Energia AIL Division 1A
Saturday 4th October 2025, Castle Avenue
Clontarf 20 - 17 Lansdowne
A stubborn upright may have deprived us of a draw, but Clontarf were worthy winners on the day and we’ll have to content ourselves with a decent performance and a losing bonus point away from home.
The rain stayed away (mostly), but the wind was a constant feature on the grass pitch in Castle Avenue and I’m not sure who won the toss, but Lansdowne played into it for the first half. (There’s another debate for the WhatsApp groups: Which way do you play if you win the toss? With or against the wind?). Anyway, ‘Tarf took a very early advantage when we gave away a soft penalty from the kick out, gifting the hosts’ outhalf an easy penalty and a lead of 3 – 0. Things looked decidedly worrying when we gave away a second gettable penalty (from a scrum) within three minutes and their normally lethal kicker, Con Kelly stepped up again to double their lead. But he missed. What are the odds? The odds of his missing another even closer kick from yet another penalty must have been astronomical but miss it he did and we escaped the early onslaught with a deficit of only three points.
Finally, it seemed, we clawed our way into their half and we started to put a few phases together, but even with a tight line up, the passes were hard to control and it was through a penalty for a high tackle that we gained most ground. We kick to touch inside their 22 and in the scrum that follows prop Greg McGrath forces ‘Tarf to concede another penalty. Now it’s time for our outhalf – no mean kicker himself – James Tarrant, to test his boots. On the left side of the posts and into a swirling wind, he strikes it sweetly and it’s 3 – 3 after a torrid 15 minutes.
Back in our half, ‘Tarf get another penalty but now, perhaps his confidence a little shaken, Kelly opts to put it in the corner. Or maybe he knew that with their well drilled maul and burrowing hooker, captain Dylan Donnellan, they must surely cross our line. And after an extended period of valiant and, it has to be said, disciplined Lansdowne defence, Donnellan did just that, this time Kelly finding his target for the extras. 10 – 3.
We seemed to be working our way back into their half when the referee’s assistant spotted an off the ball infringement and we were pegged back to our line again. Another extended period of pounding followed, but with our forward defence proving utterly resolute, they opted to spin the ball wide and after a couple of ambitious but accurate passes, their winger Stephen Ryan went over in the corner. 15 – 3.
As the half time and crucial change of ends approached, we finished well. Positive attacking brought us close to their line a couple of times and excellent cover from the back three from clearance kicks helped us keep the pressure on, full back Todd Lawlor proving more than a match for the difficult conditions. HT
We started the second half with all the promise with which we’d finished the first. We bundled them back on their heels and after a few tight phases and clever positioning of the ball into spaces by Tarrent at ten, we found ourselves inside their 10m line and now we were doing the pounding. Eventually it was flanker Ross O’Neill – no mean burrower himself – that went over their line. Looking by far the more comfortable kicker of the two half backs, James slotted over the conversion. 15 – 10.
Just when we might have hoped to capitalize, our momentum seemed to stall. Ross’ game was to end soon after his try as he took a nasty looking knock in a tackle (get well soon, Ross) and ‘Tarf, to their credit, put together some excellent phases and tactical kicks to work their way back into our half. Our scrum was also losing some of its vigour following a reshuffle and we conceded a penalty and then another 10m for a bit of lip, putting the hosts in a strong attacking position. Then followed as good a try as you’ll see in the AIL, which would have been more enjoyable if it had been for us, but it was the hosts'. They won the lineout (an achievement in itself in the swirling wind) and started a maul, or strictly speaking a march up the pitch. After what seemed like an age, they finally let the ball out the back line, moving it swiftly through the hands. The move seemed to have been ended by a bone rattling tackle from captain, Andy Marks, but somehow there was an offload to a looping player and he drew in our defence before launching a fine pass to their winger Peter Maher for an excellent try in the corner. 20 -10 as we entered the last quarter.
The remainder of the game belonged to us with some excellent play and determination, but full marks to the league champions, they held out. We regained control of ball and territory and moved the play now with confidence and purpose. As usual, the bench played a big part, with Harry Van Eeden and Ruari Clarke having an immediate impact in the pack. Fresh legged sub scrum half James Kenny, also added new attacking options. From a well managed maul and swift distribution, James Tarrant grubber kicks the ball behind their rushing line defence. Todd Lawlor has joined the line again and is first to the awkwardly bouncing ball. He kicks it through on the rise and sends it over the try line then wins the sprint to touch it down in the corner. What a cracker. It’s 20 – 15 with another difficult kick from the corner but James is still cool as a cucumber and slots it over. 20 – 17.
We remain camped inside their 22 and as we entered injury time we got a penalty. There don’t seem to be many cracks in the hosts’ defence and with energy ebbing, a draw would be a great result in these conditions so we correctly opt to kick it. Another great strike by Tarrant, but this time the wind takes it off course a smidge and it hits the upright. A lick of paint was the difference, according to President Gavin Lee.
So it finished 20 – 17 and we have to settle for a losing bonus point. A draw would have been nice, even fair, but we’ll make up for it when we get them back on our patch.
