Morris Saves the Season with 20 Centimeter Charge

Lansdowne 31  – 19 Clontarf

Cometh the hour, cometh the man. To see a prop score once is extraordinary but twice is surely a sign from on high. Your reporter was lucky to get through George Morris’ throng of admirers in the bar after the game for an exclusive interview and asked about the historic second try: “I can’t remember how it came about … the ball was right in front of me, I pick it up and I sort of bundle over about 20 centimeters …” Rugby gold.  

But it wasn’t all about George. Almost, but not all. 

We started with the strong wind at our back and playing towards the clubhouse. Our pack to a man was so focused that the visitors struggled to escape their 22 in the first five minutes and whenever they did, out half Stephen Madigan pinned them back with precisely placed punts.  Forced to take a lineout 10 meters out they exited well but the wind held the kick and now it was our lineout on almost the same spot. Bobby Sheehan found Juan Beukes with a precision that defied the wind and the ball was moved out for a series of phases. After four or five, we’ve tied up their loose defenders just enough for gaps to appear and yes, the man of the moment, George “Gently” Morris is the one to take full advantage with an excellently timed break and a 15 meter (that’s 1,500 centimeters) charge over the line. Mads pops it over and we’re off to a very convincing start. 7 – 0

The minutes after a score are the most dangerous and it only took three of them for ‘Tarf to be back up the other end of the pitch (the north side, if you like) where their powerful pack drove over for a try in a series of short charges. 7 – 7. 

Now that the visitors had settled in, they put on a masterclass of mauling from their lineouts and open play, rolling down the pitch like a Tiger Tank in the Ardennes in 1945. We concede several penalties and are lucky not to lose any personnel when, instead of a kickable penalty, they opt for the corner and what seems like an inevitable drive over from the maul. But they weren’t reckoning that we’d contest the lineout (why don’t more defending teams do this?) and in particular Ruari “Silent but Deadly” Clarke who steals it and even hoofs it down the pitch out of danger. Such an important exit.

Our composure continues as we secure a scrum inside our half and “Cool Hand” Mads pings the ball expertly inside their 22 for a 50/22. Whatever about the excellent scoring (don’t worry, George, we’re coming back to that), this was one of the periods of calm but compelling defence that turned the game. Instead of conceding another seven, we ended up threatening their line and battering their dented confidence into the bargain.

Back in their danger zone and our attack looks as fresh as our defence. Ever-busy scrum half, Jack Matthews nips and tucks at the back of the rucks to give their defenders cause to pause and so a gap is created. The eye of a needle maybe, but enough for the “Red Menace”, Matt Healy to get through and we’re over for our second in the corner. 12 – 7 on the half hour mark.

And Matt finished off the half with a bravura display of defence as well. Back in our half from the restart, he tackles, jackles and even breaks from a maul and kicks a 50/22, only to be brought back for a scrum. But he’s only the most visible (can’t think why) of the whole group’s tenacious and intelligent defence that sees us safely into the break still ahead. But facing into the wind, will a five-point margin be enough?  Read on …

The second half couldn’t have started better. They concede a penalty from the restart and then a couple more allowing us to work our way into the wind up the pitch. But it’s not slow, mechanical like ‘Tarf’s advance, it’s sharp, varied and effective. Again, Jack Matthews is sniping and swerving, opening up gaps for the likes of Barry Fitzpatrick and Bobby to hit. The backs too are making ground with centres Harry O’Riordain and Captain Fantastic, Andy Marks taking turns at breaking the gain line. In fact, the “historic second prop try” was started when Andy ran an excellent line and took the ball right to the visitors’ whitewash, only to hold up and form a ruck, approximately 20 centimeters out, and … well the rest is history.  George creates it and Mads takes every one of his 30 seconds to convert again from the corner and it’s 19 – 7.

Which was just as well, because soon after the restart, we lose a man to the sin bin (it had to happen, when playing so close to the edge) and within a minute, they score in the corner, their sub lock, Charlie Ward with an excellent solo run. 19 – 12

There followed another period of amazing defence and disruption. Looking like we had 16 men on the pitch, not 14, we swarmed all over them, harrying their every attempt at attack. Indeed, Harry O’Riordain (see what I did there?) nearly got through with an intercept to keep them on the back foot. Then Bobby went off with a HIA, but any fears our scrum would suffer were immediately dispelled when sub hooker Tom “Bags” Barry struck against the head and Clontarf were again scuttling back to defend their own half.

But back they came and again we have to defend with passion. That passion and an inexplicable reverse of a penalty on our line allowed us to clear our danger zone and resume our attack. Back to 15 and Bobby back to the pitch, the momentum starts to swing back in our favour as another heroic period of defending becomes an attack.

But yet again, our attack is repelled with some excellent ‘Tarf defence and a penalty winning jackle, so with the wind’s help they hoof the ball back inside our 10 meter line.  A series of phases is defended well, but it looks like they could be about to draw even when sub, Ross O’Neill is hit illegally at the side of a ruck and we have a massively relieving exit.

With so many to choose from, it’s hard to pick the try of the season, but this must be a contender. Starting with Stephen Madigan’s wind-defying clearance kick which went from our line to inside their half, our perfect lineout was the spark for a series of excellent phases, every man looking for and finding gaps to gain ground. Jack Matthews redeploys his superpower of slicing open the defence with a short break and offloads to flanker, Paul Wilson.  Maybe there was some Red Bull in the last swig he took from the water bottle, but his feet grew wings and he showed an extraordinary turn of pace to race in under the posts. Magnificent! And Mads makes it 26 – 12 with 20 minutes to go.

The title of try of the match wasn’t long being challenged, because ten minutes later it was sub scrum half James Kenny who started and finished another serious contender. Again, from a rock-solid set piece, we move through the phases with a scary efficiency and James takes it to the blind side, there to pass to fellow fresh-legged sub, Louis McGauran. Louis charged down the wing and managed to keep his arms free for a pass back into James as he was bundled into touch. Hard to know whether it was a touch or a forward pass, or both, but the ref was enjoying the show so he let it flow, and flow James did, over for a cracking try. 31 – 12 with injury time approaching.

Tarf came back with another assault on our line, but yet again we held them up and exited. But they would have a consolation try (though, significantly no bonus point) well into injury time to leave the final score 31 – 19.

See you all in Cork Con next week.
Photos from the game can be viewed HERE

Match Report: Brian Whelan
Match Photos: Michael O'Brien