Nenagh Ormond finish regular season strongly with home bonus point win

All Ireland League - Division 2A - Round 18

Nenagh Ormond 26

UL Bohemians 21

Nenagh Ormond finished their regular season in efficient fashion as they claimed a home bonus point victory over UL Bohemians in New Ormond Park last Saturday evening.

Despite this game being a dead rubber for Nenagh and resting several key players ahead of their upcoming play off promotion semi-final this coming weekend, they still managed to produce some really good rugby in patches, with a brace of tries from Josh Rowland and Derek Corcoran giving Nenagh the win.

The north Tipp outfit finished the season playing some terrific rugby but came up short of automatic promotion, finishing third which will see them face Blackrock College RFC in the promotion semi-final next weekend.

Before that though, Ormond were eager to continue their brilliant form, and despite being without key players in captain Willie Coffey, John Hayes, Rob Buckley, Jake O’Kelly, and Patrick Scully, they still started strongly with Josh Rowland touching down just under the four minute mark, intercepting a pass on the left wing around the half way line before hurtling free and touching down. Nenagh with an early 7-0 lead after Conor McMahon’s excellent conversion.

Despite Nenagh being reduced the 14 men when John O’Flaherty infringed with Bohs on the Nenagh line in the 14th minute, Nenagh still managed to repel their opponents and nicked the next score of the game, with an incisive run from Derek Corcoran cutting UL Bohs defensive line open as the veteran back galloped clear at his ease to dot down under the posts and give his side a commanding 14-0 lead.

It was a really good opening quarter for Nenagh, and while they dominated on the scoreboard, Bohs looked dangerous in their own right at times, and only for some solid Ormond defence, they could have been closer.

But in the end, it was Nenagh who finished the half the better with a third try coming just before the half time interval; once again it was Derek Corcoran proving the Limerick side’s undoing with a brilliant piece of quick thinking, opting for a quick tap from a penalty just inside the Bohs 10-metre line and with the Limerick men asleep, he powered through the scrambling defenders to score his second of the game. Conor McMahon adding the extras as Nenagh led 21-0 at half time.

Understandably, Nenagh’s intensity and verve was stifled somewhat after the resumption, with one eye possibly on the upcoming semi-final given their half time lead, but Bohs were quick to wake them up and had scored within the opening three minutes of the restart through a brilliant team play which was finished in the corner by their full back Ignacio Garcia and with the added points secured, it was back to a two score match.

The third quarter turned out to be a back’s to the wall exercise for the home side as Bohs continued to pour on the pressure, and their persistent paid dividends in the 64th minute, this time through a delicate and well placed grubber kick from out half Oisin Fagan which sat up beautifully for the onrushing Darragh O’Gorman who gathered it on the hop close to the line to run over and try for his side. Game on now at 21-14 with some 15 minutes to go.

It was getting very cagey now for Nenagh as their fortunes worsened fruther with another yellow, this time for Rob Buckley in the 67th minute, but they managed to knuckle down somewhat going down the final ten minutes, and finally secured the win two minutes from time with some good phases leading to Josh Rowland getting fed down the wing to score in the corner, and despite conceding a late try in the red late on, they held out for t bonus point win.

Their focus now turns to their promotion semi-final against Blackrock College in Stradbrook this Saturday at 2.30pm.

Nenagh Ormond: James Finn, Josh Rowland, Conor McMahon, John Healy, Nicky Irwin, Derek Corcoran, Cian Ryan; Paudie Bourke, Dylan Murphy, Niall O'Gorman, Joe Coffey, Kevin O’Flaherty, John O’Flaherty, Evan Murphy, John Brislane.

Subs: Peter O’Connor, Jake O’Kelly, Rob Buckley, James Meagher, Conor O’Brien.

UL Bohemians: Ignacio Garcia, Ihechi Oji, Paul Clancy, Harry Byrne, Ronan Deegan, Oisin Fagan, Alan Kiely; Kian Regan, Tom Cullen, James Burton, Jonny Kelly, Jay Traynor, David Rowsome, Sean Quirke, Eoin Sweeney.

Subs: Kieran O’Shea, Stephen Hayes, Dave Kinane, Richard Wallace, Darragh O’Gorman.