Bonus point win puts Clonmel back in contention in All-Ireland Rugby League

Bruff 7 Clonmel 28

2025 opened with plenty of playing challenges for Clonmel Rugby Club. As Munster fell under snow, ice and freezing fog for the bones of a week, the First team’s fixture, Round 10 of the All-Ireland League, was the only game to go ahead last weekend.

The squad trained hard over Christmas and all were ready and anxious to play. Thanks to the fine management and the use of the facilities of Clonmel Town soccer club, two indoor training sessions prepared them well.

It wasn’t ideal that the familiar grounds of Bruff RFC were changed to the somewhat unfamiliar St Munchin’s College in Limerick. However, with both teams away now, Clonmel were in a good position to use this to their advantage.

Despite the snow being still icy and packed in Clonmel, the St Munchin’s grounds proved a greener pasture, with perfect playing conditions; dry with no wind.

Clonmel started in trademark attacking form with solid work from the pack bringing them immediately up the pitch. Deep in Bruff territory some 10 minutes into the game, Andrew Daly broke from the back of the scrum but was high tackled and Clonmel won a penalty. Joe O’Connor kicked for touch and the attack continued with a maul into the try line. But they lost their bind and Bruff jackaled and drove them back down the park.

It was a similar scene for much of the first half. Although Clonmel weren’t rewarded with penalties for high tackles, which were plenty, the team’s discipline seemed to cost them more than Bruff’s.

Clonmel gave away penalties and failed to contest in the lineout. Albert Fronek did well to stay on after several high and late hits and Bobby Doherty was taken off with a shoulder niggle in the middle of the first half. All in all, it was a frustrating 37 minutes as they failed to score.

However, the scrum was solid in the first half and they drove Bruff backwards on a number of occasions. The Clonmel lineout wasn’t as clean and it took until the second half to be consistent with their jumping mojo.

But the pack played well and all eight were hugely powerful in getting great ball out to the backs. Tom O’Dea, Jason Monua and Andrew Daly put in several big hits and, in fine attacking form, workhorse Tom O’Dea deserved to pick up his man of the match award. However, several strong attacking moments fell away to nothing. And their discipline cost them 25 minutes in, when Bruff capitalised on a penalty with a converted try.

Clonmel came back strongly and there were some fine attacking moments by Michael Connellan at full back, Albert Fronek on the wing and Henry Buttimer at outside centre.

Young Connellan had a very solid game throughout in his first outing at full back and it was thrilling to see him back playing in what has always been his natural position. He has a natural tracking eye and little gets past him and he has a deceptive floating run that, with seemingly little effort, makes great ground from deep. On several occasions he stepped Bruff’s defence before sweetly off-loading, with plenty of time and surety.

Andrew Daly carried well, as did the pairing of Tony Cantwell and Gerrit Huisamen in the second row. Clonmel drove for the Bruff line and as the clock approached half-time they were finally rewarded with a penalty for a high tackle and use of the elbow. Out half Dylan Cadogan kicked for touch and after winning the line-out, Joe O’Connor went on the crash ball and scored.

In a fine outing by the inside centre, he kicked the first of the afternoon’s four conversions before going in 7-7 at the break.

This season, the second half has been challenging and Clonmel have lost great leads in the closing moments of some brilliant games. So it was particularly sweet to see Clonmel pull away a little further in the second half.

Young Bobby Doherty won a deserved Munster A cap before Christmas and when he returned for some twenty minutes he put in fine tackles and ran well with the ball in hand. After several high hits, Bruff finally had a man sent to the bin. This combination, along with smart use of an impactful bench, helped Clonmel pull away in the end.

With a Clonmel scrum under the posts, Clonmel made no mistakes and Andrew Daly broke clear and passed to O’Connor, who was running a super line. A powerful 12, O’Connor pumped the legs and went over for his second try with 53 minutes now on the clock.

He nearly scored a hat-trick but despite not crossing the line himself he kept the ball alive, which developed into a great team try by Ben Everard under the posts. With things now solid with a 7-21 lead, Clonmel emptied the bench and it was a testament to all that the team pulled away further.

In an uneasy phase when Bruff attacked, there were some big hits by Liam Ryan and Jack Lane off the bench. And in the true form of a captain, Henry Buttimer, who never gives up, made a thrilling sprint over the line to deny Bruff the touchdown.

It was this collective, along some fine off-loads by Lane, Connellan and Fronek that made the final try for Andrew Daly. With four out of four from the boot of Joe O’Connor, Clonmel finished it out 7-28.

The five points on the road now puts Clonmel in fifth position. With little between the top teams, they are still in the play-off reckoning with 30 points.

Dolphin, in fourth place, are also on 30 points and Enniscorthy and Belfast Harlequins are only marginally ahead on 32 and 33 points respectively.

So it is certainly all to play for as Clonmel head into Round 11 at home to Midleton next Saturday.

Clonmel: Tim Nugent, Jason Monua, Ben Everard, Tony Cantwell, Gerrit Huisamen, Tom O’Dea, Bobby Doherty, Andrew Daly, Alex Sheehan, Dylan Cadogan, Freddie Davies, Joe O’Connor, Henry Buttimer (captain), Albert Fronek, Michael Connellan.

Subs: Liam Ryan, Tomas Stransky, Diarmuid Brannock, Jack Lane, Jack Walsh.

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