It was something akin to the rutting season at Ericsson Park, two packs colliding for pre-eminence with scant regard for the finer skills of rugby. Seeking out physical contact rather than avoiding it preoccupied both teams. Ground gain was measured in inches as neither defence shirked responsibility.
Inevitably errors abounded, both teams turning over possession in the tackle. On the odd occasions that the ball escaped the clutches of the respective packs, the slow delivery rendered the backs nothing more than ambling ducks in a shooting gallery. One player to elevate himself above the general morass and illuminate the match with his athleticism and footballing intelligence was Shannon flanker Eddie Halvey.
The mercurial former international played with the focus and desire of a player running out of last chances. He explained: "I was taken off against Munsters and after that knew that I was in danger of being left out of the side. Fortunately for me, Alan (Quinlan) is injured. Davy Quinlan has been playing so well that I'm lucky to still have a chance to play.
"I'm taking my rugby more seriously, offering more commitment recently. It was a conscious decision." His attitude suitably adjusted, Halvey reminded the 3,500 who turned up on a cold, crisp day at Ericsson Park of his great natural ability and ball handling skills. His facility for making big yardage manufactured good attacking opportunities for the visitors.
He also provided an irritating presence for Buccaneers hooker Joe McVeigh at the lineout. Halvey along with the excellent John Langford pilfered nine Buccaneers throws, leaving McVeigh looking a little queasy every time the ball went out of play. Denied this platform and compounding their problems with multiple errors Buccaneers could not sustain their challenge over 80 minutes.
Coach Brian Rigney conceded: "We contributed hugely to our own downfall, turning over a lot of possession. We will have to cut down on the silly errors and sort out the lineout." Prop John Maher, centre Mel Deane and right wing Mick Devine were their more effective players while several others managed reasonable performances.
But for all the perspiration, Buccaneers remained predictable and once Shannon put to right a few internal problems, they quickly solved the conundrum. Jim Galvin's departure with a hamstring injury after 24 minutes and Conor Burke's switch to out-half, proved pivotal to the outcome as the latter controlled the game with his boot.
It was "the 'pirates" that took the lead on 23 minutes when Galvin's sloppy pass went to ground just inside the Buccaneers half. Deane reacted smartly flipping the ball into winger Robbie Lee's hands. Fortunately for the home side referee Murray Whyte was some way from the incident and didn't spot the forward pass as Lee ran 50 metres unimpeded. Simon Allnutt converted.
It was symptomatic of Whyte's general performance on the day, allowing a plethora of transgressions to go unpunished, minor and major, which served only to frustrate players and spectators alike. Shannon's riposte was swift. Cormac O'Loughlin timed his pass nicely allowing John O'Neill to burst through a gap on the Buccaneers 10 metre line.
There didn't appear to be any great danger until Buccaneers fullback Conor Kilroy got his angles all wrong, allowing O'Neill to bypass him on a wide arc. Burke converted as he did again on 35 minutes when his nicely flighted pass sent John Lacey over in the corner.
Two penalties either side of halftime from Allnutt cut the deficit to a point but this galvanised Shannon and they responded with a couple of Burke penalties and a try from Marcus Horan after a well worked lineout move from five metres.
Scoring sequence: 23 mins: Lee try, Allnutt conversion, 7-0; 27: O'Neill try, Burke conversion, 7-7; 35: Lacey try, Burke conversion, 7-14; 40: Allnutt penalty, 10-14. Half-time: 10-14. 53: Allnutt penalty, 13-14; 59: Burke penalty, 13-17; 69: Burke penalty, 13-20; 74: Horan try, 13-25.
BUCCANEERS: C Kilroy; M Devine, M Deane, O Cobbe, R Lee; S Allnutt, S McIvor; J Maher, J McVeigh, M Cahill; Donal Rigney, G Webster; C Rigney, M Steffert (capt), E Brennan. Replacements: J Screen for Cahill (54 mins); Des Rigney for Webster (54 mins); N Rusk for McVeigh (76 mins).
SHANNON: Jason Hayes; J O'Neill, C McMahon, C Burke, J Lacey; J Galvin, C O'Loughlin; M Horan, M McDermott (capt), John Hayes; M Galwey, J Langford; D Quinlan, A Foley, E Halvey. Replacements: M Lawlor for Galvin (24 mins); F McNamara for O'Loughlin (51 mins).
Referee: M Whyte (Leinster).
