but again missed – Clonmel soon had the ball back in Cobh’s half and again the pressure told – Daniel Lyons kicked another big penalty to put Clonmel 6 – 0 up at half-time. Would it be enough?

From the start of the second half Cobh signalled their intent to spin the ball wide at every opportunity and had Clonmel scrambling in defence. But the home side’s desperation to throw the ball around was their downfall – on 6 minutes Morgan Lyons intercepted a Cobh pass on the half-way line, made a half-break and then fed Neville Melbourne. Most forwards in this situation would seek the traffic – not Melbourne – he took off on a determined run and held off several tackles to go under the posts. Lyons obliged to put Clonmel 13 – 0 ahead. Cobh were stunned but redoubled their efforts to get into this match and the next 20 minutes were to be the defining stages of this game. Cobh pressure kept them in Clonmel’s half and also forced Clonmel to concede penalties – Cobh would now have been better served by kicking some points but elected instead to kick into the corner on four successive occasions with the intention of mauling over the line.

To Cobh’s dismay, Clonmel repelled them every time, thereby striking a huge blow and the home team’s body language indicated that they had accepted that they would not breach Clonmel’s defence. Clonmel eventually lifted the siege and brought on Paul McCarthy and Mike Sheehan for Brendan Mullan and Niall Mackey. On 25 minutes Clonmel hacked the ball upfield and put enough pressure on to win another penalty which Daniel Lyons stroked over from out on the right to put Clonmel 16 – 0 ahead. This was followed by a good break by Niall Grogan but his pass failed to find his scrumhalf with the line beckoning. Mark Normile had now replaced Corby and Clonmel were in the ascendancy – a Ronan Crosse-led drive brought them into the Cobh corner and a lineout was followed by a calm but intense maul that brought McCarthy over the line for the try – Lyons missed the convert to leave the visitors 21 – 0 ahead.

The last show of defiance brought Cobh down Clonmel’s right and they managed to cross the line only to have it disallowed by the referee. It was not to be their day. Despite playing against the incline and the wind, Clonmel decisively won the second half to record an outstanding victory. A team is about a group with a singular mentality in pursuit of a common goal – Clonmel are well on the way. Next Sunday sees a return to cup rugby when Clonmel face Kanturk at Fermoy in the semi-final of the Munster Challenge Cup. We need big support there. One game at a time.