In round 11 of the All-Ireland League Division 1A, and towards the business end of the season, Dublin University Football Club (DUFC) welcomed league leaders Clontarf RFC to College Park. Displaying levels of experience, physicality and accuracy that DUFC couldn’t keep up with, Clontarf beat their hosts 9-23, and extend their run at the top of the division. By comparison, DUFC drop down to sixth place and will need some big wins to ensure they are in the running for the knockout stages of the competition, starting away to Young Munster next week.
DUFC were unable to get off to the positive start that they would have hoped for, with Clontarf centre Matt D’Arcy ripping the ball out of Trinity hands and running 60 metres to score within 90 seconds of kickoff. Seven points down, DUFC struggled to make metres with ball in hand, the Clontarf defence pushing them back with countless dominant tackles.
Pressure on Trinity was somewhat relieved when Clontarf wing forward Martin Moloney was shown a yellow card for a late, no arms tackle on DUFC out-half Aran Egan: the visitors clearly hoping to establish early physical dominance. Settling into the game, DUFC maintained possession and win a penalty on the Clontarf 22-metre line. Scrum-half Louis O’Reilly took a quick penalty but is tackled by several offside defenders. A few phases later, now on the five-metre line, O’Reilly takes another quick penalty and is again tackled by several offside Clontarf players. A penalty was awarded to Trinity but they would feel hard done by that a yellow card was not shown by the referee for repeated cynical foul play within the defence’s own 22, clearly halting a try scoring opportunity. Trinity came away from an extended period in the opposition danger zone without any points.
Soon after, DUFC hooker Lee Barron was shown a yellow card for an apparent high tackle. Clontarf were unable to take advantage however, as they missed touch and gave Trinity a chance to regather. Thus far, the hosts struggled to present the same complex attacking structure that they did last week in their thrashing of UCC. The ruthless defensive line speed and efficient, dominant chop tackles of the visitors meant that Trinity struggled to gain many metres through their backs, finding themselves moving laterally instead. The lack of multidimensional screen runners and attacking options off the ball carrier allowed the Clontarf defence to read and react to what was in front of them much more efficiently.
This was made apparent when, struggling with ball in hand, Trinity opted to kick downfield and win territory. Yet, one phase later, an explosive sidestep from D’Arcy sees him beat his man and break into space. He kicks ahead and winger Cian O’Donoghue showed good speed and control to dribble the ball over the line. Experience was proving useful for Clontarf, who had several past DUFC captains and province-capped players in their ranks.
Clontarf did very well to break past the gain line on virtually every carry, appearing somewhat bullyish on the pitch. Further, Trinity’s uninspired attack meant that they didn’t benefit from similar dominance in the collision. Under the cosh, DUFC were able to keep their visitors from scoring again with a combination of hungered line speed and skilful maul defence but wise game management from Clontarf ensured that they remained in control of the game’s tempo, slowing play down to suit them and not allowing their hosts to gain momentum.
Off the back of an extended attacking set at the end of the first half, with notably strong carries from Leinster man Jack Dunne, Aran Egan converted a penalty kick in front of the posts to bring Trinity onto the scoreboard on the stroke of half time.
DUFC began the second half well and were seemingly inspired by the break, making good ground with creative attacking plays. Their early dominance is seemingly rewarded when, following a series of strong forward carries sucking in the Clontarf defence, two bounce-passes find Rob Russell in space to run unopposed over the line and score. However, play was called back for a forward pass in the build-up to the try. Clontarf were unable to exit well and give away a penalty that is converted by Egan.
In response, Clontarf centre D’Arcy gave an audacious pass behind him to create a line break and some slick offloading keeps Trinity on the back foot. DUFC concede a breakdown penalty immediately after and are punished when it is converted, building the score gap between the sides back up to nine points.
Despite having a player sinbinned for a deliberate knock-on, Clontarf continued to run the tempo of the game, taking the sting out of the potent, expansive Trinity attack. Simple handling errors from the home side waste valuable opportunities to claw themselves back into the game, and, following a kick charge-down by the impressive, ever-present Alekseiy Soroka, Clontarf built an attacking platform on the Trinity five metre line. It was not long until some quick hands from Matt D’Arcy put flanker Adrian D’Arcy through a hole in the defensive line to score the final try of the game.
Poor communication and handling errors compounded frustratingly against the Trinity backs and gave Clontarf the opportunity to slot a penalty in front of the posts. The hosts responded well, winning a scrum penalty and Egan converts the kick. A cynical slap-down from ex-Trinity player Soroka resulted in him seeing yellow. DUFC, with the game clearly having escaped them, were unable to capitalise on the man advantage and the ball was fumbled into touch.
DUFC will be frustrated with a game that they were bullied out of. They missed the complexity in attack that proved so ruthless against UCC only a week ago, and simple errors compounded to prevent Trinity from fully establishing themselves in the game. Clontarf however, showed why they are top of the league, with impenetrable defence and swift, synergised attack. Centre Matt D’Arcy was instrumental in the visitor’s performance, finding himself at the heart of each Clontarf breakthrough. Jack Dunne once again stood out for DUFC with some brutal carries against physical defence to keep Trinity momentum crossing the gain line, but they will need to re-establish their free-flowing attack when they travel to Limerick next week seeking a win against a Young Munster team two places above them in the league.
