Terrific Tullow edge out De La Salle in ten-try playoff thriller
Shane Duffy on his way to scoring his third try in Tullow's playoff victory over De La Salle Palmerstown on Saturday in Rosetown. Photo: Aisling Hyland.
Tullow have given themselves a lifeline in the race for Leinster League Division 1A rugby next season, after an excellent triumph over De La Salle Palmerstown on Saturday afternoon at the neutral venue of Rosetown in Newbridge, County Kildare.
In a game that would not have looked out of place in this year’s Six Nations, Tullow managed to go from 11 points down with 25 minutes remaining to finishing as ten-point winners in an end-to-end game that produced ten tries and a photo finish.
Despite the win, Tullow still face the possibility of relegation if Division 1A winners, Boyne, fail to win the All-Ireland Provincial League Championship and gain promotion to the AIL, with Malahide looking the most likely to be relegated from AIL Division 2C back down into the Leinster League. If that were to happen, Tullow would be relegated.
Tullow lost to Boyne in their final Division 1A game, with Athy beating Wexford to leave Maurice Logue’s charges in the bottom two. De La Salle were therefore the side with all the momentum coming into the game, having lost out to Dundalk on automatic promotion from Division 1B by virtue of points difference alone. De La Salle won 12 of their 14 league games and came into Saturday’s playoff on a four-game winning streak.
The game began with an early shot on goal for Tullow, but full back Dara Cosgrave was unable to move the scoreboard. De La Salle were awarded a penalty of their own from a similar range barely three minutes later, with Will Saunders kicking his side into the lead.
The Dubliners piled on the pressure after that and crossed for the first try of the game after eight minutes when a lineout maul left space on the opposite wing allowing Senan Phelan to release Eoin Brennan who finished well in the corner.
Saunders missed his conversion and from the restart the try was wiped out thanks to a fabulous run from Adam Johnson, cutting through the defence before popping the pass to Shane Duffy who charged over in the corner to make it 8-5 with only ten minutes gone.
Johnson then went on another jinking run down the right wing, beating three defenders on his way to a magnificent try in the corner. Another missed conversion left Tullow 10-8 in front with 17 minutes on the clock.
Tullow can feel aggrieved to have found themselves behind again just two minutes later when referee David Williams missed a blatant forward pass leading to a De La Salle try from substitute Kevin Burke, with Saunders adding the extras.
The Black Gates club camped in De La Salle territory after that concession, getting the better of both the scrum and lineout. They won a penalty after half an hour, with fly half Peter Burgess taking over the kicking duties and dissecting the posts at the first time of asking.
De La Salle were on the right side of the whistle for most of the first period and used that to pin Tullow back into their own 22 before a series of phases and big carries eventually forced the space, with Eoin Brennan released in the corner for a second time. Saunders added the extras to put his team nine points up.
But it was the Carlow side who closed out the half with a score thanks to a Hollywood pass from Burgess with Tullow on penalty advantage, finding it’s way to the hands of Shane Duffy who danced around his opposite number Harry Machesney to score in the corner. Burgess could not convert and Tullow trailed 22-18 at the interval.
They again began brightly after the break, using their forwards to punch holes in the defence, only for unforced errors to allow De La Salle to twice turn the ball over in their own 22 and clear their lines.
Palmerstown then won their first scrum penalty of the game and went to the corner with their lineout now on top; they took the ball cleanly and went wide where Senan Phelan was on hand to strike under the posts. Saunders’s conversion made it an 11-point game with 25 minutes remaining.
Tullow responded immediately, with Duffy surging down the wing before quick-thinking scrum half Cian Leonard sniped off the back of the ruck to dance in for a brilliant try. Burgess’ kick then left four in it heading into the final quarter.
Then came a moment of magic from Ezrah Vai, who started the move with a good throw into the lineout before barging down the wing and throwing a silky offload inside to Duffy, who showed the defenders a clean pair of heels as he ran in for a splendid try - his third of the afternoon. Burgess added the extras to give Tullow a three-point cushion.
But the sides were level heading into the final ten minutes after a penalty in front of the posts from Saunders made it 32 points apiece.
Tullow got back on top at the set piece and went to the tail of the lineout before going wide through another highlight-reel pass from Burgess to pick our Cosgrave on the wing, with De La Salle unable to stop the pacey full back. He went over under the sticks to leave Burgess an easy kick - seven points in it.
De La Salle worked their way to Tullow’s try-line, winning a penalty under the posts where they chose to tap - only to be held up over the line by some resolute Tullow defence to deny the Dublin side a try.
Logue’s men managed to win a penalty on halfway, which Cosgrave elected to kick at goal knowing he only needed to kick the ball dead to end the game. Not only did the full back kick it dead, but he split the posts with a remarkable kick to make up for his early misses and secure a fantastic win for Tullow.
Shane Duffy (3 tries), Dara Cosgrave (1 try, 1 pen), Adam Johnson and Cian Leonard (1 try each), Peter Burgess (1 pen, 3 cons).
De La Salle Palmerstown: Eoin Brennan (2 tries), Kevin Burke and Senan Phelan (1 try each), Will Saunders (2 pens, 3 cons).
Dara Cosgrave; Shane Duffy, Jack Hanlon, Ryan Curran, Adam Johnson; Adam Burgess, Cian Leonard; Scott Caldbeck, Corey Leigh Hughes, Tom Cashen; Martin Cole, Joe Waters; Fiach O’Byrne, James O’Brien, Ezrah Vai.
Brian Keogh, Daniel Culleton, Paul Canavan, Colm Gorry, Tom Hughes, Scott OSullivan, Ben Butler.
Tadhg Finlay; Eoin Brennan, Steven Va’a, Will Saunders, Harry Machesney; Senan Phelan, Nathan Mullen; Ronan Merriman, Kevin O’Neill, John McDonald; Fiachra Lattimore, Theo Hovenden Kelly; John Kenny, Scoyt Doran. Clive Ross.
Ryan Fitzgerald, Oran Poullain, Aaron Murphy, Leo Troy, Kevin Burke.
David Williams.
