AIB ALL-IRELAND LEAGUE SEMI-FINAL St Mary's College 24 Old Belvedere 23:A SCORCHER of a Saturday afternoon with several members of the 2000 team present on the packed St Mary's RFC terrace. That, of course, was the season Trevor Brennan led a team littered with internationals like Denis Hickie, Malcolm O'Kelly, Victor Costello and Emmet Byrne, to the league title. In doing so they became the only Leinster club to win it.
They have earned another chance on May 8th against Cork Constitution in Athlone.
Head coach Peter Smyth represents the link to 10 years ago, but times have changed. So have St Mary’s. Forget about professionalism, simply build a team of hardened amateurs. They have created an environment that welcomes back those whose contracts are not renewed while encouraging younger recruits to use the club as a stepping-stone. Prop Jack McGrath (20), is their only player on Leinster’s books.
“We’ve had a lot of adversity in the club this year off the pitch and it has brought everyone together,” said Smyth. “I think there has been a will that, no matter what, we are not going to be beaten in games. They are a tight bunch. They socialise together. They train together. Maybe that stood to us.”
This enthralling battle was, however, coloured by the controversial conversion by St Mary’s fullback Gavin Dunne of Mark Sexton’s excellent, 58th-minute try. A two-point swing that defined the game. It looked to have drifted wide, but the touchjudges raised their flags to make it 16-16.
Old Belvedere were livid, having already lost outhalf and captain Andy Dunne to an ankle injury.
“Unfortunately that’s down to the officials,” said their coach, Phil Werahiko. “They make the decision. We can’t change it. It’s disappointing. You don’t expect to lose games that way but, unfortunately, we have.”
RTÉ were showing the fixture live but there was no television match official (TMO) on duty.
Dunne had been injured when he was smashed by blindside flanker Damien Hall while stretching for the try line on 30 minutes. This was just one of many interventions from a fine backrow that also included Paul Nash and captain Hugh Hogan. Robin Copeland also excelled at lock.
Perhaps unaccustomed to the higher intensity St Mary’s have encountered in Division One A, Belvedere lacked a little control, and Gavin Dunne made them pay. The hosts led 9-3 at the interval.
Conal Keane impressively filled the void left by Andy Dunne, reducing the deficit with two penalties early in the second half.
And then the game sparked to life with Belvedere number eight Leo Auva’a taking a direct route through the ruck and three flailing tacklers before sending Richie Leyden under the posts.
The TMO could have been used again when St Mary’s winger Darragh Fanning was driven over the line. Sexton eventually claimed the try before Gavin Dunne’s questionable conversion levelled matters.
Dunne also landed a drop goal on 61 minutes to put St Mary’s 19-16 ahead, but Belvedere came back at them. Chris Keane’s neat show-and-go exposed more dodgy defending around the fringes and the scrumhalf scuttled clear. Conal Keane’s conversion made it 19-23.
The St Mary’s response came with two minutes left as centre Stephen Grissing made the initial yardage before finishing off a neat, short-side attack after quick hands by Conor McPhillips and Gavin Dunne. Belvedere replacement lock Alan Trenier had just been sinbinned for a high tackle.
Still a one-point game, Belvedere’s momentum was halted in the last seconds when all 21st 3lb of Maguire was driven back by Sexton and Barry O’Flanagan, before a Jack McGrath rib-tickler forced Kieran Hurrell to concede a five-metre scrum. Belvedere justified the presence of a Division One B side in the semi-finals, but St Mary’s are on a roll.
SCORING SEQUENCE: 4 mins:A Dunne pen, 0-3; 9: G Dunne pen, 3-3; 25: G Dunne pen, 6-3; 36: G Dunne pen, 9-3. Half-time. 41: Conal Keane pen, 9-6; 45: Conal Keane pen, 9-9; 48: R Leyden try, C Keane conv, 9-16; 56: M Sexton try, G Dunne conv, 16-16; 61: G Dunne drp gl, 19-16; 68: Chris Keane try, Conal Keane conv, 19-23; S Grissing try, 24-23.
ST MARY'S COLLEGE: G Dunne; R Doherty, S Grissing, M Sexton, D Fanning; S McCarthy, C McPhillips; J McGrath, Richie Sweeney, Robert Sweeney; G Logan, R Copeland; D Hall, P Nash, H Hogan (capt). Replacements: C Donohoe for Sexton (37-40 mins), S Bradshaw for G Logan (50 mins), B O'Flanagan for D Hall, G Hickie for Richie Sweeney (both 79 mins).
OLD BELVEDERE: E Devitt; D Keane, J Kennedy, Conal Keane, D Mongan; A Dunne (capt), Chris Keane; V Soden, M Cooney, S Maguire; R Leyden, P Spivey; J Slattery, J Risdon, L Auva'a. Replacements: K Barden for A Dunne (37 mins), K Hurrell for E Devitt (54 mins), A Trenier for P Spivey, T Sexton for M Cooney (both 68).
Referee: P Fitzgibbon(IRFU).
