Winter rules apply

Cork Constitution 12 Garryowen 12

Yes, winter finally came south last Saturday — cold, horizontal gale-blown rain, a semi-darkness that never lifted — and on the field of play, as with our Cork Con-supporting friend and his imbibing routine, winter rules most definitely applied.

Given he was one of those individuals who is certain of his every opinion, anxious that that opinion needed to be made publicly known to all in his immediate vicinity, there were other comments as this match progressed but they don’t bear reporting here, not in a family newspaper. Suffice to say they were ultra-critical of almost everything happening in front of us. Even if there wasn’t an awful lot to praise, however, it was easy to be critical, too easy. With our backs to the rain, snug and sheltered in the covered stand, we couldn’t possibly appreciate just how difficult it was on the pitch but if ever it can be said that a potentially top-class match was ruined by the gods, this was it.

In the first-half at least we had some scoring action. Two tries from Con; the first in the 5th minute, superb support play by the returning John Kelly after a fine half-break by hooker Denis Fogarty, converted by out-half Darragh Lyons (his only successful kick from four attempts); the second from a penalty-lineout-maul by a dominant Cork Con pack, number eight Frank Cogan credited with the touchdown. Ill-discipline followed by dissent gifted Garryowen nine points in reply, full-back Conor Kilroy doing the honours, and the visitors trailed at the break by just three points when it should have been perhaps 12 or more.

With the diagonal wind promising to be more in their favour than against in the second half, it was looking good for the home side. There was to be only one score in those 40 minutes, however, and it came in the 42nd minute, a penalty, Kilroy leaving his mark in Temple Hill. Other than that, dire fare, for supporter and player alike.

Accepted Garryowen captain Paul Neville: “Conditions were horrific, very easy to spill the ball so neither side was going to spin it; it was ten-man rugby, well contested up front, hard going, up the jumper stuff and I’m sure it wasn’t pretty to watch. But you had to, and we’ll take our two points.”

Along with the irrepressible Brendan Curtiss of Con, Paul was one of those most prominent on an afternoon made for the fighting dogs of the back row, but even their efforts at the breakdown were largely thwarted, the referee’s piercing whistle constantly fracturing whatever play there was, though he was consistent at least.

“He blew very fast, almost as soon as the player with the ball hit the deck,” agreed Garryowen coach Dara O’Sullivan, “but at least he was the same for both sides.”

The problem was the weather, pure and simple. These two sides met in the final of the AIL playoffs at the end of last season and it was a superb contest; Saturday, just a drenched squib, though this wasn’t worrying try-scorer John Kelly.

“I couldn’t care less about the conditions, how bad it was, I’m just happy to have played 80 minutes of rugby,” he said. “I’ve had a very frustrating 2007 with injuries.In fact that was the first game I completed in 2007, the first full 80 minutes of play. So, happy to be back number one, and the try is a bonus.

“It was a tough game after that, conditions really dictated how both sides would play; as the second half went on it got even worse, very difficult for both sets of forwards in the lineout especially, trying to win clean ball. You’re not going to see much backline play in those conditions. Not pretty, disappointing not to get the win but we got the draw at least.”

CORK CON: D. Hurley; J. Kelly (1T), T. Gleeson, E. Ryan, C. Healy; D. Lyons (1C), D. Williams; C. Murphy, D. Fogarty, T. Ryan; M. O’Connell (c), S. O’Connor; B. Holland, B. Curtiss, F. Hogan.

Replacement: R. Lane (Lyons 61).

GARRYOWEN: C. Kilroy (4P); Ciarán O’Boyle, C. Doyle, F. Quaglia, K. Earls; A. Kingsley, Cillian O’Boyle; R. Brosnan, D. Varley, L. Óg Casey; M. Melbourne, E. Mackey; P. Neville (c), B. O’Mahony, P. Malone.

Replacements: P. O’Shea (Brosnan inj. 30); A. Kavanagh (O’Mahony 61); D. Sherry (Melbourne 70).

Referee: A. Rogan (Leinster). Whistle-happy.