CHAMPIONS! Tipperary's first-ever Munster Cup champions crowned in Thomond Park

Bank of Ireland Munster Senior Rugby Cup Final

Nenagh Ormond RFC 32  

Old Crescent RFC 20

By James Hayden

Nenagh Ormond were historically crowned Munster Senior Cup champions in what was undoubtedly the most memorable day in the club’s illustrious 141-year history following a magnificent victory over Old Crescent in Thomond Park, Limerick on Sunday afternoon last.

For Nenagh Ormond, it was a final to remember in what are halcyon days for the Tipperary club with a hard-fought 32-20 victory over a well-drilled Old Crescent side.

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They outscored their Limerick opponents by 22 points to 10 in what proved a scintillating second half performance with Angus Blackmore scoring a try in either half. Ben Pope also crossed twice in the second half, while Josh Rowland also got in on the act for an ebullient Nenagh side.

It was the fourth outing in the decider for Old Crescent while Ormond were bidding to atone for their dramatic loss to Young Munster in the final two years previous.

Both sides came through the group stages in style with the Takumi Park club accounting for Clonmel RFC in the semi-final thanks to a stunning display in the final quarter while in the other semi-final Nenagh Ormond gained vengeance on Young Munster for their heartbreaking defeat in the final two years ago with a dramatic 32-31 victory in Tom Clifford Park.

The storied history of the Munster Senior Challenge Cup harks back as far as 1886 and Nenagh Ormond put in a thoroughly tremendous performance to pen a new chapter in the annals of Munster club rugby.

The red and whites welcomed back the hugely influential centre, Willie Coffey from injury while tight-head prop Colm Skehan also made a very welcome return to the match day squad. Prop Jack O’Keefe failed to make it over a knee injury sustained in the AIL clash with Old Belvedere but Nenagh still fielded a loaded side with the deadly potency of their fleet-footed back line playing a huge factor in the eventual outcome.

Old Crescent came into the encounter in the midst of a mediocre league season and lying in seventh place of the third tier of the AIL. But cup rugby is cup rugby and they brought the fire to what has traditionally been a spiky fixture between the sides.

With little or no breeze to contend with Nenagh Ormond spent the balance of the opening ten minutes inside the Crescent half with a charge down from Josh Rowland almost yielding an early score. Crescent soaked up the early Nenagh pressure well though and broke out of their own half thanks to a scrum penalty close to the Crescent 10-metre line.

A further foray into the Nenagh half came to nought after scrum half, Gary Fitzgerald knocked on at the base of the ruck close to the Nenagh posts.

The Limerick side continued to pile on the pressure and were eventually rewarded for their efforts after winger Dan Hurley finished well in the corner with Ronan McKenna adding the extra points.

Ormond’s penalty count was also beginning to impact on their gameplan while a number handling errors threatened to derail their efforts. Nenagh eventually sourced some respite from Old Crescent’s dominance with a 26th-minute foray into the Crescent half.

The penalties kept on coming though and Crescent were presented with a chance to extend their lead on the half hour mark when Ronan McKenna added a penalty after Nenagh were pinged at the breakdown ten metres outside their own 22’.

Nenagh’s response was immediate and from the re-start they surged into the Crescent half with a fantastic Dylan Murphy carry yielding Nenagh’s first real scoring opportunity.

Conor McMahon stepped up to slot over a 38th minute penalty after Crescent were penalized for not wrapping in the tackle but more was to come for Ormond in the dying embers of the opening half as they upped the ante noticeably and bagged a scum penalty inside the Crescent 22’.

Matty Burke carried well into contact before Nicky Irwin spun the ball out to the marauding Willie Coffey. Coffey found Angus Blackmore on his shoulder and somehow he jinked through the Crescent cover and crashed over the whitewash with three Crescent men on his back.

Conor McMahon added a sublimely struck conversion and a buoyed Nenagh Ormond side headed to the dressing room with the sides all square, 10-10 apiece.

Nenagh were almost hit with a sucker punch straight from the restart after a strong John Toland carry brought Crescent to within metres of the Nenagh line. Crescent were pinged for crossing though and the early danger was averted much to Nenagh’s relief.

Crescent were dealt a crucial blow just minutes into the half when their blindside flanker, Oisin Toland was sin-binned, handing Nenagh Ormond a numerical advantage and also providing the Tipperary side with a perfect attacking platform. Nenagh Ormond duly seized the opportunity, and the lead, with Josh Rowland putting Angus Blackmore through for his and Nenagh Ormond’s second try of the game on 48 minutes. Once again Conor McMahon’s metronomic boot did the trick from the conversion and Nenagh surged 17-10 clear.

Crescent staved off a number of Nenagh attacks but pressure was building and when gaps began to appear in the third quarter it was the impressive Ben Pope who proved the beneficiary, crossing for a third try on the 67-minute mark.

Old Crescent responded impressively though with Ronan McKenna managing to reverse the Nenagh dominance with a 69th minute penalty but it was a brief respite from the growing Nenagh supremacy.

The versatile and vastly experienced Derek Corcoran was then sprang from the Nenagh bench and he really put his stamp on the game with an sublimely flighted cross-field kick to Josh Rowland on 73 minutes to see the score at 27-13.

Corcoran conjured up the same trick moments later for Nenagh’s fourth and Ben Pope’s second try of the game as Nenagh cruised to a wholly deserved victory.

Old Crescent did get a consolation try in the final stages through Aaron Cosgrave, with McKenna adding the conversion, but it was Nenagh Ormond that came away from Thomond Park with a monumental, memorable and historic victory. 

Scorers: Nenagh Ormond: Tries – Angus Blackmore (2) Ben Pope (2), Josh Rowland; Convs – Conor McMahon (2); Pens – Conor McMahon (1).

Old Crescent: Tries – Dan Hurley, Aaron Cosgrove;  Convs – Ronan McKenna (2); Pens – Ronan McKenna (2).

Nenagh Ormond: Mikey Doran, Dylan Murphy, Matthew Burke, Jake O’Kelly, Kevin O’Flaherty (C), Joe Coffey, Evan Murphy, John O’Flaherty, Nicky Irwin, Ben Pope, Conor McMahon, Willie Coffey, Angus Blackmore, Davy Gleeson, Josh Rowland.

Replacements: Fionn O’Meara for O’Kelly (11-20 mins HIA, 65 mins); John Healy for E Murphy (51 mins); Colm Skehan for Burke (51 mins); Charlie O’Doherty for Irwin (51 mins); Derek Corcoran for W Coffey (63 mins); Rob Buckley for J Coffey (65 mins); Sean Frawley for Doran (67 mins); Nicky Irwin for Pope (79 mins).

Old Crescent RFC: Joe Rickard, Niall Hardiman, Jake Considine, John Toland, Yasin Browne, Oisin Toland, Karl Madden (C), John Lyons, Gary Fitzgerald, Jamie Duggan, Jed O’Dwyer, Shane Mullally, Werner Hoffman, Dan Hurley, Ronan McKenna.

Replacements: Aaron Cosgrove for Fitzgerald (44 mins injured); Sean Monaghan for Madden (61 mins); Cathal Monaghan for Mullally (67 mins); James McKeogh for Browne (69 mins); Jonathan Byrne for Hardiman (73 mins); Dean O’Grady for Lyons (73 mins).

Referee: Paul O’Connor

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