Armagh's Rafferty caps perfect weekend with All-Ireland intermediate bowling crown

DOUBLE DUTIES: Road bowler and Armagh goalkeeper Ethan Rafferty. Pic: Dominic Morgan

Ethan Rafferty is All-Ireland intermediate champion, crowing a special weekend for him, as he was also part of Armagh’s win over Kerry on Saturday.

He beat Munster champion Tommy O’Sullivan by almost a bowl of odds in a score that had drama and brilliance in equal measure, played in front of a massive attendance for €100,000.

When he has time to reflect O’Sullivan will take a lot of learning from this defeat. He made just two mistakes in the entire score, but they proved fatal. 

A calmer approach when he had Rafferty in the cross-hairs would have served him well. After he gave Rafferty the half-chance he was always in defence mode Rafferty was grounded, focused and able to shut out the noise and there was more noise here at times than in Croke Park. 

He delivered some extraordinary shots and above all he defied a powerful late rally by O’Sullivan.

O’Sullivan just shaded the opening shots, but moved 50m in front with a searing second bowl to the railing. He pushed 90m clear with another brilliant bowl past Rory’s house. 

He was up to the round-tower cross after a super fourth throw and was now edging almost a bowl in front.

He followed with another massive bowl up from the cross to go a bowl in front. He held the bowl of odds in the next exchange towards Pyne’s corner. It was all O’Sullivan to there, he looked unstoppable. But Rafferty began initially to exert more pressure, before surging into an unstoppable flood.

After ten each they were around the black gate, with Rafferty leading by 20m. O’Sullivan played a brilliant bowl from there past Fehilly’s lane to regain the lead and looked better placed to make Forshins’ cross in one more.

Rafferty played the score-winning shot next, an absolutely incredible 12th bowl that scorched up the left, brushed the bank and went past the second line at the cross. 

O’Sullivan was too tight left with his bowl and just missed the cross. He regained some ground with a spectacular loft over the bend.

Rafferty’s next bowl was called. His second attempt was a monster shot that went well past the bend into the straight. 

O’Sullivan just missed it to fall a bowl behind. They were both up to Foley’s gate in two more massive bowls, with O’Sullivan just holding off the bowl of odds. Rafferty then closed it out with his 16th shot past the line.

Ellen Sexton was Munster’s only winner on Sunday. She beat Ulster champion, Lilly O’Rourke, by two bowls of odds to retain her All-Ireland U18 crown.