Cassidy And Kelly Stand Out As Old Wesley Overcome Blackrock

ENERGIA ALL-IRELAND LEAGUE MEN’S DIVISION 1B:

Friday, September 20 –

OLD WESLEY 29 BLACKROCK COLLEGE 13, Energia Park
Scorers: Old Wesley: Tries: Cathal Kelly, Tommy O’Callaghan; Cons: Ian Cassidy 2; Pens: Ian Cassidy 5
Blackrock College: Tries: Derry Moloney 2; Pen: Conor O’Shaughnessy
HT: Old Wesley 20 Blackrock College 8

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Out-half Cassidy landed seven of his eight kicks in this fiercely-contested first round clash at Energia Park, where try-scoring flanker Cathal Kelly delivered an impressive player-of-the-match performance for the hosts.

Matthew Dwan’s sin-binning sparked a flurry of try-scoring activity, as Derry Moloney’s 26th-minute breakaway effort for Blackrock was followed by quick-fire replies from Kelly and Tommy O’Callaghan.

Cassidy converted both, adding to his earlier brace of penalties, to give Old Wesley a 20-8 half-time lead. He switched to scrum half due to Willem Johnstone’s yellow card, and split the posts again in the 43rd minute.

Blackrock number 10 Conor O’Shaughnessy, who contributed a penalty on his AIL debut, had a hand in fellow debutant Moloney’s second try soon after. That left James Blaney’s men with just 10 points to make up.

However, Cassidy fired over penalties in the 51st and 57th minutes to ensure Morgan Lennon’s charges made a winning start to the 2024/25 campaign. Both teams ended the game with 14 men, following yellows for Odhran Ring and David Motyer.

Talented youngster O’Shaughnessy, who toured South Africa with the Ireland Under-18 Schools squad last month, kicked off for Blackrock. He was one of four teenagers in the ‘Rock starting XV, including two-try winger Moloney.

The visitors showed good hands early on, probing for openings, but Old Wesley were first to threaten. Cassidy, Tom Larke, and Stephen Smyth, the Emerging Ireland call-up, were involved in a promising three-man break.

It was Cassidy who opened the scoring in the 11th minute, slotting over a penalty after Wesley’s scrum and maul had done damage during successive phases.

Blackrock hit back straight from the restart, as O’Shaughnessy hung a pinpoint kick straight down on scrum half Johnstone who was hit hard by the inrushing Inigo Cruise O’Brien. The penalty was forthcoming, and O’Shaughnessy split the posts for his first league points.

A terrific long-range strike from Cassidy gave Wesley a 6-3 lead in the 16th minute, but Blackrock were gaining ground out wide. Alex Molloy had to react quickly to prevent Moloney from turning a David McCarthy and Ring-inspired attack into a try.

Leinster Academy hooker Smyth forced a penalty at the breakdown to relieve the pressure, following up on Wesley captain Josh Pim’s good work to bring down Connacht’s Sean O’Brien, the new Blackrock number 8.

Cassidy also covered very well when McCarthy’s hack through had ‘Rock hunting down a try. Just as Wesley absorbed some further pressure, their Australian newcomer Johnstone broke from deep and drew a high tackle which landed Dwan in the sin bin.

Despite their numerical advantage, the home side were then stung by an opportunist Moloney score. Some miscommunication saw Johnstone’s pass go to ground just outside the Blackrock 22, and the ‘Rock winger gobbled it up to race clear and cross in the left corner.

Following O’Shaughnessy’s missed conversion, it was Wesley’s turn to stun the visitors. Cassidy went long with his restart, and Kelly rushed in to charge down O’Shaughnessy’s attempted clearance, gathering the bouncing ball to touch down at the Bective end.

Cassidy maintained his brilliant form from the tee to make it 13-8, and Kelly caught the eye again with a barnstorming run off the restart. It set the wheels in motion for Wesley’s second seven-pointer, as ‘Rock were caught for numbers out wide.

Lennon’s side retained possession despite a Cassidy kick being blocked, and Molloy and Larke made incisions up into the ‘Rock 22. Johnstone spotted the space on the left wing, passing long to Eoin Deegan who fed O’Callaghan to go over from six metres out.

The pace of the game quickened again as Wesley, and O’Callaghan, who is back from a torn MCL, and the jinking Molloy in particular, sought to pick up more points before Dwan’s return.

Cruise O’Brien and replacement Stephen Judge won two turnover penalties for ‘Rock, and the former also popped up in attack to add to a smart break sparked by centres McCarthy and Ciarán Mangan.

Restored to their full complement, Blackrock were back on the front foot for the remainder of the first half. Despite Johnstone seeing yellow for a deliberate knock on, Wesley held firm and forced a knock-on from Joe Byrne.

Cassidy kept the scoreboard moving in the right direction for Wesley, scoring barely a couple of minutes after the restart. He punished O’Brien’s high tackle on Pim, yet a subsequent kick through from Mangan worked out well for Blackrock.

They pressed from a close-in lineout, with Liam McMahon and O’Brien then carrying up to a few metres out. That laid the platform for McCarthy and O’Shaughnessy to combine neatly in midfield, and Chris Rolland spun the ball wide for Moloney to go over untouched.

It remained 23-13 with O’Shaughnessy’s conversion attempt coming back off the far post. Second row Motyer’s powerful surge had Blackrock quickly retreating, and a scrum penalty allowed Cassidy to put 13 points between these south Dublin rivals.

Wesley ended the third quarter with a 16-point advantage, as Cassidy mopped up the points after Cruise O’Brien was slow to roll away. They then pushed for tries, going to the corner with two penalties but Blackrock defended well on both occasions.

‘Rock were struggling for territory at this stage, not helped by Shane Cawley’s lineout steal, but Ireland Under-19 international Mangan did manage to retrieve his own kick near the halfway line.

Cassidy had his only missed kick off the night, with an effort from distance tailing off to the right of the posts. His opposite number, O’Shaughnessy, went close to adding to Blackrock’s try tally, just knocking on under pressure from Kieran O’Shea.

While there were no further scoring chances, referee Sam Holt did issue two late cards. Blackrock blindside Ring was sent to the sin bin for catching Molloy with a high tackle, and a similar challenge, inside the visitors’ 22, saw Motyer given a yellow in the final phase of play.

OLD WESLEY: Tom Larke; Tommy O’Callaghan, Alex Molloy, Eoin Deegan, Nathan Randles; Ian Cassidy, Willem Johnstone; Harry Noonan, Stephen Smyth, Cronan Gleeson, Shane Cawley, David Motyer, Cathal Kelly, Josh Pim (capt), William Fay.

Replacements: Kieran O’Shea, Sam Kenny, Charlie Meagher, Mahon Ronan, Andrew Doyle, Eoin Murphy.

BLACKROCK COLLEGE: Chris Rolland; Matthew Dwan, Ciarán Mangan, David McCarthy, Derry Moloney; Conor O’Shaughnessy, Leo McFarlane; Andrew Savage, Liam McMahon, Joe Byrne, Tommy Butler, Roy Whelan (capt), Odhran Ring, Inigo Cruise O’Brien, Sean O’Brien.

Replacements: Stephen Judge, Jack Mullany, Shane Connolly, Kaylam Tytherleigh, James Burke, Jack Ringrose.

Referee: Sam Holt (IRFU)