RUGBY: 1 May 1996
Connaught JUNIOR CUP FINAL
TWO FIRST HALF TRIES INSPIRE MONIVEA TO VICTORY
Monivea ................................ 23
Castlebar .............................. 9
BY TOM KELLY
AT THE SPORTSGROUNDS
Castlebar learn lesson they won't forget
Castlebar's first appearance in a Connaught Junior Cup final taught them an abject lesson they will never forget. They discovered against Monivea at the Sportsgrounds, Galway, on Sunday, that possession is meaningless unless it is transformed onto the scoreboard.
A spirited and gutsy performance by Castlebar became increasingly frustrating as they failed to turn their attacking dominance into telling rewards.
The club's dream of winning the coveted title for the first time was completely shattered during a dramatic six minute spell in the opening half when they conceded two tries to Monivea's influential back row.
Outstanding winger Thomas Mannion, perhaps better known for his exploits in gaelic football, stormed through Castlebar's defensive cover with a 50-yards run down the right side. His sheer strength, speed and intelligent use of the ball caught out Castlebar's Alex Corcoran before he clinically crashed over for a spectacular try.
New Zealander George Wright, impeccable in his place-kicking duties, converted the try to put Monivea in a commanding thirteen points to nil lead after twenty-eight minutes.
Castlebar, inspired by the individual brilliance of Tony Casey and Sean Moran in the front row, came fighting back. But a period of intense pressure which promised to deliver a lifeline for them before the half-time break turned to disaster when Monivea's Mick Higgins intercepted a Castlebar pass deep inside his own 22 metres line before surging forward and lifting the siege.
Castlebar were rocked back on their heels and Monivea took full advantage when Corcoran, opting to run rather than kick, was caught in possession. Now on the rampage, Monivea's superiority in physical power was forcibly illustrated when the ball was delivered cleanly to the hands of centre Gerry Moore who comfortably registered the side's second try. Wright converted with aplomb to leave Castlebar wondering what had gone so radically wrong.
The truth was they were made to pay dearly for two moments of indecision in the backline. It was all a far cry from the confident and authoritative fashion in which Castlebar had started the game. Such was their conviction, in fact, than they opted to run two penalties in a bold early bid for a try.
Padraig McDonald, such a key figure in guiding the club to their first big decider, opened to kick the side's third penalty.
SOMETHING SPECIAL
But it was clear from his attempt that it was not going to be a day he was destined to remember. He caught the ball with the outside of his right boot and sliced it disappointing wide of the target.Monivea did not experience the opportunity of venturing outside their own half until the 12th minute when they won a line-out five yards inside the half-way line. When the line-out ball was won so masterly by Tony Casey, it suggested that Monivea were going to have to produce something special.
The tide became to turn swiftly against Castlebar, however, when George Wright converted two penalties in quick succession, the second one of which was from the half-way line.
Suddenly they were six points to the good without having made any real impact.
The setbacks continued to Castlebar. Seventeen-years-old out-half Jason Keane was forced to depart the battleground after incurring a suspected broken jaw. Also at that stage, scrum half Robbie Carson was struggling with a leg injury, but refused to succumb to the pain.
When McDonald missed a second feasible penalty for Castlebar in the 25th minute, the Mayo side's frustration was further increased. Two Monivea tries, in the 28th and 24th minutes, both of which were converted, placed Castlebar in real trouble.
Wright found the target with his fourth penalty in the 38th minute to open up a 23 points to nil margin. McDonald reduced the gap before half-time with a penalty kick, but all appeared lost for Castlebar at that point.
In fairness to the players, however, they did not go down without a glorious fight to the death. On three occasions in the second half, they went agonisingly close to securing tries. Peter Kearney, never one to drop his head in the face of adversity, Tony Casey, full of drive and vigour, and Sean Moran, battling to the last, were the three players to test Monivea's defensive strategy most of all.
At numerous stages in the second half, they each had the try line firmly in their focus. But they were prevented from scoring by some truly magnificent tackling on their own line by Australian Campbell McCallum, Gerry Moore, Tomas Mannion, and captain Pat Blade, in particular. It was still hard to fathom, however, how such persistence and determination failed to produce better results.
Monivea, it seemed, were happy to soak up the pressure, confident in their own ability to successfully defend their lead.
HIGHEST QUALITY
Apart from their exceptional play across the back, there was much to admire in Monivea's rucking, mauling and work in the loose. Their tackling was also of the highest quality in every sector of the field.Castlebar added two more scores in the second half, both of which were penalties by McDonald and Paul Fadden. The latter score, in fact, was wide. But it was wrongly flagged as a score by a touch judge.
Castlebar came out of the game with a great deal of credit, and the result may have been different had things not turned so dramatically against them in such a short period of time in the first half.
Coach Rory Casey will regard the defeat as part of a learning experience. With so many young players coming up through the ranks, their big breakthrough may not be far away.
In the final analysis, the season was a memorable and historic one for the club.
If nothing else, their new-found leadership and direction has placed Castlebar at the forefront of junior rugby in the province. The next challenge is staying there.
Monivea: G. Wright, M. Higgins, C. McCallum, G. Moore, T. Mannion, P. Blade (captain), R. Collins, T. Burke, B. McCann, D. Thomas, S. Canavan, U. Madden, N. Flaherty, S. Keane, D. Harper.
Castlebar: P. McDonald, D. O'Malley, P. Fadden, A. Corcoran, M. Hastings (captain), J. Keane, R. Carson, M. Geraghty, C. McLean, P. Moran, T. Casey, G. Casey, J. O'Byrne, P. Kearney, S. Moran. Sub: S. Cusack (for Kean injured).
Ref: P. Gilmore (Dunmore).
Connaught Telegraph - News - May 1996
Connaught Telegraph - Sports - May 1996
