Match Report: Old Belvedere 20 – 20 Terenure College

Energia Men’s AIL Division 1A, Round 6

Old Belvedere RFC 20, Terenure RFC 20

Sat November 7th, Ollie Campbell Park, D4

Match referee: Ross Whitfield, I.R.F.U.

‘Top-of-the-table tussle between the two heavyweights of Division 1A ends in a score draw’.

This much-anticipated clash between joint-top Old Belvedere and Terenure at Ollie Campbell Park was a highly entertaining, tightly contested, hard-fought contest with drama, yellow cards, a penalty try and a last-gasp, long-range pot at goal by the visitors in the 84th minute!

The game was played under overcast skies, in mild conditions, with a slight cross-field breeze and on an immaculate-looking 1sts pitch before a sizeable home and travelling support. Due to a clash of striped jerseys between the respective clubs, Old Belvedere donned their all-black kit.

Before kick-off, both squads lined up for a minute’s silence in honour of Old Belvedere’s Patrick Quinn and AJ Whelan, who recently passed away.

Old Belvedere kicked off into the Anglesea Road end, and on 2 mins a delightful pop pass from Sam Wisniewski in the Terenure 22 put lock Jhy Legg in space and carrying hard, before scrum-half Peter O’Beirne threw a miss pass, cutting out multiple defenders, to full-back Rob Russell, who then offloaded to the supporting James Dillon on the terrace side to race home and dot down untouched in the left-hand corner. Sam Wisniewski was on point with the touchline conversion to put Old Belvedere 7-nil up.

A delightful counter-attack from Old Belvedere 5 minutes later saw prop George Hadden burst at some clip from a ruck around the Terenure 10-metre line on the RDS side. The prop galloped some 30 metres upfield before a no-look pass to the supporting Gerry Hill, who, timing his run perfectly to take the pass, carried the baton deep before fixing Terenure full-back Adam La Grue and shipping the ball to scrum-half Peter O’Beirne, who sprinted in under the posts from some 25 metres out. Out-half Sam Wisniewski converted from under the posts to extend the home side’s lead to 14-nil. A refrain of a familiar theme, with the hosts scoring often and early?

Terenure won some field position in the Old Belvedere half, putting some nice phases of play together where No. 8 Jordan Coughlan and back row Will Hickey were making strong carries. On 11 mins the visitors won a penalty around the 10-metre line for offside against the home side. The visitors elected to kick at goal, and Aran Egan kicked an excellent penalty from the Old Belvedere 10-metre line to reduce the arrears to 14-3.

Terenure’s playmaker Caspar Gabriel was handed a yellow card by referee Ross Whitfield on 13 mins for a dangerous tackle on Sam Wisniewski after the Old Belvedere out-half broke deep into the Terenure half. Sam Wisniewski kicked the penalty into the left-hand corner, where No. 8 Will McDonald claimed the throw-in and, some phases later, from a close-in rumble, prop Ed Byrne was held up over the try line. Down a player, the visitors did well not to concede a further try during this period.

Old Belvedere were applying incessant pressure on Terenure in this 1st quarter and again went close to scoring in the 17th minute, initially winning possession off a Jayden (‘Doddsie’) Beckett intercept of a pass from a Terenure scrum around the halfway line. From the ensuing ruck, Will McDonald looked up and saw some space, skipping through the middle and offloading to lock Fionn McWey to bring Old Belvedere inside the Terenure 22. Terenure won back possession when the hosts lost the ball in contact out wide. There were no further red-zone attacks from either team for a ten-minute period. On the half hour, Terenure’s No. 8 Jordan Coughlan, at the centre of most of the close-quarters action, was shown a yellow card for persistent infringement.

Ironically, when down a player, it was, however, Terenure that scored next, and against the run of play. On 32 minutes, a Terenure line out between the Old Belvedere 22 and 10-metre line on the near side was taken by Harrison Brewer at the back of the set piece, who set up the rolling maul. Terenure were playing with the penalty advantage when lock Sean Rigney popped a pass to scrum-half Oliver Coffey, who sniped around the side of the maul, stepping Hugh ‘Redser’ Reddan on the inside, then fending Sam Wisniewski to score a superb try in the right-hand corner. Terenure right wing Aran Egan landed a touchline conversion to reduce the deficit to just 4 points at 14-10.

Terenure won a crucial penalty on 37 minutes after absorbing a lot of pressure from Old Belvedere in their 22, initially off a line out drive taken by Gerry Hill in the middle, then defending their try line well to win a penalty at scrum time in their 22, enabling Caspar Gabriel to relieve the pressure with a touch finder to around the 10-metre line. Another scrum penalty for Terenure on 39 minutes allowed the visitors some breathing space and an opportunity to get out of their own half! Terenure finished the second quarter attacking in the Old Belvedere half and went close in the left-hand corner, only for wing JJ Kenny to get tackled into touch.

