AIL 25/26 Round 12 – Nenagh Ormond V St. Mary’s College RFC
Nenagh Ormond RFC V St Mary’s College RFC
27 – 49
Energia AIL Division 1 A
Nenagh
31st January 2026
Overall
The score tells a story. Of course, it does not tell that Nenagh Ormond have a very impressive and attractive Grounds and that the Ormond folk are exceptionally hospitable and welcoming. Well, a fair crowd of St Marys’ supporters, on the first visit of the club, went there and
discovered that today. They were also treated to a spring-like day of light winds and dazzling sun after biblical rainfall throughout January. On our penultimate visit this season out of Dublin, the support was strong with many of the ever-blues there. I spied Kevin Conboy and Noel O’Dea, both looking a-maized in a neighbouring stubble field, (not needing a shave). Aoife O’Donnell, Eoin Quinn, Louis McMullan and Niall Rynne came early to help them open the bar. I met a delightful Tipperary lady, Dan Goggins’s mother, who was there for the match and had Dan’s lovely collie dog, Jack, along with her. As ever the faithful parents brigade were there, led by Brian and Laura Watters, Paul and Lorraine Dean, the O’Reilly family, Mylo and Helen Carey, Arthur and Rose McEvoy, Gerry McCormack, Johnny Kennedy et al. Mick the Medium was forecasting a big win and snow, and how good it was to see Fr. Denis Hooper (Glenstal Abbey) of the great Marys’ Hooper family. He took excellent action photos of the game, which you can view here.
On top of all that,they were treated to 12 tries, five Ormond, 7 St Mary’s. President Gareth and his officers were greeted and treated and all were sad to leave, as JVP Gerry commented, it would be a pity to see them go down. And he is right for they have much to offer, with a brave, skilful and adventurous squad. It is to be hoped that were they to drop, they would have learned much from the experience. If the squad could then stay together, build their player pool and return straight to 1A. So fortified, they might well face a more propitious vista. It is to the advantage of the AIL too, to have strong clubs in as wide as possible geographic spread. Yes, the score does tell that Mary’s had a satisfying win, and that it would have been a fast, attractive spectacle with spills and thrills and leaves the visitors in a strong position and the hosts in a difficult one.
The performance of St Mary’s was a little mixed, with some periods of exquisite skills and high pace; pockmarked by odd lapses of concentration or continuity and atypical slips in defence. It also showed once again that there is a tendency to cede too many penalties, which can allow teams back in with growing confidence and be highly detrimental to outcomes. However, this must be considered in the
psychological context of a start that seemed to show that the visitors were clearly in control. The Mary’s structural game was solid, and the set pieces generally secure.
This was the third match in a row that was played on an astro pitch, which is heavy on bodies, with bruising, scrapes and friction burns. On the positive side, St Mary’s have impressively rapid back seven players, and to see players like Aaron O’Sullivan, Myles Carey, Ruairi Shields and Stephen Kennedy on astro is exhilarating. Their full flight is like watching evening, summer swallows over a limpid lake. With the half-backs, who were setting the pace and system, playing imperiously, it allowed space and opportunity for the outer backs, and they took it, with Aaron causing havoc and Myles causing panic in defences. To appreciate Myles Carey to his full, it is necessary to look at his overall game. Playing 13 requires extreme athleticism and concentration, and so, in its way, it can be restrictive, but when aged in mid-20s, 6ft-3in tall, built like a professional boxer and brim-full of enthusiastic, energetic confidence as Myles is, then, he is a mobile nuclear reactor, covering defence, rucking, driving and entering the danger zone with impunity. On top of that, he sears the ground and leaves defenders bewildered. Today, he scored a hat trick, with his on-song, Skipper Conor, linking up for two of them. It was a joy to watch. His performance demanded that he receive the Manverton MoM Award. (See photo of Myles receiving MoM from Robbie O’Neill Dir.YR)
The pack is a solid high-performance unit, which revels in the mental and physical encounter, confident that the joust is theirs to win. With three compartments, front row, second row and backrow crammed with ability and rapacious for work, Head Coach Mark has his team ready, with reinforcements, to face all eventualities. He has built a squad of close pals always there for each other. This is clear to see when you observe the driving and try line defence, that innate understanding leaves no gaps and allows loops to fill possible gaps and loops to double drives out of defence or to advance. Mark’s overall system of high-paced back-ups, loops, continual transfers without losing the ball makes space and overwhelms defences and so as happened today tries are harvested. Every week too, close observation shows the explosive energy of the pack like with Ronan or Josh or Greg or Mighty Mick and so on. That is why they stand close second although, although aware of tough work ahead. Today, overall, it was a good pack day, with odd lapses which they will be working all week to eliminate them before facing an in-form visiting Terenure next Saturday.
