Page 87 - The Gonzaga Record 1986
P. 87
into his line created a try scoring The deficit was decreased in the
opportunity for the Terenure full-back. opening minutes of the second half as
He did not fail to take it, and the con- Past winger M. O'Higgins used his
version left the score 10-0 at the inter- pace to score a good unconverted try
val. in the corner. Up to this stage the
After the resumption Seamus Devitt scrums were evenly contested, but the
was off target with an early penalty Present were hit a devastating blow
but goaled his next attempt. If Gon- with the loss of the Past wing forward
zaga had scored now, one felt that they B. Cullen who had proved to be a con-
could have won the match. After being stant liability to his own pack. After
repelled from the Terenure line, Gon- the replacement of the hapless Cullen
zaga fared worse in the territorial bat- some devastating tackling by the
tle than before. A final Terenure penal- Present centre N. Carney kept out
ty left the score at 3-3, but it was some dangerous surges by the Past.
definitely Gonzaga who showed great A well-taken try by John Breslin in
reserves of character to play so well. the sixteenth minute further reduced
What of the battling seconds of arrears for the Past. But their newly-
Gonzaga's season? In short it was very found confidence was short-lived as a
successful with only one match lost lack of tackling was evident when
throughout the friendly season. John Niall Carney broke through for a
Rooney's superb all-round skills were crucial score which was converted by
missed in the league as the seconds C. O'Donnell. This try was followed
tumbled to the eventual finalists, up by an unconverted try by Present's
King's Hospital in the quarter final. As Jim O'Callaghan, as a visibly tiring
the seconds failed at this hurdle, the Past defence crumbled to the after
juniors were going from strength to effects of a demanding night before.
strength, but that's another story! However, the burly Kieran O'Reilly
scored a consolation try for Past in the
Simon Dunne (S.5) dying moments of the game. In an un-
orthodox decision, in keeping with his
performance throughout the match,
PAST XV FAIL FITNESS the referee Jim Walsh did not allow the
TEST conversion to be taken, and signalled
the end of the match.
Present XV 20 'Beyond it' 12
Past XV.ยท M. Hunt (unattached); M.
In ideal conditions for open, entertain- O'Higgins (UCD); H. Mulcahy
ing rugby the youth and vitality of the (R.C.S.I.); D. McCarron (Lans); J.
present XV proved too much for the Breslin (UCD); R. Ensor (Old Belvo);
experienced and star-studded Past, as M. Bergin (Palmerstown); D. Nolan
they cantered to a well deserved victory (UCD); B. Cullen (Bective); S. O'Leary
of 2 goals and 2 tries to 3 tries. (Lans); H. Keelan (TCD); D. McEvoy
The first half saw the Present estab- (UCD); E. O'Brien (UCD); C. Grimley
lish a 10 point lead with an oppor- (UCD); K. O'Reilly (Lans).
tunist try by second row Adam
O'Keeffe as he caught Past Centre H. Subs: C. Candy (Palmerstown)
Mulcahy for pace, and a superb 75 Team coach: David M ulcahy
yard break by centre J. Collins to score Referee: Jim Walsh (Old Belvedere
under the posts which was converted Hockey Club).
by Seamus Devitt. This try revealed
one of the Past's fatal weaknesses - Present Xl': S. Devitt; P. O'Kelly; J.
tackling. Collins; N. Carney; P. Molloy; C.
85
opportunity for the Terenure full-back. opening minutes of the second half as
He did not fail to take it, and the con- Past winger M. O'Higgins used his
version left the score 10-0 at the inter- pace to score a good unconverted try
val. in the corner. Up to this stage the
After the resumption Seamus Devitt scrums were evenly contested, but the
was off target with an early penalty Present were hit a devastating blow
but goaled his next attempt. If Gon- with the loss of the Past wing forward
zaga had scored now, one felt that they B. Cullen who had proved to be a con-
could have won the match. After being stant liability to his own pack. After
repelled from the Terenure line, Gon- the replacement of the hapless Cullen
zaga fared worse in the territorial bat- some devastating tackling by the
tle than before. A final Terenure penal- Present centre N. Carney kept out
ty left the score at 3-3, but it was some dangerous surges by the Past.
definitely Gonzaga who showed great A well-taken try by John Breslin in
reserves of character to play so well. the sixteenth minute further reduced
What of the battling seconds of arrears for the Past. But their newly-
Gonzaga's season? In short it was very found confidence was short-lived as a
successful with only one match lost lack of tackling was evident when
throughout the friendly season. John Niall Carney broke through for a
Rooney's superb all-round skills were crucial score which was converted by
missed in the league as the seconds C. O'Donnell. This try was followed
tumbled to the eventual finalists, up by an unconverted try by Present's
King's Hospital in the quarter final. As Jim O'Callaghan, as a visibly tiring
the seconds failed at this hurdle, the Past defence crumbled to the after
juniors were going from strength to effects of a demanding night before.
strength, but that's another story! However, the burly Kieran O'Reilly
scored a consolation try for Past in the
Simon Dunne (S.5) dying moments of the game. In an un-
orthodox decision, in keeping with his
performance throughout the match,
PAST XV FAIL FITNESS the referee Jim Walsh did not allow the
TEST conversion to be taken, and signalled
the end of the match.
Present XV 20 'Beyond it' 12
Past XV.ยท M. Hunt (unattached); M.
In ideal conditions for open, entertain- O'Higgins (UCD); H. Mulcahy
ing rugby the youth and vitality of the (R.C.S.I.); D. McCarron (Lans); J.
present XV proved too much for the Breslin (UCD); R. Ensor (Old Belvo);
experienced and star-studded Past, as M. Bergin (Palmerstown); D. Nolan
they cantered to a well deserved victory (UCD); B. Cullen (Bective); S. O'Leary
of 2 goals and 2 tries to 3 tries. (Lans); H. Keelan (TCD); D. McEvoy
The first half saw the Present estab- (UCD); E. O'Brien (UCD); C. Grimley
lish a 10 point lead with an oppor- (UCD); K. O'Reilly (Lans).
tunist try by second row Adam
O'Keeffe as he caught Past Centre H. Subs: C. Candy (Palmerstown)
Mulcahy for pace, and a superb 75 Team coach: David M ulcahy
yard break by centre J. Collins to score Referee: Jim Walsh (Old Belvedere
under the posts which was converted Hockey Club).
by Seamus Devitt. This try revealed
one of the Past's fatal weaknesses - Present Xl': S. Devitt; P. O'Kelly; J.
tackling. Collins; N. Carney; P. Molloy; C.
85
