Ireland Club Side Hold Firm To See Off Scots

An Ireland team containing nine newcomers to AIB Club International duty had to dig deep to overcome a valiant Scotland side in Friday night’s entertaining clash at Donnybrook.

2008 AIB CLUB INTERNATIONAL: Friday, February 22

IRELAND CLUB XV 20 SCOTLAND CLUB XV 15, Donnybrook

Scorers: Ireland: Try: Max Rantz-McDonald; Pens: Barry Keeshan 5

Scotland: Tries: Marc Teague, Graeme Dodds; Con: Stephen Ruddick; Penalty: Andrew Skeen

The Match – As It Happened

Scotland almost worked Rory Couper over for a levelling injury-time try but the winger dropped the ball and the chance was lost.

Max Rantz-McDonald’s excellent 13th-minute try and two penalties from out-half Barry Keeshan had Ireland leading 11-8 at half-time.

The left boot of Dolphin clubman Keeshan was crucial as he tagged on three more penalties before Scotland launched a late but unrewarding onslaught.

Scotland were the team coming into tonight’s game with momentum. Ian Rankin’s charges had beaten Wales 34-7 at Caerphilly earlier this month and they had the bulk of last season’s squad, including back row and captain Tam McVie, back for more.

Ireland, with a new coach in Cork Constitution’s Brian Walsh, gave a number of players their first starts at this level and predictably it was the visitors who started the better.

Big Scottish lock Damien Kelly was almost over for a second-minute try in the left corner but the last-gasp tackling of John Ed O’Connor and David McKechnie just kept him out at the corner flag.

O’Connor was whistled up soon after for a ruck infringement and out-half Andrew Skeen kicked the Scots into the lead.

It was a short-lived one however as Irish half-backs Keeshan and Ruairi Cushion began to gain some control. Despite early lineout problems, Ireland soon got within striking range and they scored off their first real attack.

Into the Scottish 22, the busy O’Connor carried forward and after a quick recycle, a cut-out pass to the left from Keeshan put his club-mate Eric Moloney into space. He had Rantz-McDonald in support and the Clontarf clubman delighted in touching down in the left corner.

Keeshan missed the conversion but five minutes later, the Corkman landed his first penalty of the night to stretch Ireland’s lead to 8-3.

After a shaky start, hooker Damien Varley was beginning to work the Irish lineout into shape with captain Alan Maher and Shane O’Connor both jumping well.

The hosts even worked some maul drives off the set piece and with jack in the box winger Cronan Healy at his elusive best, things were beginning to come together for the men in green.

They were rocked back onto their heels however, seven minutes before the break. Ireland kicked loose off a maul and the Scots ran the ball back with interest.

They flung it out to the right when centre Graham Thomson evaded two tackles before linking with winger Marc Teague who had the pace and power to dash along the right touchline and over from 25 metres out.

Andrew Skeen’s conversion attempt was wide of the mark and despite losing flanker Simon Crawford to a subsequent yellow card for repeated ruck infringements, Ireland ended the half on a high.

Straight after the concession of the try, they won the restart and a quick penalty which Keeshan planted between the uprights for an 11-8 buffer.

By the 63rd-minute, Ireland were 20-8 clear as Scotland paid the price for a loss of discipline. Particularly in the 48th-minute when prop Bruce McNeil caught the onrushing Healy with a clothes-line tackle and he was sent to the sin-bin, evening up the numbers.

Successful penalties after 45, 49 and 63 minutes from Keeshan put Ireland almost two converted scores in front. The Irish management opted to empty their bench for the final quarter but Scotland’s fitness came to the fore in the closing stages and they launched a determined fightback.

With Ireland having lost their shape, a series of furious attacks in the hosts’ 22 ended with Greg Cottrell and Stephen Ruddick combining to put replacement Graeme Dodds over for a 78th-minute try.

It was a richly deserved score as Scotland had been dominant for the previous five minutes and had the Irish defence completely stretched.

Ruddick’s left-sided conversion was successful to cut the gap to 20-15 and worse followed for Ireland in the 80th-minute when replacement flanker Peter Malone was yellow carded for coming in on the wrong side of a ruck just five metres from the Irish whitewash.

Scotland opted for a scrum and with time running out they quickly spread the ball out to the left wing where Couper was lurking.

However, the Boroughmuir clubman could not gather the looping ball and Ireland breathed a sigh of relief as the Club International side maintained their unbeaten record at Donnybrook – they beat Scotland (2006) and the English Counties (2007) at the Dublin 4 venue previously.

Ireland’s impressive work-rate was typified on the night by John Ed O’Connor and the UL Bohemians flanker deserved picked up the AIB/RTE man-of-the-match award afterwards.

IRELAND CLUB XV: David McKechnie (Greystones); Cronan Healy (Cork Constitution), Greg Stafford (Lansdowne), Eric Moloney (Dolphin), Max Rantz-McDonald (Clontarf); Barry Keeshan (Dolphin), Ruairi Cushion (Old Belvedere); Martin Gately (Highfield), Damien Varley (Garryowen), Simon Shawe (Ballymena), Alan Maher (Lansdowne) (capt), Shane O’Connor (Cork Constitution), Simon Crawford (Clontarf), John Ed O’Connor (UL Bohemians), Hugh Hogan (St. Mary’s College).

Replacements used: Rob Sweeney (St. Mary’s College) for Shawe, Peter Malone for Hogan (both 60 mins), Sam Cronin (UCC) for Cushion (63), Andrew Finn (Shannon) for Moloney, Alan Kingsley (Garryowen) for Keeshan (both 71), Merle O’Connell (Cork Constitution for Maher, Des Murray (Cork Constitution) for Varley (both 74).

SCOTLAND CLUB XV: Stephen Ruddick (Boroughmuir); Marc Teague (Heriot’s), Graham Thomson (Dundee HSFP), Malcolm Clapperton (Boroughmuir), Rory Couper (Boroughmuir); Andrew Skeen (Watsonians), Richard Snedden (Currie); Bruce McNeil (Heriot’s), Sean Crombie (Boroughmuir), Jon Welsh (GHA), Damien Kelly (Ayr), Andy Adam (Currie), Tam McVie (Heriot’s) (capt), Ross Weston (Currie), Angus Martyn (Boroughmuir).

Replacements used: Dougie Brown (Watsonians) for Clapperton (half-time, Garry Mountford (Stirling County) for McVie (54 mins), McVie for McNeil (59), Graeme Dodds (Melrose) for McVie, George Oommen (Dundee HSFP) for Martyn (both 63), Pat MacArthur (Ayr) for Crombie (70), Greg Cottrell (Boroughmuir) for Skeen (73), Colin Goudie (Heriot’s) for Teague (78).

Referee: Tim Wigglesworth (England)