Thurles 11 Clanwilliam 8. After fifteen games and some twelve hundred minutes of league rugby, it took until the final seconds of this tense local derby for Thurles to assure themselves of top-level junior rugby next year. There were only four games being played this weekend, three of which would determine the two additional sides to join already relegated Crosshaven, Abbey Feale and Old Christians. Thurles went into this match sixth from bottom and knowing that only a win would guarantee survival with a draw being possibly sufficient as up to five teams were required to be culled from the division to reduce the numbers of teams involved. After a hugely successful season last year last and promotion after twelve years of near misses, it was hugely important for this team’s development to maintain its division one status after a hard-fought season. And so, in a frantic end to end few last minutes this reporter’s final recoding in his match notes read “James with a kick for the win”, and you will guess the rest. One could also cite Conor Moloney’s late try in Abbeyfeale, and Conor O’Hagan’s spectacular penalty with the last kick of the game to defeat Waterpark as being pivotal moments in very competitive Munster Junior One League Section A this year. The latter two teams now making the drop to division two.

So when Thurles kicked off 2.30 pm yesterday, in perfect rugby conditions, playing from the town- end there was a lotat stake for them and a nervousness would pervade there general play on the day. Clanwilliam sitting pretty in an unassailable seventh position in the table could be forgiven for taking this one easy, but from the very first minute it was obvious from the ferocity of the opening exchanges that this was not going to be case. Cathal Hayes playing on the right wing for Thurles having to be removed from play with a serious shoulder injury in the first phase of play of the half, forcing an earlier than expected introduction of Luke Fogarty. Thurles had the best of the opening exchanges with a great break by Paddy McGrath and Sonny Dwyer had Clan back peddling and only some good scramble defence preventing Thurles first score. Thurles had most of the possession and field position for the first 15 minutes. A scrum penalty on 6 minutes resulted in a first shot at goal from forty metres for Conor O’Hagan which was narrowly missed. A messed up drop out by Clan gave Thurles a great attacking scrum on the Clanwilliam 22 metre line. Good attacking play by Thurles had Clan stretched but and under-resourced ruck 5 metres out gave Clan a relieving penalty after 10 minutes. It took 14 minutes for Thurles to register the first score – a penalty kickfrom 35 metres by Conor O’Hagan after yet another scrum penalty to Thurles. The Thurles forwards were dominating at scrum time this was one of three penalty awards. This was a trend that was soon to reversed with the next three scrum penalties going to Clan despite the fact their scrum was in reverse for most of this time. The half ebbed and flowed until on 25 minutes elapsed, poor handling by Thurles with the Clan try line beckoning resulted in a relieving kick and chase down field from Clan, Thurles recovered possession in their own 22 but failed to clear to touch. Clan counter attacked catching Thurles light on numbers on the blindside and despite having been reduced to 14 men worked as easy overlap for their winger to score. With their kicker in the bin Clan missed the conversion leaving the score 5-3 as the half hour approached. The response from Thurles was almost instantaneous. From the kick-off Thurles won a penalty at the breakdown and kicked into the Clan 22, won the ensuing lineout and produced some good phase play sweeping left and right before good hands out of contact by Joey Kelly to Sonny and Luke, who found Eamonn Connolly looping around wide on the left to score in the corner. The conversion was missed leaving the score, 8-5 to Thurles. The last ten minutes before half were error strewn with neither side managing to get time in the opposition red zone. Thurles however, suffered another injury set back when place kicker and full back Conor O’Hagan received a high challenge resulting in the referee’s insistence that he be removed from play for the rest of the game. This required a reshuffle for Thurles with James Maher coming into scrum half and Seamus Houlihan moving to the right wing and Paddy McGrath at full back. At half time the tension was palpable amongst the large Thurles support at the game. The consensus was that Thurles had left some scores out there and Clan had showed enough, particularly in counterattack to show they could score tries. The second half began with a sequence of Clanwilliam pressure from the kickoff. Excellent turnovers at the breakdown from Joey Kelly, Eoghan O’Dwyer and Eamonn Connolly on separate occasions halting Clan progress close to the Thurles line. Thurles started to rotate a tiring pack with Gerry McCormick replacing Dan Lee on 50 minutes and Joey Kelly following 55 minutes, replaced by Donnacha Ryan. Clan seemed to have pinched a vital try that may have sealed the game for them 20 minutes into the second half. But a flailing hand from James Maher dislodged the ball from the Clan wingers’ hand as he was about to score in the corner. The period from the start of the half until the half hour mark was a scrappy stalemate with unforced errors and a lot of penalties being conceded by both sides. Whilst full of physical commitment and bravery there was a nervousness to Thurles’s play and passes and moves that normally would have stuck were going astray. The game was drifting towards the inevitable car crash when a Thurles infringement at the lineout, resulting from yet another scrum penalty, resulted in an easy 3 pointer for Clan to level the game 8-8 on 35 minutes. There was to more drama when a poor kick chase by Thurles and swift Clan counterattackresulted in their winger making ground and kicking ahead – Thurles were lucky to escape sanction, as he was tackled after he had kicked the ball leaving Thurles with a 5m lineout in the dying moments. The resultant Thurles clearance kick was blocked down over the Thurles line resulting in a 22 drop out and chance for Thurles to relieve the pressure. With seconds on the clock Thurles having fielded a poor Clan kick in their own 22 counter attacked and worked some space for Eoghan O’Dwyer to drill a relieving kick out to the Clan 10m line. From the ensuing lineout Clan infringed at the ruck, and Thurles had a shot at redemption. All the while on the sidelinenews from the other fixtures was filtering through that a draw may be sufficient – no such thoughts entered James Maher’s as he nonchalantly stroked the ball between the uprights with his left boot. Cue relief and celebration for the Thurles lads and the large travelling support. This team as collective have great character and spirit. The pack and set piece were excellent particularly at lineout with Luke Kelly calling a lot of ball on himself.  Special mention to Thurles youngest player at the tender age of nineteen, John Shaw who played every league game at tight or loosehead head prop and had huge game on Sunday and credit to his durability and survivability to play so many minutes during the season and the full 80 yesterday. Special mention for two ‘old stagers’ Conor Moloney and Joey Kelly in the backrow who had to put their shoulder to wheel for the club in a backrow injury crisis and who had some big contributions over the last few weeksand games.

Taking the field for Thurles were 1. Dan Lee 2. Shane Nugent, 3. John Shaw, 4. Luke Kelly(Capt), 5. Colin Nolan, 6. Joey Kelly 7. Conor Moloney 8. Ciaran Ryan, 9. Seamie Holohan, 10. Eamonn Connolly, 11 Paddy McGrath 12 Eoghan Dwyer, 13. Sonny Dwyer, 14. Cathal Hayes 15. Conor O’Hagan – Subs: Ger McCormick(For Lee), Donnacha Ryan(for Kelly), Luke Fogarty (for Hayes), James Maher (for O’Hagan) , Richie Holohan, Ciaran Murphy, Andrew Bourke.