Keeshan gives Dolphin ‘recession derby’ edge
“You knew someone in every ruck; there were more fellas who knew each other than didn’t,” was how Dolphin out-half Barry Keeshan — who kicked all his side’s points on his 100th All-Ireland League and Cup appearance — described the familiarity of the on-field exchanges afterwards, with a wry smile.
Irish professional rugby may still be relatively recession-proof, but the amateur game is anything but.
Clontarf — or ‘Con-tarf’, as they have been playfully nicknamed by some Rebel county wags — fielded five Cork-born players in their starting XV here, the majority of whom only find themselves in the capital after they left Leeside in search of work.
That dilution of resources, felt by clubs all around Ireland, has the net effect of bringing down the league’s average age, according to Keeshan.
“Without a shadow of a doubt [it has made Cork clubs weaker]. The Cork clubs are going for younger players; it’s probably affecting UCC, players aren’t staying there for three or four years now, they’re only staying for one or two then coming up to a Division 1A team, because all the fellas who are 23 or 24, coming out of college, have to either go to Dublin or London [for work].
“The league’s getting younger and younger. When I first started out you were playing fellas going into their 30s; now they’re rare enough.”
A case in point was Dolphin’s half-backs; centurion Keeshan, at 27 now in his eighth season with the Musgrave Park club, was partnered by 18-year-old Chris Banon, who played scrum-half for PBC in the Munster Senior Schools Cup final last March and was making just his second senior start.
They had to contend with Clontarf openside Barry O’Mahony and scrum-half Sam Cronin, who spent last season at Dolphin, plus former Cork Con trio Frank Cogan, Richie Lane and Evan Ryan. Cogan admits Dublin clubs are stronger these days for the rural migration.
“There wasn’t much happening for me down here work-wise, and there was a good clatter of lads up in Clontarf; they’re a club I’ve always admired, it was an easy decision in the end,” said Cogan.
“There’s a lot of good fellas coming through in Con and Dolphin who are still in college and finding their way, but I certainly think a lot of the Leinster clubs have got stronger. It’s not just Cork, there’s a lot of Limerick lads playing in clubs around Dublin. It’s bound to have an effect; there’s a lot of quality down in Munster.”
The majority of the quality on show on Saturday — and it was few and far between — came from the hosts. Keeshan rewarded his pack for the early pressure they exerted with a penalty and a well-taken drop goal, before Noel Reid halved the deficit with a penalty of his own after Cronin and Timothy McCoy had broken clear
Dolphin full-back Niall Walley was unlucky to lose the ball forward in stretching for the line in the game’s main try-scoring chance, and Keeshan restored the six-point lead after Cronin was binned for a ruck infringement.
The second half was even lighter on inspiration, with Keeshan and Lane both spurning penalty chances while Clontarf failed to capitalise when Dolphin number eight Ryan Murphy saw yellow. It saw ‘Tarf drop to third while Dolphin are up to seventh, hoping that having five of their remaining eight fixtures at home will help get them out of relegation danger.
DOLPHIN: N Walley; C Nolan, E Moloney (capt), K Lynch, C Bohane; B Keeshan, C Banon; J Cronin, N Scannell, C Condon; C Rowe, R O’Herlihy; D O’Callaghan, J Quill, R Murphy.
Rolling replacements: G Duffy, J Clery, K O’Dwyer, D O’Mahony, H Fleming.
CLONTARF: R Lane; K Lett, E Ryan, C O’Brien, T McCoy; N Reid, S Cronin; D Merrey, C O’Flynn, B Barclay; C O’Keeffe, J Chipman; S Crawford, B O’Mahony, F Cogan.
Rolling replacements: J Larbey, C Keegan, K Dorian, M Garvey, D O’Meara.
Referee: P Haycock (IRFU).
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