College Park has seen a lot of free-flowing rugby recently and the non-stop downpour, coupled with all of the wear and tear, has certainly taken its toll on the playing surface. There was limited rugby on display today as a result, but Dublin University Football Club (DUFC) coped better with the poor conditions. Their kicking game was strong across the board and they stuck to their gameplan despite a confrontational approach from Garryowen. Some more clinical finishing would have added to the points difference between the two sides.
While the game started slowly, DUFC enjoyed plenty of possession in the away side’s half, and in the 13th minute Garryowen blinked first under pressure and conceded a penalty in range of their posts. Outhalf Jack McDermott stepped up and, as has been so often the case when he plays, he delivered the goods. Garryowen came roaring back at Trinity, however, and a high tackle gave them the penalty they needed to level the scores up again.
A lull in the scoring then ensued, if not a lull in the intensity of the action, as both teams struggled to put the ball through hands in the soggy conditions. Scrum after scrum churned up the pitch without either side able to make the breakthrough, but Paddy Finlay and Andy Keating were immense at the heart of the Trinity pack during a very physical spell. In the 27th minute McDermott showed off the more cerebral side of the game with a clever inside break but his offload was knocked on just before the Garryowen try line.
It wasn’t until the last moment of the first half before DUFC threatened again, winning a penalty centrally after multiple phases on the attack. Once again, McDermott slotted the kick to give Trinity a 6-3 lead going into the break.
Unfortunately, just a few minutes after the restart, McDermott was taken out by an illegal challenge and went down holding his shoulder. The Garryowen second row received a yellow for his efforts, but there was real concern on the Trinity bench over the blow and McDermott – who has only recently returned from injury – walked off to be replaced by James Fennelly.
A series of DUFC attacks faltered in the far corner just before the try line, closest to the Science Gallery, as cold hands knocked on and contributed to silly errors. Still, the pressure told when Garryowen were forced into a high tackle of their own and the resulting penalty stretched DUFC’s lead to 9-3 with 58 minutes played. Try as they might, Garryowen couldn’t shift the home side out of their own half and just four minutes later Trinity earned themselves some breathing room. Colm Hogan was outstanding on his wing when he put his head down and ran at the defence, and after a bright foray down the wing, the ball was worked back to Fennelly on the 22. He took a heartbeat to swivel and then split the posts with a sweetly-struck drop goal, leaving the score at 12-3 to DUFC.
Rowan Osbourne got in on the act with an excellent kick out of hand that had the opposition defence scrambling to recover and from the resulting line out, DUFC took up a very promising position five meters out from the try line, right in the corner. A huge scrum from Trinity forced the men from Limerick into infringing and from the second effort, Trinity got the try their positive play deserved. The conversion was well taken and at 19-3, 73 minutes in, Trinity were keen to shut up shop. Meanwhile, Garryowen showed some signs of life with one last surge up the pitch but it was too little too late and a missed penalty was all they had to show for their late rally.
Although the injury to Jack McDermott represents a real blow, DUFC can be very happy with the way they navigated this vital encounter against their immediate rivals in the league table. The win sees them leapfrog Garryowen to seventh in Division 1A of the All-Ireland League, and a step closer to safety. Next up, an away match against second-place Young Munster on March 11th, in what promises to be a tough assignment for the side.
