Naas salvage bonus-point in heavy home defeat to Dublin University
Naas fly half Paddy Taylor breaks the tackle of DU's David Walsh and Artur Smykovskiy.
Week 16 of the Energia All-Ireland League Division 1B saw a game of huge significance when Naas hosted Dublin University. Victory was vital for both sides, but for very different reasons.
DU went into the game as the form side in the league having won their last four games, which had catapulted them into second in the table knowing another win here would give them a great chance of taking the one automatic promotion spot to Division 1A.
For Naas, a brilliant away victory to Highfield in their last outing moved them up to seventh place in the table, and if they could repeat that here it would go a long way in seeing them retain their Division 1B status for another season.
The game was played on a glorious afternoon and the rapidly drying ground allowed both sides to play open, running rugby. DU enjoyed the majority of the possession in the early stages, but were unable to make much headway against a resolute home defence. But when David O’Sullivan was yellow carded for what referee Daniel Carson deemed a deliberate knock on, the visitors took full advantage, scoring 14 points in the following ten minutes.
Some big carries by the Dublin pack put Naas on the back foot, before the ball was released to the backs where Matthew Lynch side stepped an attempt tackle to score. Then, on 22 minutes, the visitors moved the ball wide from halfway out to winger Alex Finlay, whose chip ahead was gathered by Hugh Lynch, who raced away to touchdown under the posts, with Matthew Lynch converting both tries.
Naas needed to score next did so after 33 minutes. A clearance kick by Davy Colbert was gathered by Darragh Murphy, who took play up to half-way. Big carries by Will O’Brien and James O’Loughan drove the visitors back, before Naas let the backs take over. A great break by Charlie Sheridan created space out wide for Donal Conroy, and the Naas winger showed great pace to race away from the defenders to score in the corner.
The home side will rue a poor finish to the half, which saw DU get in for another two tries. Within a minute of scoring, Naas conceded a try when Colbert evaded a couple of tackles before passing to Oscar Cawley, and when the latter was hauled down just short of the line, the Dublin side had plenty of supporting players on hand, with Eoin McDermott crashing over for a try. Lynch added the extras to put 16 points between them.
Naas suffered a major blow on 39 minutes when a pass by Sheridan was intercepted by Alex Finlay and there was no catching the DU winger, as he raced away for their fourth try of the afternoon, the try bonus-point already in the bag. 26-5 at the interval.
Naas came out fired up for the second half and within four minutes they had reduced the margin. Their pack drove at the visitors and were camped on their line through numerous phases. Finally, after sucking in the defence, Naas moved the ball and Charlie Sheridan dived over from close range for a score. Paddy Taylor added the extras.
Then, on 49 minutes, the margin appeared to have been reduced even further, when Sheridan danced through the visitors defence and looked to have scored again. However, referee Carson deemed that the ball had been knocked on while touching down, and awarded a drop-out.
DU made the most of this reprieve by scoring again after 56 minutes. A break by Mark Walsh had the Naas defence scrambling as he took play deep into the 22, before Colbert found Jack O’Neill out wide and the hooker raced away to score. Lynch again converted to make it 33-12.
Naas never stopped trying and were rewarded after 67 minutes when Muiris Cleary and Cormac King combined to put Taylor away to score under the posts, which he duly converted.
There was still time for another two tries – one for each side. After 71 minutes, DU moved the ball off a scrum into midfield where Walsh took a great line to slice through for a try and Lynch successfully converted.
Then, after no less than nine minutes injury-time, Tadgh Brophy showed great pace to take play up to the 22; when he was stopped the ball was quickly recycled and moved out to Cleary who found a gap in the visitors defence to score. Taylor converted to bring the game to a close.
That try for Naas could turn out to be extremely vital as it gave them a try-scoring bonus point. Every point from now to the season’s end will be invaluable, and that score may play a vital role in retaining Division 1B status for Naas.
The Kildare club are in eighth place in the league, two points ahead of UCC in the relegation play-off spot. Both of the two games remaining for Naas will be like Cup Finals, and the first of these is this coming Saturday when they travel to Energia Park to face Old Wesley.
Jack Sheridan; Donal Conroy (1 try), Charlie Sheridan (1 try), Dylan O’Keeffe, David O’Sullivan; Paddy Taylor (1 try, 3 cons), Tadhg Brophy; Calum Coyne, Brad Clements, Stephen Lackey; James O’Loughlin, Oisin Halpin; Darragh Murphy, Will O’Brien, Paulie Tolofua.
Tadgh Dooley, Patrick Brophy, Eoin Walsh, Muiris Cleary (1 try), Cormac King, Tom Bohan.
Davy Colbert; Alex Finlay (1 try), Hugo Lynch (1 try), Mark Walsh (1 try), Hugh Goddard; Matthew Lynch (1 try, 5 cons), Oscar Cawley; Eoin McDermott (1 try), Jack O’Neill (1 try), Arthur O’Rahilly; Michael Walsh, Artur Smykovskly; Kevin Jackson, Conall Henchy, David Walsh.
Jack Pollard, Karl Brennan, Hunter Deane-Johns, Thomas Davidson, Conor Tracey, Zach Quirke.
Daniel Carson.
