Nenagh Ormond v Bandon
Nenagh Ormond U18s welcomed Bandon RFC to New Ormond Park on Sunday for the fourth round of the Munster Club Cup. Nenagh came into the game with two wins from three and in a good position in the group but Bandon are a strong, experienced team who have had impressive results this season and, with a couple of key Nenagh players out injured as well as others playing out of position, the home side knew this one was going to be a battle.
Nenagh started strongly with the pack all working very hard and retaining the ball well. Strong carries and good support play from the forwards, in particular Joe Shanahan, Ivan Struzia and James Simons, saw them push into the Bandon half on several occasions. The home side were unlucky a few times to come away without a score due to a pass not going to hand or a marginal decision. Credit to them, Nenagh stayed patient and again worked their way down into opposition territory. They made great ground down the left hand side of the pitch and got well into the 22 before scrum half Luke Graham got the ball out quickly to Joseph Gleeson. During several previous attacks, Nenagh had flashed the ball wide to the outside backs who had made good ground. This time a very slight gap opened up in the defence and Gleeson slipped through to touch down under the posts. He converted his own try to put Nenagh 7 points up.
Nenagh kept the foot on the gas and, although Bandon did have a couple of visits into their territory, they kept them from scoring and got back down into the visitors half where some excellent rucking from all of the forwards allowed Nenagh to get quick ball and strong runs from both backs and forwards took them deep into the Bandon 22. A final outstanding drive by Luke Conneally saw him get to within inches of the try line but unfortunately his momentum when he was tackled meant that he rolled and the referee awarded a penalty to Bandon.
After this, Bandon took the opportunity to make their way down into the Nenagh half, helped by a couple of further penalties. When they got a scrum in a good position they seized their chance and got the ball out to their outside centre who sprinted through a gap to touch down. Bandon began to settle into the game after scoring and they looked dangerous at times. Their forwards slotted into the line easily in attack and they were very quick to react. There was no lack of effort from the Nenagh lads but eventually the pressure told and the visitors scored again to go in at half time ahead by 10 points to 7.
The wind picked up in the second half and, against it, Nenagh found it hard to get out of their own half. There was no score for most of the third quarter until finally a huge effort took Nenagh into the Bandon half where they won a rare penalty. Against the strong wind, Gleeson stepped up and confidently slotted the kick to even up the score. Nenagh were then pinned inside their own 10 metre line for long periods and, even when they had possession, they struggled to win territory. Bandon kept on coming and with around ten minutes to go they were on the attack when a missed knock on saw the ball go loose. When Bandon won it back again on the ground, they got it out through the hands and scored. Led by Aaron Delahunty and Luke Conneally, Nenagh stayed fighting right to the end but unfortunately when the final whistle came, the score remained Nenagh Ormond 10-15 Bandon.
This young team have had some big wins this season but, despite the scoreline, this performance displayed the great character and determination these lads have. It would be unfair to point out just one or two players as every single player gave 100% right to the end. However, special mention must go to Aodán Kirwan who, in his first match for Nenagh Ormond, made a huge impact off the bench, hitting hard and bringing great energy.
Next up for our U18’s are Midleton away next Sunday.
Training continues Tuesday & Thursday at 7pm.🔴⚪️
Nenagh Team: Mason Cawley, Tristan Madden,Aaron Delahunty (c), Jack O Flaherty, Josh Powell, Joseph Gleeson, Luke Graham, Jack Butler, Luke Conneally, Jess Robbins, Dylan Schweitnitz, Cillian Ryan, Ivan Struzia, James Simons, Joe Shanahan.
Replacements: Sean Ryan, Aodán Kirwan, Sam O Brien, Paddy Griffin, Dylan Dorris, Daragh Spillane, Nicky Nie, Sean Moylan.
