All-Ireland League: Two teams moving in radically different directions came face to face at Templeville Road on Saturday and the limitations of St Mary's College were clearly exposed by Shannon's awesome power play.
A week ago St Mary's came agonisingly close to toppling league leaders Cork Constitution, only to be caught in injury time. This was a more realistic impression of their current state of affairs.
"We played well away to Con, but squandered the points, but today there were no excuses. It was men against boys," said coach Brent Pope.
However, he also conceded their defensive frailties let them down - all five tries were a direct result of missed tackles.
Four years ago, St Mary's became the first Leinster club to claim the All-Ireland League title but now they find themselves in a desperate fight to retain their Division One status.
"In many ways, we are the victims of our own success, as we became a conveyor belt for the higher levels," continued Pope, "but I keep telling the people, it took St Mary's 10 years to win the league. It might take them another 10 years to win it again.
"We've won it, now we've got to rebuild and try to bring through the young guys. We have shown that we are not far away. Okay, today we were, and no excuses. I think Shannon are fantastic, full of muscle. They are just following everything Munster does well."
Tom Cregan and John Lacey claimed a try in each half, with Cregan's second, with four minutes remaining, securing the bonus point. The winger also produced a competent kicking display to finish on 19 points.
Hooker Jerry Flannery also got amongst the tries as he crossed in the corner to leave Shannon leading 22-6 at half-time. The Dubliners matched Shannon for most of the second half, even keeping them scoreless when David Clare was sin-binned.
Leinster reserve hooker Gavin Hickie acquitted himself admirably at wing forward (Shane Jennings was pulled by Leinster) but the loss of Ciarán Potts to injury robbed them of their most effective ball carrier.
Darragh Hughes's intercept try after 72 minutes gave them a glimpse of a bonus point but Shannon merely waded back into action with Cregan and Lacey both crossing late on.
All is not lost for Pope and company as they still have to face all their relegation rivals in the run-in, starting with Lansdowne away on February 7th.
SCORING SEQUENCE: 13 mins: T Cregan pen 3-0; 17: Cregan try, con 10-0; 23: B Lynn pen 10-3; 30: J Lacey try, Cregan con 17-3; 34: Lynn pen 17-6; 39: J Flannery try 22-6; 73: D Hughes try, Lynn con 22-13; 76: Cregan try 27-13; 80: J Lacey try, Cregan con 34-13.
ST MARY'S COLLEGE: D Hughes; C Hall, K Gilligan, G Ingles, R Smyth; B Lynn, E McCormack; M Duggan, P Smyth, D Clare, P Ryan, J Ryan (capt), C Potts, G Hickie, W Duggan. Replacements: J Ellis for P Ryan (half-time); B Brophy for Potts (43 mins); B Moran for Brophy (59 mins); Brophy for M Duggan (66 mins); C Connolly for R Smyth (77 mins).
SHANNON: J Lacey; T Cregan, B Tuohy, E Cahill, M Lawlor; A Thompson, F O'Loughlin; T Downes, J Flannery, G McNamara, B Buckley, T Hogan, G Noonan, C McMahon, T Hayes (capt). Replacements: J O'Connor for McMahon (16 mins); J Hadnett for Noonan (46 mins); T Buckley for McNamara (74 mins); D O'Donovan for Lawlor (80 mins).
Referee: B Fitzgerald (MAR).
