Youthful back-row gives Con edge over Ballymena
On Saturday, imagination became reality as a young but talented Con, minus the bulk of O’Callaghan and Murray, swept 2002 AIL champions Ballymena aside on a score of 30-20.
Con fielded a new-look, but formidable back-row of John Maloney, Brendan O’Connor and Brendan Curtriss for the Temple Hill’s side first home AIL game of the season.
Clonmel RFC and Sunday’s Well may be the homes of Maloney and Curtriss respectively, but Con’s latest recruits didn’t look too out of place in the famed white jersey.
Even Con joint-coach, David Corkery, spoke glowingly of his new back-row.
“Brendan (O’Connor) as usual was excellent, but I must take my hat off to John Maloney and Brendan Curtriss.”
Munster star and new Aussie signing Tom Bowman also tasted his first eighty minutes of AIL rugby. Bowman only turned up to training last Thursday night, having received his release forms from Munster coach Alan Gaffney. The giant second-row got some valuable game-time and made a huge contribution to Con’s first win of the season.
Two of Con’s three tries came from impressive winger and Corkery’s man-of-the-match, Cronan Healy, and, like Curtriss, Healy gives a new dimension to this young Con side.
Behind the scrum, Pat McCarthy and Barry Keeshan are developing a good understanding and played a major part in Con’s opening try.
Having fallen 0-10 behind after eight minutes to an Andy Maxwell try, and a penalty and a conversion from Ballymena’s best player, Dirkie Strydom, Con responded in style.
After a period of forward pressure, lead supremely by the two Brendans, O’Connor and Curtriss, and John Maloney, good recycling and quick hands from McCarthy and Keeshan released Rory Kenneally in the corner.
McCarthy converted and, from the restart, Con levelled when Healy slalomed his way though flaying Ballymena tacklers to swallow-dive under the posts. McCarthy added the two points and another penalty before the break to give the home side a 17-10 half-time advantage.
Con continued to dominate Ballymena up front, and, though Ballymena twins Mark and Steve Gray had made a promising start to the game, their confidence was being cut away by ferocious Con pressure.
By the 61st minute, the boot of McCarthy had added two more penalties and, six minutes later, Cronan Healy had intercepted a Balymena three-quarter move on the half-way line to sprint under the posts.
Con became complacent in the last ten minutes and the Northeners took full advantage with Strtydom and the very industrious Mike McCormish touching down.
And, despite the defeat, Ballymena coach, Sam McGrerr, is still very hopeful of a top four finish come season’s end.
“I thought we finished the game strongly and we can take a lot of positives away from our visit here,” said McGrerr.
CORK CONSTITUTION: C. O’Sullivan; R. Kenneally, N. Kenneally, J. V. Igarza, C. Healy; B. Keeshan, P. McCarthy; T. Ryan, D. Murray, M. Ross; T. Bowman, S. O’Connor; J. Maloney, B. O’Connor, B. Curtriss. Replacements: D. Fogarty for D. Murray (63); D. Keane for B. Curtriss (76).
BALLYMENA: D. Strydom; S. Young, A. Trimble, M. Waterhouse. A. Maxwell; M. Gray, S. Gray; B. Young, I Campbell, A. Kirkpatrick; D. O’Kane, H. Head; A. Graham, R. Young, M. McCormish. Replacements: A. Kennedy for B. Young (28); A. Jackson for A. Kirkpatrick (65); R. Kernaghan for I. Campbell (80).
Referee: A. Rogan (IRFU)
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