Cork Con power to bonus-point win over Garryowen at Temple Hill
Cork Constitution's power in a rolling maul leads to the opening try from hooker Max Abbott against Garryowen at Temple Hill. Pic: Larry Cummins.
Cork Constitution 33 Garryowen 16
CORK Constitution completed a hat-trick of early season energia All-Ireland League Division 1A wins over Limerick rivals with a bonus-point victory against struggling Garryowen in difficult windy conditions at Temple Hill on Saturday.
They added the scalp of the light blues to a pelt already displaying Young Munster and Shannon to collect maximum points for the second successive week and underline their position as Munster’s leading challengers in the top tier.
From the moment, props Alessandro Heaney and Brendan Quinlan helped drive Garryowen back at a rate of knots in the opening scrum after just a couple of minutes it was shaping up to be a long and problematic afternoon for the visitors.
They survived the second scrum because of Con’s over eagerness but it was an area which hurt Garryowen significantly in the second-half even though a couple of Jack Oliver penalties helped them lead 6-3 after 18 minutes with home captain Aidan Moynihan replying in kind.
One of the many new faces with the Cork club this term is flanker Jack Kelleher, who joined from UCC, and he has slotted in seamlessly.
Indeed, Kelleher’s imprints were all over the opening try in the 23rd minute. First, he earned a penalty following a dangerous tackle which put Con in attack mode deep inside the visiting 22.
Garryowen’s ill-discipline surfaced again in the close-range out with Moynihan once more opting for the corner, from where Kelleher showed clean hands in the line-out and the subsequent drive ended with a try by hooker Max Abbott.
The game produced seven tries in all, including a penalty try, and none of the six were converted due to treacherous swirling winds which played havoc with efforts from the kicking tee.
Garryowen’s difficulties intensified, when prop Darragh McCarthy was shown a yellow card for an incident off camera seven minutes from the interval, a touch judge spotting something untoward and it handed Moynihan a handy second penalty from in front of the posts.
Con couldn’t prosper with their numerical advantage, turning around 11-6 in front, but within 80 seconds of the resumption, they duly made it tell with a second try.
The impressive Greg Higgins made the initial incision with a strong burst through the middle with Eoin Quilter at his shoulder to continue the move, which eventually led to Heaney touching down for his second league try.
Even McCarthy’s return for 15v15 couldn’t alter the trend as Con bossed matters up front and Garryowen kept falling foul of referee Peter Martin, who decided against reaching to his pocket though he must have been tempted.
Con crossed for a third try after 49 minutes, almost scoring in the left corner as the ball bobbed around in the in-goal area while playing with an advantage, which resulted in a try for wing Daniel Hurley in the opposite corner, 21-6.
Four minutes later, Con were in again for the crunch fourth try, courtesy of a penalty try as Garryowen couldn’t take the pressure in a five-metre scrum leading to the inevitable outcome.
It was time to begin emptying the bench, but for French flanker Matisse Lamarque D’Arrouzat it was a brief appearance, Gallic exuberance in a tackle that was a tad late earned him a yellow card and a return to the dug-out.
During his absence, there were three tries scored, ex-Con wing JJ O’Neill and Tommy O’Hora for Garryowen with Billy Scannell sandwiching one for Con from a long Kelleher pass in between.
Tries: M Abbott, A Heaney, D Hurley, pen, B Scannell Con: A Moynihan Pens: A Moynihan (2).
Tries: JJ O’Neill, T O’Horan Pens: J Oliver (2).
G Coomber; D Hurley, G Higgins, N Kenneally, B Crowley; A Moynihan (c), L Kahn; B Quinlan, M Abbott, A Heaney; S Duffy, E Quilter; J Kelleher, D Hyland, J Beamish.
B Scannell, L Masters, A Treacy, L Kerr, M Lamarque D’Arrouzat, B Mathews.
J Shanahan; N Greene, M Sheehan, JJ O’Neill, T O’Hora; J Delaney, J Oliver; M Veale, M Clein, D McCarthy; O Cooke, D Fitzgerald; S Rennison (c), B Gleeson, J Keane.
L Kelly, B O’Sullivan, R Whyte-O’Malley, E Maher, E Barry.
P Martin (IRFU).
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