Match Report: Cork Constitution 7 – 26 Old Belvedere

Energia Men’s AIL Division 1 (a), Round 5.

Cork Constitution 07, Old Belvedere 26.

Sat October 31st, Temple Hill, Co. Cork.

Match referee: Max Weston (IRFU)

‘Old Belvedere good value for 4-try bonus-point haul with dominant second-half performance against Constitution’.

This fifth-round encounter was played under blue skies, autumnal sunshine, calm conditions and 13 degrees, on an immaculate-looking 1sts pitch in the Rebel County.

The tale of the tape pre-match had the visitors in a rich vein of form with 3 wins out of 4, 140 points accumulated, 68 conceded, three 4-try bonus points and joint top of the pops. Constitution, on the other hand, were 1 win from 4 outings, 83 points for and 105 against, and way down south of the charts. The stats don’t lie, and it was therefore a match-up between one club in fine form and the other low on wins, scores and confidence.

The home side elected to play upfield, with the clubhouse at their backs. Con went to work from the kick-off, winning an early lineout around the Old Belvedere 10-metre line. From the lineout take, Con went through the phases and, with lock Sean Duffy punching it up, followed by a big rumble from loosehead Mike Cogan in the visitors’ 22, scrum-half Aidan Maher put lots of air on a pass out wide to the right which out-half Aidan Moynihan did well to gather overhead, running into the Old Belvedere defence before a deft offload to centre Evan Clarke in support, who then crashed over in the right-hand corner. Constitution playmaker Aidan Moynihan added the two points with an excellent touchline conversion to put the home side in front, 7 – nil on 3 minutes.

The visitors responded three minutes later when Centaur Jayden (‘Doddsie’) Beckett fielded a Sam Wisniewski Garryowen from around the halfway line to put Old Belvedere behind enemy lines for the first time. Moments later, off a ruck on the Con 22-metre line far side, Old Belvedere’s Fionn McWey made a good carry in the heavy traffic before out-half Sam Wisniewski offloaded sweetly, and fittingly, to the bustling Centaur, taking a delightful line off the out-half’s shoulder to slice through the Constitution defensive line and gallop home some 30 metres untouched under the sticks. Sam Wisniewski converted to level the scores at 7 – 7.

Old Belvedere won a penalty at the first scrum of the match on 8 minutes for early engagement from the Constitution pack. First blood to the Old Belvedere pack at the set piece.

Old Belvedere picked off a Cork Con lineout overthrow at the back on 15 minutes around the halfway line to carry deep into the Con half. The home side were penalised for offside some phases later when Old Belvedere started to squeeze the hosts. Sam Wisniewski kicked to the left-hand corner some 10 metres out from in front of the clubhouse. The lineout was taken at 4 by lock Jhy Legg, who set up a rolling maul which rumbled its way towards the try line, only for the visitors to be held up after doing all the graft up front! Let-off! Con’s Aidan Moynihan sent a relieving kick to touch on the terrace side around the visitors’ 10-metre line.

Between the 14th and 23rd minutes, Old Belvedere were encamped in the Con half, putting phases together and causing problems. On 20 minutes, off an identical set piece in the left-hand corner, the visitors claimed their lineout in the middle and set up their rolling maul advancing over the try line, only this time to be penalised for blocking the Con defenders in the maul. Cork Constitution escaped this latest assault without conceding points, but their heavy work rate in defence was taking its toll.

On 35 mins, an intercepted pass by Con’s left wing Bobby O’Callaghan on the Con 10-metre line took the pressure off the hosts somewhat as Constitution got a foothold in the Old Belvedere half. Old Belvedere’s playmaker Sam Wisniewski left the field of play, forcing a reshuffle with replacement Andre Ryan slotting into midfield and Justin (‘Justy’) Leonard taking over the reins of the Old Belvedere chariot. There were no further scores to write home about in the second quarter.

                                                            Half-time: 

Cork Constitution 07, Old Belvedere 07.

With honours even at the interval, Constitution began and ended the first half on the attack and in the Old Belvedere half. However, it was the visitors who had most of the possession and field position, leaving scores behind them, most notably off two lineout launch plays close in, where their pack’s hard graft in putting themselves in try-scoring territory went unrewarded. Neither side dominated at scrum time, with lineout steals by both packs aplenty in the first half.

Old Belvedere, for the third time, were guilty of squandering try-scoring chances early in the second half from a good Old Belvedere rolling maul. A Justin (‘Justy’) Leonard penalty touch-finder from just inside the Con half to deep into their 22, stand side, set up an attack close in where the visitors’ pack once again were on the threshold of scoring only to have their pockets picked, allowing the hosts another reprieve early in the third quarter. Poor execution was costing Old Belvedere.

The visitors would not, however, allow Constitution out of their own half for large chunks of the third quarter. Inevitably, constant Old Belvedere pack pressure told. On 53 minutes, and ironically from an Old Belvedere lineout misfire to the back some 15 metres out from the Con try line, Con’s Eanna McCarthy got up well to tap the ball down to his side only for Old Belvedere’s Callum Dowling, following up, to lurch forward, gather the bobbling ball and trundle over the line accompanied by the despairing Con defence. Justin (‘Justy’) Leonard missed the conversion, leaving Old Belvedere in the lead, 7 – 12.

The Leesiders won some field position of their own on 58 minutes, when Old Belvedere’s full-back James Dillon had a clearing kick to touch on the stand side blocked down just outside the Old Belvedere 22-metre line. The ensuing Con lineout throw to the back, however, was lost and Justin (‘Justy’) Leonard hoofed the ball to the visitors’ 10-metre line. Constitution were not getting over the gain line in their rare forays into the Old Belvedere half and were getting robbed of any platforms to do so, particularly out of touch, as above, by the athletic Gerry Hill, who was a constant nuisance at the lineout for Constitution.

On 64 mins, and ironically off an Old Belvedere misfiring lineout throw on the Con 22 near side, Con replacement Frankie Óg Sheehan threw a risky underarm blind pass from the touchline to keep the ball in play only for poacher-in-chief Callum Dowling to get his mitts on the ball and hold his balance and the ball superbly well from some 20 metres out, to score a fine try for Old Belvedere that was, it must be said, on the cards. They say you make your own luck! Justin (‘Justy’) Leonard kicked the conversion to put the visitors ahead, 7 – 19.

On 74 minutes, after good build-up play from the Old Belvedere pack close in, Old Belvedere’s replacement tighthead George Hadden, aided by a Paddy Dowling latch, bundled his way over from close range to seal the deal and send Old Belvedere back home with a maximum points haul. Justin (‘Justy’) Leonard added the conversion to bring the final score to 7 – 26.

While the Old Belvedere team did not provide any late scares to the travelling faithful in this episode, the sight of a strange, dark-clad, hooded man, eerily loitering on the touchlines with intent, a towel in his hand, will be giving the Con players nightmares! The dynamic Old Belvedere hooker was responsible for back-to-back tries out wide in the 53rd and 64th minutes, ensuring a Happy Hallowe’en for the visitors and their supporters!

‘Lordie’