Not so much a game of two halves at Belfield on Saturday as one of 55 minutes and then 25 minutes. UCD won the business end of the match yet Carlow's revival could ultimately have the bigger implications.
Partners in promotion last season, initially Carlow's community spirit and greater support enabled them to settle better into life in the top flight, but ultimately the students' superior skill levels and more all-embracing game has stood the test of the season.
That a college club who were in the third division three years ago, whereupon they lost Brian O'Driscoll amongst others, are ultimately going into the last series of games with a credible chance of a play-off spot is surely one of the stories of the season.
The main reason for this is probably because they've been true to themselves and true to the spirit of college rugby, irreverently taking on more established powers with an enterprising, ball-in-hand game. Crucially, even when it has failed they've carried on regardless.
From the moment they had the temerity to maul their way over the Carlow line from a second minute lineout, they made their intentions clear. Des Dillon, revelling in an outing against his home town team, penetrated the Carlow line on countless occasions. A season of top-flight representative rugby has done wonders for his game and now make him a covetous target for Leinster as well as Connacht.
The ever-dangerous and pacey scrumhalf Brian O'Riordan garnished his classy performance by running in 45 and 70-metre tries untouched, and the inspiration of the Irish under-21s is apparently a shoo-in for a full-time Leinster contract next season. There'd be something wrong with the system if he wasn't.
"He's the best player we've come across all season," enthused Carlow's Australian coach Kim Thurbon, who added only half-jokingly, "I'm going to check if he has any Australian blood in him seeing as George Gregan is coming to the end of his career."
The flip side is that UCD are resigned to losing O'Riordan, but their excellent coach John McClean shrugs his shoulders. "If our players do earn full-time contracts in the provinces, that's a compliment to UCD and then we just have to bring on other players, like Robbie Sparks. That's the UCD way."
When UCD used the full width of the pitch over multi-phases, Carlow couldn't live with them, and it's evidence of the students' ball handling skills from one to 15 that three of their six tries came from tight five forwards. Had they kept their foot on the throttle it looked for all the world like a 60-pointer and would thus have boosted the worst points difference in the top eight.
Instead, they took off the cornerstone of their defence and chief organiser, Shane Moore, mentally switched off and allowed Carlow to run in five tries. It was UCD's season in microcosm according to McClean. "Very good and some dips. Against a team like Carlow, who are big physical guys, you've got to go forward to meet them and in the first half we did that but in the second we stood back."
Not alone did that cost UCD fifth place and the probability of a semi-final were they to beat Garryowen away on a fascinating last day shoot-out in Limerick (for they could win and still be edged out on points difference by St Mary's) but DLSP won't be too enamoured with the students' dilettante last 25 either, as Carlow's ensuing bonus point kept them one-point above the Kilternan club and may well condemn the latter to relegation.
After another mystifying non-show in the first half Thurbon has plenty of food for thought about the merit of another late comeback thanks to some impact replacements, notably Leonard Peavoy at scrumhalf. None of their tries were more deserving than that scored by impressive loosehead Padraic Brennan, whom Thurbon believes should be in the Leinster set-up.
More pressingly, it's reckoned that 5,000 will roar them on for a do-or-die salvage mission at home to Ballymena in a fortnight. "We're lucky it's still in our hands. Bad luck for DLSP, good luck for us," admits Thurbon. "We've got one more throw of the dice and if we don't get double six we're out of here. Snake's eyes (double one) will kill us."
SCORING SEQUENCE: 2 mins: Venter try, Hickey conversion 7-0; 14: O'Riordan try 12-0; 27: Hickey penalty 15-0; 30: Blaney try, Hickey conversion 22-0; 46: Keane try 27-0; 51: Hickey Dwyer try, Hickey conversion 34-0; 53: O'Riordan try, Hickey conversion 41-0; 57: Armstrong try, Murphy conversion 41-7; 60: Buckley try, Murphy conversion 41-14; 68: Brennan try, Murphy conversion 41-21; 71: Hickey penalty 44-21; 78: Baggott try, Murphy conversion 44-28; 83: Waterhouse try 44-33.
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, C Keane, P Callanan, P Shanley, D Dillon, N Coughlan. Replacements: S McCarron for Moore (56 mins), K Corrigan for Couglan (62 mins), R Sparks for O'Riordan, C Davis for Keane (both 68 mins).
CARLOW: B Murphy; M Buckley, M Spiller, R Armstrong, I Dwyer; P Jones, R Jones; P Brennan, A Galavan, L Hannon, L O'Beirne, P Holden, A Melville, B Baggott, W Whitten. Replacements: J J Waddock for Melville (47 mins), M Waterhouse for Spiller (49), L Peavoy for R Jones (51), R Bolger for Holden (57), K Corrigan for Hannon (66).
Referee: D Keane (IRFU).
