Last-play win aids survival mission
Clondalkin Boyne 19 22
THE old adage ‘the game is never over until the final whistle sounds’ was very much in evidence on Sunday when Boyne thrilled their travelling supporters with a fabulous final play which culminated with a try.
It proved the decisive score as they won the match and garnered four valuable league points which gives them some breathing space with three games remaining.
This was an encounter played in ideal conditions and both sides were desperate for a win, with Boyne just one point above their rivals at the wrong end of the table.
With so much at stake, both teams went at it hammer and tongs, but sportsmanship was a major feature throughout an intense game of rugby.
When these sides met earlier in the season at Shamrock Lodge, Boyne streaked into a big lead which saw them gain a bonus point, but Clondalkin served warning of what they’re capable of in the last quarter of that game - reducing the substantial Boyne lead by running in four quickfire tries.
Once again Boyne started off in whirlwind fashion and within six minutes scored an excellent try through winger Cillian McDonnell who crossed following excellent running and passing from his inside centres Adam Brodigan and Joe Sweeney. The latter landed a magnificent conversion from near the touchline to give his side a seven-point start.
During this opening spell the forwards were just as eager to create chances, with deft inter-passing and linking-up in open play. They also held firm in the set scrum and provided good platform ball for scrum half Shaun Rooney, who was always willing to have a cut from both scrum and ruck.
The home side did well to contain the early Boyne onslaught for the first 15 minutes, with their out half kicking and distributing intelligently to steady their confidence.
The same player showed this composure following a sustained Clondalkin drive by their forwards took them beyond the Boyne 10-metre line. Their scrum half fed his number 10 who put in a beautiful punt behind the Boyne defence to find his winger who fielded and touched down for a well-executed try. They failed with the conversion attempt.
From the drop out Boyne forced a lineout from which they retrieved the ball and set off on another run deep into the Clondalkin half. The line beckoned, but a butchered transfer saw the chance lost.
Whilst the game was being evenly contested, there was a contrast in the style of play, with Clondalkin relying on their forwards to do the hard work in making the gain line and their out half kicking for territorial advantage from which they could set up attacks.
Boyne, on the other hand, did their best to keep the ball moving through the hands and their backs especially were the more dangerous.
Both sides had their chances in this half, with Boyne kicker Sweeney off target with two placed kicks from distance, but half-time came with the score unchanged, Boyne ahead 7-5.
The Drogheda men continued in the same mode at the start of the second half, when once again they moved the ball left and right before full back Graeme McQuillan and centres Sweeney and Brodigan combined, culminating in Brodigan crossing for an excellent try in the 47th minute.
With Sweeney conversion this left the home side with a nine-point deficit to make up.
Boyne pushed hard to increase their advantage, but errors crept in and that kept the home side in the game.
Clondalkin, to their credit, didn’t capitulate and managed to contain Boyne’s offensives, until they seized an opportunity themselves to put the visitors on the defensive in the 58th minute.
The Clondalkin forwards made a series of drives for the line and forced a number of scrums close to the Boyne line. Boyne had difficulty containing the drive and eventually the home side crossed for a try which they converted to cut the visitors’ advantage to 14-12.
The fat was now in the fire for Boyne and their attacks failed to yield scores, with Clondalkin still threatening as the game wore on.
Some pressure was relieved when Sweeney landed a penalty for Boyne to bring his side to 17 with 10 minutes remaining, but the unthinkable occurred in the 75th minute when a Boyne clearance failed to reach safety.
Clondalkin set up another determined attack, with their front row forwards once again driving at the Boyne rearguard. They eventually managed to cross for the touchdown and converted the try to give them a two-point lead with time rapidly running out.
However, Boyne weren’t finished yet and they forced a penalty just inside the Clondalkin half, from which Sweeney’s attempted shot at goal failed to hit the target.
Boyne were now faced with the last play from the 22-metre drop out, but they will seldom play a segment of rugby again such as they did for the remaining minutes of this game.
They kept the ball alive with superb handling and the forwards making sure possession was not lost with excellent discipline. They spread-eagled the Clondalkin defence and once again McQuillan, Brodigan and Sweeney worked the oracle to send McDonnell in for his second try, which was decisive in winning the game and the four league points.
BOYNE: Graeme McQuillan; Cillian McDonnell, Joe Sweeney, Adam Brodigan, Brian Howell; Shaun Rooney, Kevin McCleery; Tadgh O’Reilly, Matthew O’Callaghan, Patrick Shuttleworth; Oisín Howell, Richard Shuttleworth; Declan Moore, Collie Joyce Ahearn, Ciaran Smith. Replacements: Padraic Mongey, Cianan Quinn, John Heeney, Ben Dunphy.
TABLE
Division 1B
Monkstown Tullow
Co Carlow Longford Boyne Clondalkin
Cill Dara
De La Salle Palm
P 10 10 10 9 11 11 10 11
W 10 6 6 5 5 4 3 1
D 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0
L F A Pts 0 288 161 45 3 266 185 32 4 198 161 30 3 190 134 28 6 248 246 27 7 229 281 23 7 178 220 17 10 148 357 4