Roll on Terenure at home next week. Friday night lights here we come!
Match Report - Brian Whelan
Match photos can be viewed here.- Michael O'Brien
The rain stayed away (mostly), but the wind was a constant feature on the grass pitch in Castle Avenue and I’m not sure who won the toss, but Lansdowne played into it for the first half. (There’s another debate for the WhatsApp groups: Which way do you play if you win the toss? With or against the wind?). Anyway, ‘Tarf took a very early advantage when we gave away a soft penalty from the kick out, gifting the hosts’ outhalf an easy penalty and a lead of 3 – 0. Things looked decidedly worrying when we gave away a second gettable penalty (from a scrum) within three minutes and their normally lethal kicker, Con Kelly stepped up again to double their lead. But he missed. What are the odds? The odds of his missing another even closer kick from yet another penalty must have been astronomical but miss it he did and we escaped the early onslaught with a deficit of only three points.
Finally, it seemed, we clawed our way into their half and we started to put a few phases together, but even with a tight line up, the passes were hard to control and it was through a penalty for a high tackle that we gained most ground. We kick to touch inside their 22 and in the scrum that follows prop Greg McGrath forces ‘Tarf to concede another penalty. Now it’s time for our outhalf – no mean kicker himself – James Tarrant, to test his boots. On the left side of the posts and into a swirling wind, he strikes it sweetly and it’s 3 – 3 after a torrid 15 minutes.
Back in our half, ‘Tarf get another penalty but now, perhaps his confidence a little shaken, Kelly opts to put it in the corner. Or maybe he knew that with their well drilled maul and burrowing hooker, captain Dylan Donnellan, they must surely cross our line. And after an extended period of valiant and, it has to be said, disciplined Lansdowne defence, Donnellan did just that, this time Kelly finding his target for the extras. 10 – 3.
We seemed to be working our way back into their half when the referee’s assistant spotted an off the ball infringement and we were pegged back to our line again. Another extended period of pounding followed, but with our forward defence proving utterly resolute, they opted to spin the ball wide and after a couple of ambitious but accurate passes, their winger Stephen Ryan went over in the corner. 15 – 3.
As the half time and crucial change of ends approached, we finished well. Positive attacking brought us close to their line a couple of times and excellent cover from the back three from clearance kicks helped us keep the pressure on, full back Todd Lawlor proving more than a match for the difficult conditions. HT
We started the second half with all the promise with which we’d finished the first. We bundled them back on their heels and after a few tight phases and clever positioning of the ball into spaces by Tarrent at ten, we found ourselves inside their 10m line and now we were doing the pounding. Eventually it was flanker Ross O’Neill – no mean burrower himself – that went over their line. Looking by far the more comfortable kicker of the two half backs, James slotted over the conversion. 15 – 10.
Just when we might have hoped to capitalize, our momentum seemed to stall. Ross’ game was to end soon after his try as he took a nasty looking knock in a tackle (get well soon, Ross) and ‘Tarf, to their credit, put together some excellent phases and tactical kicks to work their way back into our half. Our scrum was also losing some of its vigour following a reshuffle and we conceded a penalty and then another 10m for a bit of lip, putting the hosts in a strong attacking position. Then followed as good a try as you’ll see in the AIL, which would have been more enjoyable if it had been for us, but it was the hosts'. They won the lineout (an achievement in itself in the swirling wind) and started a maul, or strictly speaking a march up the pitch. After what seemed like an age, they finally let the ball out the back line, moving it swiftly through the hands. The move seemed to have been ended by a bone rattling tackle from captain, Andy Marks, but somehow there was an offload to a looping player and he drew in our defence before launching a fine pass to their winger Peter Maher for an excellent try in the corner. 20 -10 as we entered the last quarter.
The remainder of the game belonged to us with some excellent play and determination, but full marks to the league champions, they held out. We regained control of ball and territory and moved the play now with confidence and purpose. As usual, the bench played a big part, with Harry Van Eeden and Ruari Clarke having an immediate impact in the pack. Fresh legged sub scrum half James Kenny, also added new attacking options. From a well managed maul and swift distribution, James Tarrant grubber kicks the ball behind their rushing line defence. Todd Lawlor has joined the line again and is first to the awkwardly bouncing ball. He kicks it through on the rise and sends it over the try line then wins the sprint to touch it down in the corner. What a cracker. It’s 20 – 15 with another difficult kick from the corner but James is still cool as a cucumber and slots it over. 20 – 17.
We remain camped inside their 22 and as we entered injury time we got a penalty. There don’t seem to be many cracks in the hosts’ defence and with energy ebbing, a draw would be a great result in these conditions so we correctly opt to kick it. Another great strike by Tarrant, but this time the wind takes it off course a smidge and it hits the upright. A lick of paint was the difference, according to President Gavin Lee.
So it finished 20 – 17 and we have to settle for a losing bonus point. A draw would have been nice, even fair, but we’ll make up for it when we get them back on our patch.
Roll on Terenure at home next week. Friday night lights here we come!
Match Report - Brian Whelan
Match photos can be viewed here.- Michael O'Brien
