Munster Junior Cup – Thurles 15 – Midleton 3
Thurles took a break from league action this weekend to take on Midleton in their first outing of the year in the most prestigious cup competition in the Munster Junior Cup. Fresh from a good win in the league last week Thurles were hoping to get a good run in the cup this year. Shorn of a couple of frontline players with the absence of the talismanic figures of Sonny Dwyer and Eoin Dwyer due to injury and Luke Kelly as a late withdrawal due to illness, Thurles had to reshuffle their playing resources and showing the importance of having squad depth.
Having won the toss, the home team kicked into the club house end with the aid of a cutting northerly wind and settled quicker than the visiting team and as is usually the case with this team dominated the first thirty minutes of this game and as is usually the case this season fashioning the opening score of this game. James Maher punted deep into the Midleton half, Thurles won a lineout and mauled Midleton to with 5 metres and were unlucky not gain another penalty for a collapsed maul. After a couple of pick and drives by the pack, Thurles moved the ball right on the short side only for a knock on to thwart them for their first try. Pinned in the clubhouse corner Midleton were unable to clear their line having had a clearance kick blocked down behind their line gaining Thurles a five-metre attacking scrum. The Thurles pack carriedthrough a couple of phases before feeding their backline who had formed an overload on the blindside, with good handlingby James Maher to Paddy McGrath who drove for the line before slipping his pass to Luke Fogarty who scored untouched in the clubhouse corner for Thurles first try. Conversion missed; Thurles led by 5 – 0 after 10 minutes. It took just five more minutes for Thurles to add to that tally, again good phase play between backs and forwards moving the away team from edge to edge before they eventually went offside, leading to penalty for Thurles. James Maher elected to kick for goal and duly landed the three points to push the score 8 – 0 in favour of Thurles. It took Thurles just a further five minutes to cross the Midleton line after some of Thurles’s best combined approach play in some weeks. An overthrow on a Midleton lineout in the Thurles half saw Peter Kinane pounce on the loose throw and barrel his way deep into the Midleton half, Thurles from the ensuing ruck made ground to the left on the blindside with Sean McGrath and MarkCummins combining well before bouncing back on the open side with the entire backline handling only for winger Cathal Hayes to be hauled down short of the line. Thurles maintained possession and after successive carries by the pack went to their backline and getting the ball to Sean McGrath who sidestepped one man before stretching to dot down in the clubhouse corner only to be called back for a foot in touch. Thurles would eventually add to their tally on the thirty-eight-minute mark when after claiming a penalty from a ruck infringement close to the Midleton line elected for a scrum, 6 phases later after successive drives by the pack Ciaran Ryan crashed over the Midleton line near the posts for Thurles second and final try on the day. James Maher easily converted to leave the score at 15 – 0 at half time.
The second half, given the strong opposing wind, could have been more difficult for Thurles but it passed off with Thurles failing to add to their tally but vitally limiting Midleton to just three points from a penalty kick. Both teams struggled for meaningful time in the opposition red zone but the home team through some excellent defensive discipline and hard work by the forwards were able control the second half reasonably comfortably, well guided by Captain James Maher at fly half. Thurles freshened the pack after twenty minutes in the second half with Ciaran Murphy(for Shane Nugent), Jack Kavanagh(for Gerry McCormick), Andrew Bourke (for the Peter Kinane) and in the backs with Noah Mellor (for Seamie Holohan) and Ciaran O’Hagan coming on for Sean McGrath. Man of the match on the day was John Shaw for his contribution in a dominant scrum and numerous hard yards with ball in hand, close contenders for this also were second rows Pete Kinane and Colin Nolan. Sterner tests await in the league with an important outing away against Sundays Well in Musgrave Park next weekend and another outing in this cup competition against either of last year’s two finalists Garryowen and Kilfeacle.
Thurles lined out as follows:
Ger McCormack, Shane Nugent, John Shaw, Peter Kinane,Colin Nolan, Mark Cummins, Sam Quinlan, Ciaran Ryan, Seamus Holahan, James Maher, Cathal Hayes, Paddy McGrath, Luke Fogarty, Jack Flanagan.
Subs: Ciaran Murphy, Jack Kavanagh(Ger McCormack),Donnacha Ryan(Mark Cummins), Peter Wall, Gerry Ryan, Noah Mellor(Seamus Holohan), Andrew Bourke (Peter Kinane), Danny Diamini, Kieran O’Hagan(Sean McGrath).
