St. Mary’s College RFC V Terenure College
28 –  21
Energia, AIL Division 1A
Templeville Road

Prequel
Wednesday 4th – Still the rain assailed Templeville Road. Forecast: – continuing heavy rain up to, and into the weekend. Most were arrogating venue change to Astro. No, President Gareth Logan called his Management Committee together. Director of Rugby Alan Shirley and Senior Rugby Manager Paul Pender called together rugby management colleagues and Marty Blacker, House and Grounds Officer, along with Assistant Chairman and former president Gareth Roche, as they peered through the gloom of heavy grey rain. Did fate await? No! The Best’s Awake- The Best’s Awake. They had a plan and would not fail, determined through the mire they’d sail.

Thursday 5th – Paul, at his expense, collected water vacs, pumps and other implements. Tools at the ready and all in wet gear, they trudged through the slosh. Relentlessly, the torrents tore into the sodden soil. Looking up, they could not see, blinded by the globules of cold sky water, so they looked down at the ask, and worked with skill and care not to consolidate the wet ground. Inside, Chairman Paul, who was also working hard outside on the pitch, Administrator Gillian Shakespeare and Bar Manager Padraig Fallon continued plans and preparation for the gigantic lunch and hospitality surge. Meanwhile, the rain ebbed and flowed unremittingly. Yet there was only solid belief, and belief is being. Woe to the infidel!

Meanwhile, our coaches and their charges exported themselves to St. Mary’s College, where they were generously afforded top-class training facilities; in knowledge, their colleagues would ensure, home delights. And still it poured.

Friday 6th – Sheer diluvian inundation continued with water building, Marty who is widely knowledgeable on such matters, knew it was vital to remove it. Paul Pender, Paul Conlon and Gareth Roche set to it. They dug sump holes and pumped water out repeatedly; they used the water roller (squeegee). It was Herculean and seemed almost hopeless, but they were not giving in. At the same time, Bronagh Logan and JVP Gerry Hassett assisted with preparing the clubhouse for what was a
massively successful pre-match lunch.

Saturday 7th – early morning, Marty again went to work with the water roller, up and down, time after time. Still, as if in defianc,e the murk of steady, stinging rain bopped on the blades of grass as though in a Sword Dance. Pitch Inspection! Word spread – the Marys’ pitch is playable and in fine fettle, as declared by Head of Referees Dudley Phillips, and agreed by both sides. Yes, The Best’s Awake- The Best’s Awake. A special thanks from all to Marty, Paul and the crew. Soon, the fans and families, young and old, strangers and inter-club friends poured in with an atmospheric crescendo; coffee queues, shared brollies, loud and shrill greetings and waves, and kisses thrown and caught, and smiles bought and sold;
with nervous tics for free. This is Mary’s V Nure; the genesis of interclub relations and healthy rivalry. How good to see and feel, and know peace with turmoil. For this is club rugby; high feelings but low animosity.

Soon the lunchers, of well above 300, sat and munched, and listened and half heard, as watches were consulted and scores forecast and decried. Soaring bonhomie and warm Presidential welcomes, and mutual praise abounded; and so it should be, ever.

The Business
Since the early sixties, there has been that powerful rivalry between the two clubs and for periods one club would have ascendency then the other. In the current era, there is near parity, with every game close and intense. Overall, there has been a respectful rivalry that is healthy and enduring. Today again, only one score separated the teams, after a high paced high pressure game, with both teams and supporters exhausted at the finish. Deservedly, one each after the two games, with the distinct possibility of a decider in the playoffs or final.

Over to Mark and his squad. Mark has a most enviable, brilliant rugby brain. He has character, he has belief in and dedication to his squad and to his club, with a deep, respectful calmness. He feels the zeitgeist and the tradition, including the wonderful sporting rivalry between our two clubs. So he prepared for the joust, and central to that was the almost breath-taking defensive plan, for it was clear it would be needed. And so it was whenever Nure attacked, Mark’s, and his invaluable right-hand man,
Jamie Cornett’s plan of missile defence was in place. When the ball went across the Nure backline, Marys’ backs defence hit as the ball arrived, smashing backwards almost every effort to get wide or break through. The backrow plugged any gaps.

There were periods when Mary’s looked to be well in control, with their backline sizzling and then, as with their jerseys, Nure had their purple patches, especially for periods in the second half, when the home side were giving away too many penalties.

It was a compelling joust, with the two packs displaying fair but frightening clashes for the ball at the breakdown and on the ground. The blue scrum had a marginal dominance, but with the genius of Greg Jones (who had a very fine game) clearly in evidence, the home lineout was ascendant both on own ball and often on the Nure ball, when several propitious situations for the visitors were lost close in.