Half-time: Old Belvedere 14, Terenure 10

The story of this first half was about a dominant home side 1st quarter with quick-fire, back-to-back converted tries, dominating field position and possession, and coming close to scoring a third try. Terenure, for their part, were under pressure, losing 2 players to the sin bin on 13 and 30 mins, but did well to stay in touch, chipping away at the lead with a superb try of their own on 32 mins and gaining some ascendancy up front, with scrum penalties on 37 and 39 minutes enabling them to finish the second quarter strongly and in the Old Belvedere 22. The visitors won 3 out of 5 of their own line outs, one stolen by Jhy Legg at 4, the other line out throw deemed ‘not straight’ by referee Ross Whitfield.

Terenure took up the second half where they finished off at the end of the 1st half, starting the brighter of the two sides. Just two minutes in, a delightful chip by Caspar Gabriel between his own 10 and 22 over the onrushing home defensive line, gathered well by centre Peter Sylvester, put Terenure on the front foot. Another lovely cross-kick from Caspar Gabriel followed, which was gathered on the run out wide around the Old Belvedere 10-metre line on the near side by outside centre Sean French, who jinked infield, throwing a dummy for good measure, and was closing in on the try line, only for a tackle ‘off the ball’ by Old Belvedere’s Rob Russell to halt the move. After referee Ross Whitfield consulted with his assistant, he awarded a penalty try to the visitors and a yellow card to Old Belvedere. Terenure went ahead for the first time in this match, 14-17.

Old Belvedere, a player down, were under the cosh for the first 9-10 minutes of the third quarter when Terenure tried to make their extra player count.
A series of Terenure scrums and resets close in finally ended when they failed to get the ball out of the base (some miscommunication between Jordan Coughlan and Oliver Coffey). Old Belvedere scrum-half Peter O’Beirne fly-kicked the loose ball upfield, frustrating Terenure when they were on top and looking likely to score another try. Similarly, another crucial moment came on 50 mins when an intercept by Jayden (‘Doddsie’) Beckett from a risky floated Terenure miss pass enabled Old Belvedere to get some real estate in the Terenure half. However, minutes later the visitors were back on the hunt in the Old Belvedere half, pretty much dominating this third quarter.

A vital steal on 54 mins at a Terenure line out inside the Old Belvedere 22 by Jhy Legg in the middle was symptomatic of Terenure’s 2nd-half line out problems and their failure to execute in this third quarter when having oodles of possession and territory. The visitors were not taking their chances during this period of control. After further Terenure pressure in the Old Belvedere half, where No. 8 Jordan Coughlan was making some good carries deep into the Old Belvedere half, Terenure won a penalty and out-half Caspar Gabriel obliged from in front of the posts to put Terenure 14-20 ahead. Scant reward for their territorial dominance and many scoring opportunities in the third quarter.

On 61 minutes Old Belvedere finally got a foothold in the Terenure half when Adam La Grue skewed a clearing touch finder, the line out from which Paddy Dowling claimed at 4. From the resulting foray infield, Calum Dowling carried well and into the guts of the Terenure pack, before Old Belvedere’s Ryan (‘Rhino’) McMahon won a penalty after a big rumble infield, where Terenure were penalised for not rolling away. With the match in the balance, Old Belvedere wisely elected to take a shot at goal, which Sam Wisniewski kicked from the 22-metre line to reduce the deficit to 17-20 and into the business end of this gripping contest, which was always going to go down to the wire.

Terenure stole an Old Belvedere line out in the Old Belvedere 22 on the terrace side on 64 mins and set about an immediate attack along the quarter line, with Harrison Brewer offloading to Sean French out wide in the right corner, only for the Terenure centre to be bundled into touch by the combined ‘scramble D’ of Will McDonald and Jayden (‘Doddsie’) Beckett. From their own line out, taken by Paddy Dowling at the back, Old Belvedere’s Justin (‘Justy’) Leonard provided the home team with a timely exit, kicking to within metres of the 10-metre line. Another Terenure overthrow, gobbled up at the tail by Calum Dowling, gifted possession back to the hosts, who took play up to the halfway line.

On 67 minutes Calum Dowling won a penalty in the jackal position on the Terenure 10-metre line. Justin (‘Justy’) Leonard lined it up some 40 metres out in midfield, kicking off his left peg to level the score at 20-20 with 13 minutes remaining.

Old Belvedere won a scrum penalty in their half on 71 mins from a Terenure put-in. Justin (‘Justy’) Leonard found touch on the Terenure 10-metre line, giving the home side crucial field position from which they won a penalty. Choosing to kick at goal rather than go to the corner, Justin (‘Justy’) Leonard, from circa 45 metres out, miscued his kick at goal to leave the score at 20-20.

Old Belvedere played out the remaining minutes of regulation and extra time on the attack and mostly in the Terenure half. There was, however, time for some late drama, Harrison Brewer winning a penalty in the 83rd minute when Rob Russell got isolated on the deck around the halfway line. Caspar Gabriel took a pot shot from 55 metres out and, while the direction was good, the ball fell just short of the posts, and Old Belvedere kicked it out of play for the full-time whistle. Both sides started the match on 20 points apiece at the top of the table and finished this match 20 points each on the scoreboard, with still nothing separating them but, crucially, remaining joint top of the charts until this weekly soap resumes after the international break in three weeks’ time.
Final Score: Old Belvedere 20, Terenure 20

‘Lordie’