by Brendan Cole
Shannon secured their ninth AIB All-Ireland League title, drawing the final with Clontarf but being named title winners on the basis that they scored the first try.
The rulebook’s central role in deciding things was an unsatisfactory end to a game from which both sides emerge with enormous credit.
With the sides level nearing the end of the second period of extra time, the news reached the players on the field that Shannon would win the title if they could hold out. Moments earlier, Clontarf substitute winger Max Rantz-MacDonald had come within inches of securing the title but the ball slipped from his fingers with his hand over the line.
Either side would have been deserving winners and both made worthy championship winning plays at key moments.
It was a magnificent game of rugby.
Shannon proved the more clinical in the opening minutes, their superiority out of touch and at restart time giving them a control and poise Clontarf lacked.
A drop goal and penalty from out-half Tadhg Bennett, both of which arose out of Clontarf’s inability to control kick-offs, gave Shannon the early lead
There was plenty for Clontarf supporters to get behind too. The northside Dubliners had the edge in the collisions and in broken play and it soon paid dividends on the scoreboard. Darragh O’Shea missed with his first shot at the posts, pulling it left from halfway, but he made no mistake with the next two, knocking two tricky efforts over from the right hand side.
On the ground, Clontarf were making the bigger hits – a heavy tackle by wing Niall O’Brien in particular stood out – and the better carries, with O’Brien, Stride, and second rows Simon Crawford and Ben Reilly standing out.
But they continued to make costly game management errors. After O’Shea’s second penalty, Clontarf failed to control the kick-off for a third time. Shannon had field positions in the red zone and made it pay, with a lovely piece of deception by Bennett to engineer the game's first try. The out-half’s beautifully delayed and disguised pass opening up the defence for full-back David O’Donovan and he went over untouched. No-one could have known at the time, but this try ultimately proved to be worth far more than the five points it clocked up on the scoreboard.
Bennett couldn’t convert but the a statement had been made and Clontarf would have to show character to stay in the game. They did so right away, piecing together a superb broken field try. The move began with a good catch and clever quick release to Michael Keating by full-back Phil Howard. Keating passed to O’Shea who made yards and held his feet before passing to Martin Dufficy out on the right wing.
Dufficy’s clever pass inside to Stride opened things up even further, with the cover having been pulled across. The big South African powered through the gap and over the line for an instant reply. O’Shea missed the conversion.
Shannon made the next incursion with intent however. Clontarf winger Michael Keating opted not to call for a mark when catching in his own ’22 with little in the way of support, he ended up getting turned over. From the resulting drives, Shannon won a penalty for offside and, showing good instincts, tapped and went instead of shooting for goal. Clontarf failed to get organised quickly enough and O’Donovan was again the right man in the right place, using his bulk to power over from short range. Referee Alain Rolland ignored suggestions that there had been a double movement. Again, Bennett pushed his conversion left.
The Dublin side came out swinging after the break, with a huge scrum putting them on the front foot. The heel against the head was also secured and a knock on in the Shannon backfield from O’Shea’s kick gave Tarf a scrum.
McNamara was then penalised for offside but O’Shea turned down the penalty shot, opting to go for touch. Clontarf secured the lineout but only just, and scrum-half Paul O’Donoghue, named man of the match afterwards, had to deal with a difficult ball.
A series of drives, lead by prop Niall Treston, re-established Tarf’s momentum, though they couldn’t make a clean breakthrough. The pressure did pay a dividend however when Shannon lock Padraic O’Brien’s attempt to disrupt O’Donoghue’s pass with the boot didn’t meet Rolland’s criteria for legal play. This time, O’Shea couldn’t refuse the kick and brought it back to 16-14 with a penalty from in front of the sticks that was accompanied by a yellow card for O’Brien.
Lock Simon Crawford was the man to take advantage. From beautiful ball off the tail of the lineout, the red and blues had Shannon stretched. Stride ignored a huge overlap down the left but despite bringing down the big man, Shannon couldn’t re-set their line. A snipe from O’Donoghue opened things up for Crawford and he carried it over for another try. O’Shea missed the conversion but Clontarf had put together a nine point turnaround in the 10 minutes after half time, and from having a decent lead, Shannon suddenly had to find it within them to respond.
They did so, first forcing Clontarf to accept the yellow card treatment. A terrific break by powerful openside Eoghan Grace, bumping through centre Breffni O’Donnell near halfway before powering into the Clontarf ’22. Niall O’Brien then felt obliged to play the ball on the deck and duly got the bin, while Bennett struck the penalty firmly over from out on the right.
Then Shannon's O’Brien rejoined the fray straight after and with scores level again and a man down, Clontarf were now the team under the cosh.
Again, the Clontarf pack stood up to be counted. A powerful series of carries inside the ’22 ate up time. O’Donoghue displayed his customary cool head, kicking smartly into the corner once it became clear his forwards had little more to give. The Shannon lineout again did the business but Clontarf had seen out their period of pressure being a man down with O’Brien back in soon after.
But Clontarf began to give away the odd penalty in contact, due to occasionally loose organisation and there was also evidence of the beginnings of tiredness. Shannon lacked the poise to take advantage with rare confusion in their ranks at a lineout followed by a crooked throw by Michael Essex putting paid to their best chance.
But Clontarf came under pressure in the scrum and gave away a key three point opportunity when Niall Treston’s binding was adjuged illegal. The kick, from near the 10 metre line on the left, looked to suit Bennett but he pushed his effort right and wide. It was a let off for Clontarf and neither side could avoid the creeping sense that next score might well be the winner as the 70 minute mark approached.
With the Shannon defensive line invigorated by the approaching full time whistle, Clontarf had to absorb most of the late pressure. A hugely impressive aerial take by Crawford and a Howard clearance from a ruck within yards of own line just about saw them repel Shannon’s testing assaults while a late drop goal effort by O’Donovan landed well short.
Extra time came next. An early drop goal effort from Bennett missed in the first period of extra time. As in the game itself, Clontarf had slightly less scope to their scoring game but had the best of the collisions and broken play.
The half saw them spurn a glorious chance to claim the title with a late try. A break sparked by O’Donoghue had Keating charging for the Shannon line before the play was then spread to Rantz MacDonald on the far wing. Having done 90% of the work, jinking brilliantly between tacklers to open up the line, the ball slipped from his fingers within inches of getting it down.
Play edged back toward the neutral field position and soon after Clontarf were dealt a large slice of bad luck close to the death when O’Shea’s booming clearance bounced to within a yard of the dead ball line. O’Donovan dotted down with his foot over the dead ball line to bring the ball all the way back for a Shannon scrum.
With minutes to go, the news that Shannon would win the title if Clontarf couldn’t score because they had scored the first try trickled onto the field.
To Shannon’s credit, Bennett attempted a drop goal. It was charged down and yielded a final chance with a scrum on half way from the resulting breakout. But they couldn’t force a penalty or clean break and Shannon turned over after a final series of drives and Rolland’s second final whistle of the day brought the match to an end.
That virtually nobody involved, Rolland excepted, appeared to be aware of the rule that eventually decided the title until minutes before the end added to the sense that this was an off key ending to what had been an epic encounter.
The conclusion will surely see the IRFU revisit the rule book with a replay among the options that should be explored in the event of similar circumstances presenting themselves in future in what is the club game's showpiece event.
Clarification: A notice was read out over the Thomond Park PA system regarding the 'first try' ruling at the end of full-time. However, it appears that most of the players were unaware of the rule until close to or after the end of the match.
