O’Mahony confident Dolphin can keep title challenge alive
The IRFU could hardly have asked for better than the series of mouthwatering confrontations fixed for that day, with huge implications.
Cork Constitution will be guaranteed their biggest payday of the season, while Dolphin could step from one time whipping boys to title challengers, even if they fail to win a rearranged postponed fixture against St Mary’s College.
Dolphin must await an IRFU decision to re-fix their tie for Templeville Road either next Sunday (Dolphin’s preferred date) or Saturday April 12, a week in advance of their last match against Cork rivals and league leaders, Cork Constitution.
Coach David O’Mahony was happily surprised to learn of Clontarf’s defeat to Blackrock College at Stradbrook on Saturday. That result leaves Dolphin three points adrift of Clontarf in fifth position, but with that game in hand.
The intrigue continues higher up the table. For instance, Constitution and second-placed Shannon both need to win their final games to clinch home semi-finals, but any one of three stray results for the top teams (Garryowen are third) could change the best-laid plans.
As the battle for fourth continues, Clontarf will expect to pick up the points at home to Galwegians, but both Dolphin and Blackrock could scuttle them.
St Mary’s can’t qualify but they could have a big say in the entire plot, They also play Blackrock (sixth), on top of that postponed tie with Dolphin.
Dolphin coach O’Mahony is happy the way things have panned out this season. Admitting that outsiders would have perceived the club as more relegation candidates than title challengers, he insisted those in the know within the club always felt a good season was in prospect.
“From within, we believed ourselves that we had made steady progress over the last few seasons. It’s not a very big squad but it’s a very tight squad; guys put a lot of emphasis on the pride side of things, we’ve got quality players in key positions and guys will fight to the last for each other,” he said.
He did express annoyance at the circumstances of Saturday’s postponement, made after what he termed was a very late pitch inspection.
It was, he said, an unacceptably late decision, even if he did acknowledge the reasons for it — the officials believed surface water on the pitch would have been a danger to players.
His mood brightened somewhat shortly after 4pm, however when the result of the Blackrock College/Clontarf game filtered through (17-16 to ‘Rock).
“It was annoying to have to make the journey all the way to Dublin, hang around doing nothing and then not get to play, but the other result made the journey home a little more bearable,” he admitted.
It leaves Dolphin in control of their own destiny. “Although bonus points might come into play, it means we have a decent chance of qualifying by winning both our remaining games. That’s a good position to be in,” said O’Mahony.
Constitution will be confident of a financial windfall from that last game. “It’s going to be a huge game, one way or another with a very big crowd for sure; that’s great because I have always believed there are more than enough good rugby players in Cork to sustain two top quality first division clubs. I think the current league positions justify that view,” added the Dolphin coach.
Major upcoming fixtures
April 19: Cork Constitution (1st, 54 pts) v Dolphin (5th, 39 pts), Temple Hill.
Shannon (2nd, 51 pts) v Greystones (16th, 18 pts), Coonagh
Garryowen (3rd, 50 pts) v UCD (8th, 33 pts), Dooradoyle.
Clontarf (4th, 42 pts) v Galwegians (13th, 23 pts), Castle Avenue.
Blackrock (6th, 38 pts) v St Mary’s College (10th, 28 pts), Stradbrook.
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