U20 Match Report: Old Belvedere R.F.C. 36 – Terenure College R.F.C. 34

Sunday 11th October, Ollie Campbell Park
KO: 15:00
Sometimes winning “ugly” is all that matters. The boys in Black & White showed great character as they
had to dig deep to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. This was a pulsating game of fast, free-
flowing, end-to-end rugby. Nobody dared avert their eyes from the pitch and the result was settled in
the last play of the game as Old Belvedere’s pack drove over the Nure try line to dot the ball down
under the posts. Up stepped Belvo’s accomplished out-half Zenon Chambers who drilled the
conversion into Ailesbury Grove and give Old Belvedere a 36 – 34 victory.

The ref was hot on the tackle height all afternoon, and both teams paid the price for tackle indiscretions.
In the 15th minute it was Belvo who were on the wrong side of the ref’s decision to award a penalty and
yellow card for a high tackle. From the ensuing penalty, Terenure kicked to touch and won a lineout
10m out from the Belvedere tryline. The lineout was secured and the mall trundled towards the
Belvedere tryline. Sensing a chink in the defence, the Terenure scrum-half went on the blindside and
fed the left winger who crashed over for a try in the corner. The conversion from the sideline was short,
but Belvo trailed 0 – 5.

The Black & Whites struck back almost immediately from the restart. Paddy O’Gorman, one half of
Belvo’s outstanding centre partnership, soared salmon-like to claim a relieving box kick. A couple of
phases later and some fleet footwork from outhalf Zenon Chambers took play deep into Terenure’s half.
The ball was recycled quickly and the excellent No. 12 Dylan Lord smashed into the defensive line and
then pivoted out of the tackle to break free. He then side-stepped the covering winger to score under
the posts in the 19th minute. Chambers added to extras to give Belvo a 7 – 5 lead.

The Black & Whiles were punished in the 22nd minute as Terenure’s powerful pack took a scrum
against the head in the Belvo ’22. The ball was moved left but Belvo’s defence halted the attack.
Terenure’s bright scrum half saw some empty real estate in the backfield and put in a clever chip over
the top. The chase was on, but the ball bobbled favourably for the Terenure winger, and he managed to
win the race to touch down in the in-goal area. The conversion was missed, but Terenure led 7 – 10.
The game continued to ebb and flow, with neither team gaining supremacy. In the 35th minute, Belvo
retook the lead after multiple infringements by Terenure in their ’22. From a tap penalty, after patiently
building the phases, powerful hooker Joe Kennedy was propelled over the tryline by his teammates.
Chambers slotted the conversion to give Belvo a 14 – 10 lead.

Terenure hit back in the 38th minute in a try that would please the neutrals (if there were any neutrals in
OCP). From a scrum advantage, Belvo’s lively scrum-half Andy Norse almost succeeded with a
pinpoint kick deep into Terenure territory that bobbled just short of the touchline on the ’22. The ‘Nure
covering winger did very well to transition from defence into attack as his pace took him clear of the

Belvo chasers. Seeing support on his inside his perfectly timed pass fed a loose forward who showed a
clean pair of heels to sprint in from 35 meters out. The try under the posts was converted to bring the
score to 14 – 17.

There was still time for another score, and from an offside penalty in the 40th minute, Chambers cooly
struck a penalty 25 metres out and in the centre of the pitch to level the halftime score to 17 – 17.
In the 52nd minute it was Terenure’s turn to transgress in the tackle zone, and their No.8 saw yellow.
The kick was dispatched to touch where Belvo’s towering second row, Tom Reynolds, gathered the
throw and set the maul. Belvo put together some quick phases going around the corner before
eventually moving the ball out wide to the left for the electric full-back Seán King to score in the corner.
Chambers was unlucky to see his conversion bounce off the upright, but Belvo had retaken the lead 22
– 20.

The Black & Whites followed up with an almost identical score eight minutes later. From an excellent
touch find from Chambers deep into ‘Nure’s ‘22, Reynolds gathered the lineout and Belvo mauled over
from close range with Shaun Mitchell coming up with the ball. Chambers struck the conversion sweetly
to bring give Belvo a nine-point lead, 29 – 20.

Terenure weren’t finished yet, though. They hit back in the 72nd minute after winning a penalty for an
infringement at the breakdown. The ball was dispatched deep into Belvo’s ’22 and from the ensuing
maul, Terenure’s backs engineered space out wide for their winger to run in unopposed. The
conversion was good to bring the score to 29 – 27.

It was all hands to the pump and the supporters’ collective blood pressure was rising. A clever kick
brought Terenure into Belvo’s ’22 with 6 minutes to go. Winning the Belvo lineout, Terenure moved the
play out left, and went through the phases before cutting back right where a strong carry broke the
Belvo defence to score under the posts. The simple conversion was added to bring the score to 29 –
34.

With the game-clock in the red, Belvo had one last throw of the dice. From a penalty on the ‘Nure 10m
line, Chambers found touch on the ‘Nure 22. Everyone in OCP expected the ball to be thrown to the
immense Reynolds, but a decoy was called and the athletic Shaun Mitchell secured the ball at the tail
of the line-out. Belvo very patiently went through the phases and a strong carry by the abrasive Karl
Russell brought play to within millimetres of Terenure’s tryline. The backs (and coaches) were
screaming for the ball to be moved wide when awarded a penalty advantage, but there was no way the
pack were going to give this one up. Sure enough, Shaun Mitchell had the power and the guile to reach
the whitewash and Chambers’ conversion secured the 5 league points on offer as Belvo prevailed 36 –
34.

Man of the Match: No.12 Dylan Lord

Match Report: A. Mac Nulty