by Brendan Cole
Clontarf secured a superb victory over regular season table toppers Cork Constitution at Temple Hill to claim a place in the AIB All-Ireland League semi-final.
Two tries from South-Africa born back-rower Heinrich Stride and one late on from substitute winger Max Rantz-MacDonald, with all three coming in a second-half tour de force from the Dublin club, formed the basis of a 25-6 win at Temple Hill.
The first half was a keenly contested affair, with Tarf dominating the collisions and kicking better but occasionally finding themselves stretched by Con’s cross kicks and ability to get width on the ball.
The visitors worked through the phases whenever possible while Con relied on the garryowen in the early exchanges. Solid play under the high ball by the Clontarf back three meant a change of -plan was soon required, but once 'Plan A' faltered, Con could never quite find the right formula to really put the pressure on.
They did manufacture the first real try opportunity though. A clever kick and gather by winger Cronan Healy, excellent throughout, and an offload to centre Evan Ryan almost got them in for a five pointer but heroic Clontarf tackling brought them up just short.
Tarf replied quickly, forcing a rucking penalty in the Con ’22 soon after. Outside centre Darragh O’Shea struck it firmly over from midway between the posts and the touchline to get the first points of the match.
Con had a chance to get straight back on terms when Stride knocked on the re-start and a penalty from the resulting scrum gave Jeremy Manning a chance but the contracted Munster player yanked his shot right.
Soon after, a turnover after a switch between O'Donoghue and Keating went awry gave Con another next chance - not for the first time, a cross-kick had Clontarf looking vulnerable. Manning’s punt bounced Clontarf's way though, and as happened over and over on the day, they were able to scramble it clear.
Con got their next chance from a ruck infringement, with referee Alan Lewis spotting handling on the deck as Con attempted to make inroads from a lineout near the Tarf 22. Again, Manning pulled his kick left of the sticks to let Clontarf off the hook.
Tarf gave away a third kickable penalty, with flanker Niall Carson, one of Clontarf's many heroes in the tight exchanges, failing to roll away as Con picked and drove nearing the Dublin side’s line. Manning couldn’t miss on this occasion and he duly levelled the scores.
However, with the Clontarf pack looking much more energetic, the tide was slowly shifting. A huge hit in midfield by second row Simon Crawford epitomised their domination of the collisions and as the half drew to a close, the momentum seemed to be shifting towards the northside Dublin club.
A superb break by O’Donoghue gave Tarf a late chance of a try, the young scurm-half getting clear from the base of the ruck and into the Con ’22. Not for the first time, a little switch effort in the Tarf backs didn't quite work - this time between Dufficy and Keating - but it meant Clontarf finished the half on the up.
The game opened out in the second half, with the sun out and handling slightly more easy.
A dash through a half-hearted Con kick chase by winger Niall O’Brien established another beachhead inside the Con ’22 and this time, Clontarf made the Leesiders pay, taking the ball through the phases before Stride, who carried superbly all game, burst through a half-tackle and carried Con scrum-half John Stringer over the line for the game’s first try.
Dufficy took over the place-kicking and duly stroked the conversion over from 15 yards to the right of the posts to put the Dubliners into a 10-3 lead.
Con were not out of it, with Healy’s dangerous running and clever kicks a constant threat and a wide threat still in evidence. They had chances to get back on terms but full-back Dara Lyons, who had a day to forget, gave up the best of them failing to take a threatening pass with the line gaping.
Con became increasingly anxious, and an attempt to run the ball from near their own line gave Tarf their next points; the Corkmen killed the ball in the ruck on their own '22 and gave Duifficy another chance. He knocked the easy kick over to establish a two score lead.
Strong tackling and intensity from Clontarf meant Con struggled to get pace on the ball or maintain possession, and at this stage, even the elusive Healy struggling to make inroads.
But another rucking penalty against Tarf in their own '22 gave Con a chance to reduce arrears and Manning, again from 20 yards right of the posts, curved his shot back towards the sticks to bring it back to a seven point gap.
It looked like a tense final 15 minutes was in prospect but that was as close as Con got.
A Tarf cross-kick that was carried over the dead ball line gave them a five-metre scrum and a chance to kill off the match. Stride was again the man to cross the line, this time driving over from the base of a ruck to finish another excellent team try.
Dufficy again converted to establish a two try gap with five minutes to go and all but secure what was Clontarf’s first ever victory at Temple Hill.
A length of the field try finished by sub winger Rantz-MacDonald after superb running by Stride and scrum-half O’Donoghue extended the scoreline further – Dufficy couldn’t convert from the right hand touchline but it hardly mattered.
Niall O’Brien almost had a fourth try, racing clear from an intercept but referee Lewis called play back before blowing the final whistle seconds later.
Half an hour later, it was confirmed that Clontarf will face Shannon in the final. Shannon overhauled fellow Limerick club Garryowen in a tense clash at Coonagh, coming from behind to win 16-12.
