Clonakilty 9 Dublin University 6

It was a great pleasure for Clonakilty to welcome the world’s oldest rugby club, Dublin University Football Club, to The Vale last Saturday. Although it was the fifth meeting of the sides it was only the second time Trinity had graced The Vale with their presence. Established in 1854, Dublin University Football Club can be proud of the fact that it is the oldest existing rugby club in the world. The club is the official rugby club of Trinity College Dublin, one of the world’s oldest and most respected universities. The list of rugby luminaries that have benefited from their sojourn in Trinity is long and impressive and includes two famous “students”, brothers Dick and Donal Spring, both great servants of Irish, Munster, Lansdowne and Trinity Rugby. They had a representative in Dick’s son, Aaron, in the Clonakilty squad the last time the sides met in The Vale.In the meetings to date Clon had lost three and won only one of the AIL games played but had also won the only AIB cup meeting between the sides. In season 2007-2008 Clon were in a similar position without a win when DU came to The Vale on Dec.12. Local hopes for a revival were firmly pinned on that game and they were to be realised spectacularly as Clon ran out worthy winners by 28 points to 8 to kick start the great revival that saw only one other defeat to the end of the season. Trinity got revenge last season but Clon again looked to this game for a positive result to get their season back on the rails. In the previous week they had impressed going down to Lansdowne. The scoreline of 30 – 3 (a Kurt Morath penalty) did not do justice to a very good performance in which the O’Mahony bros., JD & Alex, were exceptional and hopes were high that the corner had been reached if not exactly turned.Unlike the last time when Trinity were flying high in the league the students were also without a win this time and were highly focused as they were only one point above Clon. Playing against a strong wind Clon were both fortunate and unfortunate to be six points down at the break. While they had played well enough to shade the half they would have been delighted prior to kick off to have kept the deficit to single figures in the conditions. The student’s much vaunted pack were well-contained by the home eight. Before the game stories of Trinity’s scrum pushing Thomond and Terenure around the park and more than holding their own against DLSP’s big pack were worrying for The Faithful but they proved to be unfounded as in both scrum and lineout Clon had the edge. Tom Ryan and Joe Knowles were excellent in the tight and showed up well in the loose with ball in hand. The return of Lenny Harte was a big boost and his ability to get among the opposition backline frustrated their attacks throughout. The experience and power of Danny Whelton blended nicely with the athleticism of new partner Donal McSweeney in the engine room and, as usual, captain Alfie Harte led a nicely balanced pack from the front. In the backs JD O’Mahony and David Lombard were outstanding and Kurt Morath’s line kicking copy book. His three penalty kicks to Trinity’s two was the difference between the sides in a game that Clon looked to be the better side but with the students always threatening to snatch the win.
The squad was John O’Donnell, Darragh Lynch, Paul Dillon, David Lombard, JD O’Mahony, Kurt Morath, Alex O’Mahony, Tom Ryan, Alfie Harte, Joe Knowles, Donal McSweeney, Danny Whelton, Dean Landy, Lenny Harte, Mike Keohane, Gary Shannon, Hugh O’Neill, Jason Fleming, Eric Murphy and Noel O’Sullivan.

Congratulations to Eimear O’Sullivan and Laura Guest who have received in the region of 40 international caps for Ireland between them. They also have numerous interprovincial caps and Laura recently scored a try for the unbeaten Munster ladies team, a side which Eimear has captained in the past. Their achievements were recognised recently when CRFC President, Barry Kirby, accepted a Community Award on behalf of the club at a ceremony in the Clonakilty GAA clubhouse to honour this great accomplishment.

Fixtures:
Saturday
Under 17s v Kinsale. League. 11.00am The Vale
Under 19s v Douglas. Development League. 11.30am Douglas
Sunday
All Sunday games have been rearranged to facilitate support for Clon GAA club’s Munster championship match. However the J2 game with Bantry will go ahead this weekend but at a venue, day and time to be arranged to suit the same purpose. Check locally for details.