U16: Nenagh V Cashel

Nenagh strike late to edge out Cashel
Report by Barry Meehan

A late try by Jack Tierney saw Nenagh beat Cashel by 29-24 in round 3 of the U16 Munster

Conference. While Nenagh played with the aid of a yellow warning wind at their backs in the

first half, the visitors started the better team.  Nenagh’s defense held out against the early

onslaught and they then managed to gain some possession in Cashel’s half. Oscar Griffin made a great run but was held up just short of the Cashel try line. Great support ensured the ball was

recycled before Cashel’s defense got organized and Nenagh took advantage of the space on the

outside for Aaron Walsh to finish off a fine team score. Charlie Talbot showed great composure

in slotting over the touchline conversion into the strong crosswind. While Nenagh enjoyed the

majority of possession and territory, Cashel always looked threatening.  They looked certain to

score but John Carmody pulled off a superb try saving tackle. Cashel were not to be denied and

scored two unconverted tries to lead 10-7 at half-time.

Nenagh had it all to do in the second half playing into the wind, but they started on the front foot and took control of the game through the forwards. Strong carries from Ronan Devlin, Dara Meehan and Michael Kennedy allowed Oisin Gleeson to score a hat trick of tries and move Nenagh into a fourteen-point lead with 10 minutes to go. Cashel didn’t read the script and used the conditions to pin Nenagh in their own half. Their backline remained dangerous, and they scored two converted tries in quick succession to level the match at 24-24 with five minutes remaining. For the second week in a row Nenagh had lost a 14-point lead and were struggling to gain momentum. However, their response was impressive. From the restart they managed to gain possession and surged forward in search of the winning score. Some great work at the breakdown allowed Nenagh to repeatedly break the gain line, retain possession and put Cashel on the backfoot. Jack Tierney picked a great line and barged over to score and push Nenagh into a 29-24 lead. Nenagh claimed the restart and controlled possession to see out the game and secure a hard fought win. Next Sunday Nenagh host Clanwilliam in round 4. Training continues on Wednesday and Friday at 8PM. New players born in 2009 are always welcome.