Shannon 19 Clontarf 19:Cruel and unusual punishment is normally a term reserved for situations far more important than a rugby match, but Clontarf will be tortured by the manner in which they lost the All Ireland League Division One final at Thomond Park this afternoon.
A superb display of club rugby between two hugely committed and talented sides went right to the wire, and with the scores deadlocked at 19-19 at the end of extra-time, Shannon were awarded the title by virtue of the fact they scored the first try in a game where both sides scored two each.
The rule effectively meant that after nothing could separate the sides in normal time, Shannon were afforded the advantage of not having to score in the additional 20 minutes.
Shannon did not invent the rule, however, and they contributed to a brilliant spectacle, in which neither side gave an inch and both displayed extraordinary discipline in testing circumstances.
Nevertheless, s the lawmakers would have it, the crucial try came at the start rather than the end of the contest and secured a fifth final win for the Limerick side and their ninth Division One title, while denying Clontarf their first.
Shannon wasted no time in getting on the scoreboard through a Tadhg Bennett’s drop goal in the second minute but as was to be the case throughout the match, ‘Tarf responded well to conceding and forced a penalty for Daragh O’Shea to convert.
The pair added three more points each before David O’Donovan’s crucial contribution in the 22nd minute after a costly fumble from the restart by Clontarf.
The full-back’s perfectly timed run within sight of the line was straight off the training ground and when latching on to Bennett’s pass he left the Clontarf defence flat-footed, exposed and helpless.
Again, though, they struck back, this time through Heinrich Stride. The South African flanker completed a sumptuous move from the Dublin side that owed much to Martin Dufficy’s elusive running and perfectly timed pass inside to his team-mate.
O’Donovan’s second came after half an hour and though there was a hint of a double movement about it, referee Allain Rolland was well placed to deem the ball had been touched down legally after the Shannon man burrowed over the line despite frantic defence from Clontarf.
Bennett failed to add the extras and Shannon went in at the break with a 16-11 lead.
Clontarf had down little wrong, though their lineout had cost them at times in the first half. They looked sharp in the second as well, especially when Simon Crawford crossed in the corner to move them level before an O’Shea penalty move them into the lead.
Bennett’s equaliser after Ian Keatley’s interference on the ground was the only score after that, as both sides cancelled each other out while resisting the temptation to resort to foul play and concede costly points.
In extra-time, there was a rare glimpse of the whitewash for Clontarf but replacement Max Rantz-McDonald agonisingly lost the ball forward as he stretched for the line after brilliantly evading three tackles in the corner.
