All Ireland League/Division One; Garryowen 42; UCD 24: The weather was set fair, Michael Noonan and Peter Sutherland led a posse of big hitters to Dooradoyle, two teams who like to play an attacking, attractive brand of rugby were renewing a once-famed friendly rivalry, each with an eye to a bonus point and a top four place, and Alain Rolland was referee. It didn't disappoint.
Rolland was in charge on the same day in similar circumstances two years ago when Ballymena edged out a tired Garryowen in an 82-point, 10-try feast. This came up only a try short of that and admittedly lacked the same cutting edge due to Garryowen effectively having it won from a long way out.
Their back-row combined with Ray Niland and Jeremy Staunton in midfield to strangle the life out of UCD with their pressure defence, and fittingly, four of their six tries came from turnovers, including two long-range intercepts. Peter Malone has added some real physical presence alongside the excellent Colin Varley and Paul Neville, obliging the fearless and hard-working John O'Sullivan to operate as a fourth back-rower in the second-row.
They ganged up on Des Dillon, UCD's main attacking weapon but often isolated, rarely allowing him to build up a head of steam and always competed feverishly for the ball in the tackle and on the deck. The game turned decisively when UCD attacked Garryowen through the middle three times in the second quarter and turned the ball over each time, Garryowen scoring twice.
For Garryowen, like their semi-final opponents Cork Con (a repeat of the 1999 final), this will be a third semi-final in the five years of the play-offs and neither has lost at this stage before. Garryowen will travel to Cork a fortnight hence knowing that on Saturday they "clicked", according to their coach Andy Earl.
Aside from being the reward for yet another smart Southern Hemisphere investment in the shape of Earl, the achievement is also the product of two years' careful rebuilding. "It just goes to show that local players, if given the chance, are more than capable of doing a job," ventured an eminently satisfied Earl. "Local people need local identities to come along and support," he said. "For us to get to the top four was our goal, anything after that was going to be a bonus, but certainly there's no reason why we should go into our shell."
For UCD's director of rugby, John McClean, there was no disputing "Garryowen were the better team on the day." UCD didn't really play to their potential, and you sensed they lacked the mental belief as well as the firepower up front to win this match. Authors of their own downfall to a degree with those vital turnovers, McClean admitted their lack of experience showed as they tried to force things in the second-half.
"But we're very pleased with our season and the way the lads have played. There's been no lack of effort and no lack of commitment. They've been a credit to themselves." And to the whole ethos of college rugby. They've been fun to watch and added a breath of fresh air to the top flight.
They had stayed in touch thanks to the opportunism of winger Paddy Hickey-Dwyer and gifted scrum-half Brian O'Riordan, who stealthily ripped the ball from Paul Neville when held up and turned by David Blaney, and zipped 60 metres up the narrowest of blindside corridors for a cheeky try, as well as the prodigious boot of Hickey, the 20-year-old grandson of famed GAA writer JD Hickey, whose four from five included an angled 60 metre penalty.
Inevitably, they probably won't see that much of O'Riordan or Dillon next season, and might even lose the hugely influential Shane Moore as well. Coveted by Wasps and Connacht also, Leinster are now strong favourites to procure O'Riordan on a full-time provincial contract in light of Matt Williams remaining in situ.
"But that's great for him, college rugby and Leinster," countered McClean. Can the Belfield conveyor belt go on producing talent like this? "I hope so. That's what we're supposed to be doing and five years ago we set out to do exactly that, to produce players to play representative rugby, and that's how we should deem our success or lack of it." Bucking the trend of student rugby in the AIL, they've done that and more.
Scoring sequence: 6 mins: Hickey-Dwyer try, Hickey con 0-7; 11: Staunton pen 3-7; 14: Staunton pen 6-7; 17: Hickey pen 6-10; 21: K O'Riordan try 11-10; 23: B O'Riordan try, Hickey con 11-17; 27: Varley try 16-17; 36: K O'Riordan try, Staunton con 23-17; 40: Varley try, Staunton con 30-17; (half-time 30-17); 55: Staunton try 35-17; 64: Crotty try, Staunton con 42-17; 72: D O'Sullivan try, Hickey con 42-24.
GARRYOWEN: D Crotty; C Tupiniere, J Staunton, R Niland, K O'Riordan; B Treacy, T Tierney; J Giltenane, P Humphries, R Laffan, E Kelly, J O'Sullivan, C Varley, P Malone, P Neville. Replacements: K Laurin for Laffan, S Leahy for Kelly (both 65 mins), S McCarthy for Tierney, D O'Riordan for Tupiniere (both 76). Sinbinned: Staunton (41-51).
UCD: D O'Sullivan; P Bredin, M Colling, S Moore (capt), P Hickey-Dwyer; E Hickey, B O'Riordan; M Moynagh, D Blaney, M Venter, P Callanan, C Keane, P Shanley, D Dillon, L Burke. Replacements: K Croke for Burke (64 mins), S McCarron for Hickey-Dwyer (65), C Davis for Keane (76). Referee: A Rolland (IRFU).
