Late Wood Try Ensures Winning Return To Top Flight For Garryowen

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

Saturday, September 21 –

GARRYOWEN 29 LANSDOWNE 27, Dooradoyle
Scorers: Garryowen: Tries: Ronan Quinn, Colm Hogan, George Hadden, Gordon Wood; Cons: Kelvin Langan 3; Pen: Kelvin Langan
Lansdowne: Tries: Jack Cooke, Penalty try, Andy Marks; Cons: Stephen Madigan 2, Pen try con; Pens: Stephen Madigan 2
HT: Garryowen 17 Lansdowne 10

John Staunton’s men turned over one of last season’s beaten sem-finalists, Lansdowne, despite losing their grip on a 24-10 lead and then falling behind to a late penalty from Stephen Madigan.

Ronan Quinn’s 13th-minute intercept try, coupled with a fine team score run in by Colm Hogan on the stroke of half-time, had given Garryowen a 17-10 advantage.

Munster Academy prop George Hadden widened the margin to 14 points, but Lansdowne hit back with a penalty try, and a well-taken Andy Marks score, to add to captain Jack Cooke’s effort from the opening quarter.

It was anyone’s game at that stage, and just when Madigan looked to have won it for the visitors, young centre Wood grounded a cross-field kick from Dylan Hicks to give the Light Blues the full five points.

A sidestepping Hugo McLaughlin was inches away from a landing 50:22 kick inside the opening seconds. Lansdowne were quickest to settle, with new prop Jerry Cahir strong in the tackle, and Jack Treanor gobbling up a Garryowen lineout at the rear.

Following a James Kenny snipe, his half-back partner Madigan split the posts with a fifth-minute penalty. Garryowen got their attack going soon after, with a Kelvin Langan kick launching Bryan Fitzgerald down the left wing, but Wood knocked on the subsequent pass.

With their forwards carrying well, Lansdowne looked to be on the cusp of a try. McLaughlin was a pass away from putting Cillian Redmond over, but Quinn brilliantly plucked the ball out of the air and broke clear from deep inside the Garryowen 22.

There was no catching the rapid ex-Dublin University winger, and Langan’s conversion from straight in front made it 7-3 to the hosts. Lansdowne’s lineout misfired in their first attempt to respond.

Quinn continued to test the visitors’ defence out wide, regularly making metres with his jinking runs, but Lansdowne’s backs, including early replacement Rob Hedderman, worked some space for full-back McLaughlin to attack in the 18th minute.

The headquarters club held onto the momentum, and scrum half Kenny wormed his way through before Cooke, with former City of Armagh hooker Treanor on the latch, showed good strength to scramble over just to the right of the posts. Madigan converted.

Wood then did well to cover as Redmond threatened on a kick chase, and Garryowen’s maul defence came up trumps soon after. Two scrum penalties moved the Light Blues back up to halfway, and they were soon level on the scoreboard.

Their new Dutch international hooker, Lars Linnenbank, announced himself with a terrific break from a maul. He went from Garryowen’s 10-metre line up to the edge of the Lansdowne 22, drawing a high tackle which earned Madigan a yellow card.

Langan was accurate from the tee to make it 10 points apiece, and Garryowen, with their numerical advantage, enjoyed a decent attacking spell approaching the interval. Another scrum penalty, and one at a maul, had them pressing for a second try.

Full-back Hogan’s forward pass prevented Quinn for having a cut near the left touchline, before the introduction of Connacht signing Temi Lasisi solidified the Lansdowne scrum, winning a penalty in the process to move play out of their 22.

However, some excellent interplay saw Garryowen squeeze in a converted score before the break. Quick hands from Langan, Wood, and Quinn led to Shane Jennings and Neil Cronin both gaining ground, with Fitzgerald’s final offload back inside launching Hogan over the whitewash.

Madigan returned to restart proceedings in the second half, and Lansdowne advanced on the back of picking off two Garryowen lineouts. Some deft offloading from Rory Parata and Ruairi Clarke had them on course for a breakdown try, until Quinn hauled down Hedderman.

Cooke continued to steal Garryowen lineout ball, and Clarke did likewise a couple of minutes later. Nonetheless, Cronin tackled his opposite number Kenny for a key turnover which led to the Limerick outfit’s third try.

Langan invited Wood to make a midfield incision, with Fitzgerald up in support to charge towards the Lansdowne posts. Redmond got across to bring down the Garryowen co-captain, but the lurking Hadden muscled over via Cronin’s quick pass. Langan’s extras made it 24-10.

As this entertaining league opener began to open up more, Lansdowne put their foot on the throttle and forced successive penalties. Garryowen, who lost Quinn to a worrying injury, could not hold out as the visitors picked up their 62nd-minute penalty try from a strong scrum.

Another scrum penalty, back on halfway, soon had Declan Fassbender’s charges threatening again. Parata powered up into the opposition 22, before his centre partner Marks got past two tackles to touch down. Madigan’s conversion tied things up at 24-all.

Thanks to Jennings’ retrieval of the restart, Garryowen had the platform to retake the lead. Although referee Andrew Fogarty penalised their scrum again, the Light Blues soon had the ball back with Linnenbank pouncing on a loose Lansdowne lineout.

It was end-to-end stuff with plenty of turnovers and promising phases from both sides. Lansdowne edged ahead in the 78th minute when Madigan’s right boot punished a high tackle on Parata by Donnacha Byrne.

Nonetheless, Fitzgerald’s breakdown work swiftly sent Garryowen back into Lansdowne’s 22. With their lineout going to plan, the forwards carried infield before replacement Hicks’ searching kick bounced twice before the inrushing Wood decisively grounded it in the left corner.

GARRYOWEN: Colm Hogan; Shane Jennings, Bryan Fitzgerald (co-capt), Gordon Wood, Ronan Quinn; Kelvin Langan, Neil Cronin; George Hadden, Lars Linnenbank, Oisin Kearney, Visiano Vaohea, Kevin Seymour, Des Fitzgerald, Oisin McCormack, Donnacha Byrne (co-capt).

Replacements: Dara Phelan, Mikey Veale, Oisin Cooke, Richie Costello, Dylan Hicks, Jack Delaney.

LANSDOWNE: Hugo McLaughlin; Cillian Redmond, Andy Marks, Rory Parata, Sean Galvin; Stephen Madigan, James Kenny; Jerry Cahir, Jack Treanor, Greg McGrath, Ruairi Clarke, Juan Beukes, Jack Cooke (capt), Liam Molony, Hardus van Eeden.

Replacements: Chris Poole, Temi Lasisi, Clive Ross, Tadhg Brophy, Steve McMahon, Rob Hedderman.