Once again, with Mark’s well-balanced side, it seems almost impossible to separate players’ performances, and the revolving replacement system made this more so today. For many years, Mary’s were known to have a fast, skilful team, a little on the light side. Now, as in the late 90s, we have a fast, skilful squad built on the solid side. It makes a difference in the modern milieu. Indeed, every player knew this was a big, important clash, and so all performed to their maximum. And on top of his usual superb performance, Ronan Watters, standing in for the captain, exceptional, Conor Dean, led with acumen and inspiration.

This team is particularly well balanced with both backs and forwards singular. The half-backs played a vital role in today’s win. Mick O’Gara, normally at 12, adapted back to 10 with aplomb and kicked with his usual match-winning skill. Over the entire game, Colm Reilly at 9, was sparkling. It would be hard to find a breakdown where he was not there almost before it happened, and was there as required to clean up or set a move in play, with fast accurate passes and precise sky kicking, grubbers and clearing kicks. His defence too was faultless, and his decision-making, telling. He was selected to receive the Manverton MoM. (See photo of Club Chairman Paul Conlon presenting the MoM Award to Colm).

Scoring
From the kick off, Mary’s took the ball back and attacked the line, with pace. After Six Minutes, Myles Carey, who once again was goluptious, extremely dangerous all match, was tip-tackled, and Nure received a yellow card. The ball went to the Gate Corner, and after a series of very rapid attack carries and accurate feeds, Myles took an acute counter-flow vector and went over close in. Mick O’Gara converted, 7-0. And Mary’s continued to attack, earning another penalty on 14 minutes. Again, after the lineout, a maul made ground and then with carries, hard-working hooker, Jack Nelson Murray got over, and Mick converted. 14-0. It was attack and counterattack for the rest of the half, during which the home side looked comfortable; however, when playing in injury time, Nure mounted strenuous efforts, and after a penalty and close in attack, Craig Adams took a ball from John Devine and scored, and they converted, so at half time it was 14-7.

The second half continued with the same effulgence, in a hand-to-hand struggle. Mary’s pressed and when Nure’s Devine attempted a clearance from near their line at the Well Corner, Myles was up like a bolt to block down and get to the ball to touch down and with the help of a mighty conversion from Mick, bring the score to 21-7. Nure were putting on more pressure now, and when they put a penalty into the Gate Corner, they mauled and then took the ball on and close in, John Devine got over to make it 21-14. It was 50 minutes gone. The battle raged with everything evenly balanced. On 65 mins after impressive high-speed attacks in pods, Marys’ Josh Gimblett, who had been inexhaustible in a powerful performance, got over to give a more comfortable lead when Mick planted the conversion, 28-14. However, Nure once more responded and were rewarded on 72 minutes with a close try from Max Russell, 28-21. Now, with the home crowd in full voice, from the main terrace rang Marys-Marys-Marys!
That was how it finished.

Needless to report there was blue elation and Purple dejection, as Ronan proudly collected the Mick Smith Trophy from the two presidents. The evening no longer seemed quite so dull, as the usual congregation of supporters, players, mentors, families and alickadoos milled around the concourse in happy sociability. There were smiles and hugs, and nobody smiled so brilliantly as President Gareth, but he was as he always is, gracious. Indeed, he and his Nure counterpart David Lynagh, are close friends and shared an enjoyable evening together. The bars and all available spaces were soon crammed with happy revellers packed in for a long night.

Terenure’s and Club international squad team manager, most affable Mark Hamilton, voiced his appreciation of interclub friendships and genuine sporting rivalry and his disagreement with any form of dislike of other clubs; we depend on each other; how right he is.

Today on the far terrace, the group of usual savants, including Profs Farrell, Ryan and Sheahan, Barry O’Sullivan, Barney Moran, Spike and Liam Birkett, seemed forlorn, as one of their number for very many years now, was missing, Paul Davey, a long-time club member, raconteur and very charming man, was missing as he was in hospital for major surgery. Everyone at the club wishes Paul well, and his friends look forward to his being back on the terrace, holding forth and entertaining all.

St Mary’s move back one point ahead of Clontarf as we prepare for 28th February, when we head to Cork in another big challenge against third-placed Cork Constitution FC. There is a big need for support, so make the trip, please, and Do it for Deano!

Team (12 changes during the game) 15 R Shields, 14 A O’Sullivan, 13 M Carey, 12 D Goggin, 11 L Ramirez, 10 M O’Gara, 9 C Reilly, 8 R Watters (Capt.), 7 F Burke, 6 J Gimblett, 5 D Leane, 4 G Jones, 3 M McCormack, 2 J Nelson-Murray, 1 O Michel, 16 R Bergin, 17 T O’Reilly, 18 A Sparrow, 19 C Pierce, 20 A McEvoy, 21 Z Hopkins.

D O’Brien.