The Flow
Mary’s kicked off and regained the ball, attacked with venom and made diagonal left to right ground. The play swung back across to the left and after a recycle, the ball was spread to Skipper Deano, who semi-dummied and flowed through a gap, swooping over the line. The marvellous Mick O’Gara converted from wide out, 0-7. He did the same for each of the seven tries. After 20 minutes, jinky Steven Kilgallen
ran out of defence, making 30 metres, the ball came back. Deano was on his 10m line, he drew defence, then did a delightful Deano Dink, Myles swept on to it, went through a slight gap, sold a dummy and hit the Turbo, leaving defence floundering, 0-14. The home side scored on 28 minutes to make it 5-14. On 28 minutes Myles took an exquisite intercept and showed his zoom pace as he left the defence gasping, 5-21, and on 34 minutes, Aaron made a blasting run through the Ormond defence at Mk2 to almost make the line, Back it came, Deano dummied and had the ever present Ronan beside him to burst through and over the line, 5-28. Deano and Myles combined again on 35 minutes to extend the score to 5-35. We were sailing; however, the home side got two tries, and one converted before half time and left the score 17-35. It was 48 minutes, and Ormond scored again, 22-35. On 56 minutes, after a series of penalties and heavy pressure for Marys, Alert Aaron O’Sullivan, who had a very fine game, took a quick tap penalty and fed dynamic, Dan Goggin on a severe vector, he crashed over, and Mick converted, 22-42. With an hour gone, from a scrum, Ronan took a wide vector and almost made the line. After a drive, Mighty Mick power
plunged over, 49-22. Ormond kept playing hard, and their perseverance was rewarded with a try at the end of the match, to leave the final score, 27-49.
Next Saturday, we have possibly our most important, prestigious and anticipated meeting of the season, with Terenure College RFC. It is very important for several obvious reasons that we can entertain and play at our own club. It is, of course, all weather-dependent, and we must not panic, and although prepared for all eventualities, be confident and hopeful to the last minute. It is not yet clear when Rob Gilsenan, Mark Fogarty and Ethan Baxter will be back. With ‘Nure hitting their top notes now, we must be ready, and we will be. Belief brings being. For once, you will not need encouragement, so see you there and do it for Deano.
Sunday 1 st February. The J1s played Terenure at Lakelands in a Metro League 1 game and although beaten, played some lovely rugby in a most entertaining game. Several young players showed that the prospects of strong senior teams in the future are good. Stephen Kennedy deserves a special mention, for once again he doubled up, as at the end of last season. He had to retire injured, but he is not only a fine young
player but has that love of his club that makes him a Kennedy. His pal Shane McGrath at 9 has made good progress this season too. The scrum was very strong with Adam Mulvihill, Mark McHugh and Oisin Kearney all starring. Others that caught one’s eye were Jonathan Lynch, Leon Potts, Lucca Jennings and Thady McKeever. With injuries, we ended up with six props on the field in various positions. Well done to everyone and Coach Richard Halpin and Manager Garry Manning.
Finally, on a special weekend, congratulations to the President Gareth Logan, organiser Michael Fanagan and all involved in the Club Dinner. It was a memorable night, with excellent food and refreshments, fine dissertations (Brilliant Club Captain Conor Dean, Trevor Brennan, Colin Smyth and Ronnie McBrien), fitting the high esteem and great affection in which he is held by all, President Gareth made a superb and unique artistic presentation to the Guest of Honour, former B&I Lions Captain Ciaran Fitzgerald. Ciaran had recently been inducted into the RTE Sports’ Hall of Fame.
Team (12 changes during the game) 15 S Kilgallen, 14 A O’Sullivan, 13 M Carey, 12 M O’Gara,, 11 R Shields, 10 C Dean (Capt.), 9 C Reilly, 8 D Goggin, 7 R Watters, 6 J Gimblett, 5 C Pierce, 4 G Jones, 3 M McCormack, 2 R Bergin, 1 O Michel, 16 J Nelson-Murray, 17 T O’Reilly, 18 C Scott, 19 D Leane, 20 A McEvoy, 21 S Kennedy.
D O’Brien.
