ROUND-UP OF ALL THE RUGBY ACTION
GREYSTONES RFC 31 NENAGH ORMOND 24
GREYSTONES RFC’s hopes of avoiding a relegation play off in Division 2A of the Ulster Bank League were given a great boost with a win at home to Nenagh Ormond RFC. The result has moved them up one spot into eighth place and just outside the relegation play off places.
Only three points separate the bottom three teams with Galwegians sitting between Greystones and Galway Corinthians.
The seven-point victory may sound like it was a tight encounter but Greystones led by 19 points three quarters of the way through the game and defended tenaciously to only concede two tries in the last twenty minutes, especially when Barry Lynn was harshly sin-binned for hands on the ground in the ruck.
Greystones were the much better team than their opponents who started the day five places above them in the league.
Greystones started well without their pressure showing on the scoreboard. They got within metres of the Nenagh try line on the twelve minute mark but were turned over at the breakdown. A few minutes later however they eventually got on the scoreboard and their club officials let out a sigh of relief.
Out half David Baker intelligently kicked a grubber in behind the Nenagh try line and with Padraig Geoghegan in pursuit Nenagh full back David Gleeson was forced to carry the ball into touch in the in-goal area.
Greystones were awarded a scrum and a few carries later Mick Doyle dotted the ball over the line. The conversion was missed.
Moments later Greystones got their second try. Oisin Lennon smashed full back Gleeson with a tackle to turn the ball over in midfield. A clean break and a few more carries gave prop Conor Pearse the chance to score a try. This time Andrew Kealy converted and it was 12-0, 22 minutes on the clock.
Nenagh only had four or five forays into the Greystones half in the opening 40 minutes, unfortunately for Greystones they scored two tries in those attacks.
From the Nenagh kick off after Pearse’s try a Greystones hand knocked the ball on. Nenagh had a far superior scrum all day and used it to their advantage, first attacking to the left, and then to the right where wing Gerard O’Gorman easily skipped past Pearse’s tackle and scored in the corner. The conversion was missed.
Greystones responded with an- other sustained period of pressure only, once again, they couldn’t score. They would get near the line and Nenagh would turn the ball over in the ruck or win a penalty. The same thing happened two or three times and the frustration levels rose.
As the clock ticked towards the half time whistle Con Callan made another sumptuous break and Nenagh won another penalty on their try line for him holding onto the ball. This time Nenagh couldn’t find touch with the ball and Geoghegan caught it.
Faced with an advancing Nenagh pack he somehow pirouetted past three or four would be tacklers and had Jack Keating on his shoulder who ran in under the posts. No problem with the conversion and Greystones led 19-5.
Still, there was time for another try before half time, this time from Nenagh.
Keating, fresh from his try, was yellow carded for a deliberate knock on and they went wide from the resulting scrum. David Gleeson dived over and the conversion was kicked, making it a seven point game at half time.
Greystones came out in the second half and took their chances rather than making the same mistakes as in the first half. They had two more tries and a 19 point lead by the 55th minute.
Callan made another break and this time he was rewarded with a try. Moments later Geoghegan intercepted a pass a la Jacob Stockdale to run in under the posts.
It all looked like Greystones were done and dusted by this point but Nenagh Ormond laid siege on their line, camping inside the 22 for about ten minutes. Ferocious tackling kept them at bay however and the home side only conceded two tries, the last one was the final play of the game.
They play second placed Highfield on Friday evening and a win will push them closer to safety.
Scorers – Greystones RFC: Mick Doyle, Conor Pearse, Jack Keating, Con Callan, Padraig Geoghegan Try each; Andrew Kealy 2 conversions; David Baker conversion.
Nenagh Ormond RFC: Gerard O’Gorman, David Gleeson, John Coffey, Willy Coffey Try each; Clayton Stewart 2 conversions.