Forwards shine as win sends Con back to top of league
Barring occasional lapses in concentration, Constitution were much the better side and would not have been flattered had they picked up a bonus-point win; instead they had to keep their composure as Belvedere produced a spirited fightback.
Constitution coach Brian Walsh will be pleased with the effort from his pack - his back row and second row Cathal O’Flaherty in particular. Just a year out of school, O’Flaherty was involved in almost everything good produced in the opening quarter.
Later on, the ability of a seasoned back row kept the challenge ticking over and helped subdue the visitor’s top class number eight Leo Auva’a.
Delighted as he was by that first quarter, Walsh expressed concern about the manner in which their opponents crept back into the contest.
“We were worth the win; we should have probably had more [points] but having played some great rugby, we let them back into it,” he said. “We went over the edge by thinking we could play like that all the time.
“We did what we needed to do at the start of the second half to keep the scoreboard ticking over; a bit of rustiness close to the line a couple of times cost us, but there have been so many breaks in the league that it’s hard to know what you’re going to be like when you come back out to play.”
What he saw immediately was a side ready to play open rugby and trust their skills. From the off, O’Flaherty caught the eye and was barely held out just six minutes in. Constitution took the lead when Jerry Hurley kicked a penalty in the 12th minutes and shortly afterwards they had their opening try.
Scott Deasy’s perfectly-judged crossfield kick found Richard Lane, who batted the ball down to O’Flaherty. The youngster stormed over, with Hurley adding the extras. At the half-way mark, O’Flaherty’s run provided the opening for a second try from the returning Denis Fogarty.
Belvedere clawed their way back with a fine 32nd-minute five pointer of their own from Danny Riordan, who raced onto Andy Dunne’s chip beyond the Constitution defence, the out-half also converting.
While Auva’a tried his best to provide openings for his side, Brendan Cuttriss’ work at the breakdown, allied to powerful support from Frank Cogan and Billy Holland, kept the balance of power with Constitution.
Holland played a big role in creating a third try for Brian Hayes ten minutes into the second half and, as Constitution continued to dominate, Hurley kicked a penalty before Kevin Buckley’s late try gave Belvedere some little consolation.
CORK CONSTITUTION: S Scanlon; R Lane, C Jouve, I Dineen, S Zebo; S Deasy, J Hurley; M Gateley, D Fogarty, S Archer; C O’Flaherty, B Hayes; B Holland, F Cogan (capt), B Cuttriss.
Replacements: R Quinn for Fogarty (52), A Foley for Gateley (71), J McSwiney for O’Flaherty (76), C Desmond for Zebo (77).
OLD BELVEDERE: D Riordan; E Devitt, J Kennedy, B Woods, D Mongan; A Dunne (capt), S Keogh; V Soden, M Cooney, S Maguire; D Moore, D White; K Miller, L Auva’a, J Risdon.
Replacements: A. Trenier for Miller (44), K. Buckley for Risdon (64), D. Gilcrest for Cooney (68), C. Keane for Woods, S. Malone for Keogh (both 71).
Referee: D. Wilkinson (IRFU).
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
