Greystones bounce back with huge win Super show in Thomond

at Thomond RFC of whatever forwards coach Warren Kelly said at half-time to address the lineout malfunction. A penalty played down the line followed by a simple catch and drive from the lineout saw John Campbell burst through to score.

This was followed by the first of a brace from Jack Keating adding try numbers eight and nine to his tally in the league so far this year. Taking a sloppy ball behind his head and juggling behind his back before securing control Keating broke out from inside his own 22 in typical fashion before being hauled down with Thomond penalised close to their 22.

With full confidence in their lineout Greystones played the penalty into the corner before feeding the clean ball out for the onrushing Keating coming into the line to split the home defence and finish what he started.

Minutes later Keating repeated the dose with another defence splitting run in from his wing to add the seventh try of the afternoon.

The scoring was wrapped up first by Dan Mannion taking advantage of risky play by Thomond who tried to play across their own line only to see the ball spill loose and before being gathered by Mannion to touch down and finally by Bobby Clancy from yet another secure lineout drive that saw Marmion feed Clancy to burst through the defence to touch down. In all Kealy converted seven of the nine tries to close the game out with a personal haul of 19 of the total 59 points.

With many independent clock watchers in the ground believing the referee blew the game up early, prolonging would have inevitably added more points in the credit side of the points difference column for Greystones.

As it stands they end the first half of the season on a total 32 points, nine behind leaders Armagh having scored just three points fewer across the eight games. The league resumes in the New Year with Thomond facing the unenviable trip to Dr Hickey Park for the reverse fixture followed by Greystones visit to the Orchard County to face Armagh in a game that will go a long way in determining the destiny of the league this season.

Greystones: Andrew Kealy, Jack Keating, Con Callen, Barry Lynn, Padraig Geoghegan, Killian Marmion, Andy Roberts, Bobby Clancy (Captain), Mike Lea, Conor Pearse, John Campbell, Barry Fitzpatrick, Cormac O’Donoghue, Alan Dempsey, Dan Mannion. Replacements: Michael Douglas, Shane Mulvany, Eoin Marmion, Michael Kirk.