12-try thriller sees Turks lose out at home to Navan

Kanturk RFC 37, Navan 47

IN ideal conditions for open running rugby, Kanturk and Navan served up a classic in Knocknacolan last Saturday.

Campese-like passes, Messi-like kick throughs, 12 tries, this game was a joy to watch. Bizarrely this was a fixture that ended up scoreless last year, what a difference a year makes.

The game got off to a blistering start after Ronan O’Brien was adjudged harshly to knock on deep in Kanturk territory. The Leinster team used the ball superbly from the resulting set piece to give out half Declan Bannon the space to beat three defenders and score under the posts.

Kanturk’s response was immediate, some solid forward play gave Stephen McAuliffe the space to deliver a beautifully some of France’s memorable weighted kick from the inside of try in their 1994 tour of New Zealand. his right foot which found the dashing Navan hit back with two wonderful Ronan O Brien who had the gas to tries of their own with a well make it under the posts. worked try from Robbie Walters and

The ever maturing Conor Cremin James Ring who won a foot rush for added the conversion and a subsequent the line. penalty made it 10-7 to the Amazingly Kanturk retook the lead Turks. However, minutes later Navan minutes later through a fantastic individual were back in front after a well worked try from Sean Cremin and a move resulted in the ball ending up in penalty from Conor Cremin. Once the the hands of Brian Haugh who scored supporters drew breath it was already out wide. half time and only one point separated

Kanturk responded with the try of the teams 27-26. the match, a brilliant move which was In the second half Navan took control started and finished by Daithi Fitz. The of the game through their very try revolved around some beautiful athletic and hard running back row broken play in the middle of the field who scored three unanswered tries, from several Kanturk players and reminded

two from South African centre Rian Van Der Vyer and one from Declan Bannon who converted all three. Kanturk hit back in the closing quarter with another try from captain fantastic Sean Cremin and a well worked team try through Steven McAullife. Kanturk battered the Navan lines in the closing minutes but were unable to breach it again and in the end ran out of time.

At full time there was generous applause from both sets of supporters and players, the score line read 37-47 to the away side, but the real winner was the game of rugby.

Kanturk can take heart as this was their best attacking display in some time who in the end were beaten by the clock. Ben Martin was glowing in his praise of his players at the end of the game “this was the best attacking game we have played in over 12 months, we ran some great running lines and its fantastic to see the work on the training pitch come to the fore on matchday”.

The bar has certainly been raised and supporters will be expecting to see some more of this champagne rugby for the rest of the season at Knocknacolan.

Team; B Kelleher, D O’Donoghue, M Daly, J Bradley, B Buckley, G Piggott, C Boyce, B Daly, C Cremin, S McAuliffe, M Mullally, S Cremin, D Fitzpatrick, D O’Sullivan, R O’Brien. Man of the match: Sean Cremin. Fixtures; 29th October Tullamore v Kanturk Spollanstown.