Is this our greatest ever team?

It was the 27th of April 2006 and the then captain Ciaran Cullen ended a 30 year cup drought for the club by lifting the Spencer Cup for the first time in the clubs history. That same year a Kenny O’Brien U18s team swept aside all before them in Leinster before loosing narrowly to a Ballinasloe team in the All Ireland Final. This was the greatest year in the clubs history.

Until now that is. Back then Clondalkin were languishing in the mid table of the Leinster League Division 3 with a relatively weak second string and the Spencer Cup victory over the now AIL Seapoint came as something of a surprise to many in Leinster rugby. However, when captain Dan Fitzpatrick lifted the Towns Plate last night in North Kildare the victory certainly did not surprise anybody not least the players and supporters of the club. Clondalkin rugby is now thriving with 4 senior mens teams along with a senior ladies outfit and the victory can be considered just reward for a team that were unlucky to miss out on promotion from Division 2.

A squad consisting of 6 players from that Spencer Cup team and 5 from the U18 Dream Team took to the field last night against a North Kildare side who Clondalkin had beaten on two occasions in the league earlier this season. Maybe it was complacency and maybe it was nerves but Clondalkin certainly did not play to their potential in the final. Clon got off to a good start with Captain Dan Fitzpatrick making two good breaks which amounted to nothing due to the player’s reluctance to get up his hole in support. Cant say we don’t know why that is. His second break saw him bursting from the ten metre line all the way to the five before being hauled down. With a quick Hail Mary he lobbed the ball over his head in the hope he had someone in support. However, the ball landed in touch and his best break of the season amounted to nothing.

Despite the injury of prop Ciaran Cullen, who has been dining out on his Spencer Cup glory for the past four years, Clon dominated the first twenty minutes and should have been well clear of North Kildare but for a lack of composure in the opposition 22 and the unexplained lack of accuracy from the boot of Chris Jebb who missed 3 penalties during this period. However, North Kildare were the ones who opened the scoring after a well worked backs move allowed their winger to go over in the corner. The Clon pack were unhappy about this and were intent on making up for their mistake. This came minutes later when they were awarded a five metre scrum. A dominant Sean Dunne put the heat on his opposite prop and almost single handedly had the scrum driving towards the line before North Kildare dropped the scrum. Kev Kelly turned the knob in the next scrum and again North Kildare dropped the scrum which had the ref run under the posts for a try that belongs to the Clondalkin pack which they dedicated to the injured Paul Nolan. Chris Jebb registered a penalty before North Kildare scored a second try after a defensive lapse from the Clondalkin outfit allowed their second row to go over unopposed from a 5 metre lineout to bring the half time score to 14-10.

Coach Paul Haycock let his players know they were underperforming and that their season rested on the next forty minutes of rugby. Clon decided to up the ante and forced a penalty five metres in from the touch line. Chris Jebb who had missed four kicks by this stage stepped up to the plate and called for a training ground move that has only ever been attempted before in exhibition games and has never yet worked. It says a lot of the former Ireland underage star that he would attempt the “Off the post and into the wingers hands” move in such an important game. The move was executed perfectly with Gary Donnelly the beneficiary of the move. North Kildare stopped him just short of the line. Mark Molloy picked and went but like the 1000 times before this season he was held short of the line. Donnelly the man who covered even more ground than Simon King during the game decided to have a second go and again was held up short of the line. This time it was left to the big men and Brian Doyle barged over to secure his top try scorer €50 for the season. Clon were now 17-14 up and with the Chris Jebb boot back in action it was always going to be tough for them to loose. Chris Jebb extended the lead to 6 and then North Kildare managed an unconverted try in much the same fashion as their original try with their back row going in unopposed from a 5 metre lineout. Score now 20-19.

A great break by Niall Nolan who was replacing his brother John on the left wing allowed Clondalkin the chance to go four in front which would leave North Kildare needing a try to win the game. Jebb obliged and now it was a four point game with ten minutes to go. Fantastic tackling from Sean Dunne and Simon King, who covered less ground than Gary Donnelly, made it difficult for North Kildare to get into the Clon 22. However, a Brian Doyle infringement meant Clon would have to finish the game with 14 men. Aging Mark Molloy was determined to win his second ever rugby medal and a smashing hit on the North Kildare number 6 forced the knock on that won Clondalkin the game. The diminutive number 9 again showing his eagerness to become acquainted with people in the number 6 jersey but this time he showed off a more aggressive side than the tender affectionate side that he showed the night after the Gorey game. With that came the referees final whistle and the ecstatic Clondalkin players and supporters jumped for joy.

Clon captain Dan Fitzpatrick was delighted with the win and was so overjoyed that he forget to keep putting the word right into his speech. He had this to tell clondalkinrugby.com “Ok, we got back from our tour on Sunday ok and a few of the boys were looking a bit worse for wear myself included ok, but credit to them ok, they showed up in Citywest and went through a rigorous army style workout on Monday thanks to and Dave Behan ok, and it shows their determination to win that they put in the hard work to get themselves ready ok. In fairness this just epitomizes the determination of the players throughout the year ok but equal credit has to go to the coaches and supporters without whom we wouldn’t have done this ok. The supporters in particular tonight really helped as they helped get the boys back going when the heads were going down ok. A special mention must go to Tommy Duffy who I think works a bus driver, ok. We all know he has a Gerry Ryan heart on him so the tension in the final few minutes must have been unbearable for him”. Fair play to you Dropper 1 said Dropper 2.

On a more serious note Dan has asked clondalkinrugby.com to give a special mention to North Kildare rugby for their hospitality on the night and looks forward to repaying the favour in time to come.

First team coach Paul ‘Hitch’ Haycock had this to say “This is a deserved end to a good season for the boys. I must pay credit to Big Dan for bringing the fitness of the club on leaps and bounds. At 34, he has showed great leadership to the younger lads in the team.”.

Clondalkinrugby.com put the question to Chris Jebb as to what went wrong with his usually sublime kicking. In his honest usual way he told us this “There was a funny glare coming from the sideline throughout the game and it really put me off my kicking. It was only after the game that I realized that it was Al Bolands new hair colour”. Fair play to you for your honesty Chris.


















Derek Murtagh signing out

Added by Murts May 6, 2010 (1:07PM)

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