Two seasons ago, on their way to a memorable debut semi-final spot, there was a degree of inevitability about Buccaneers. No matter the opposition or the circumstance, grinding out a result became their trademark.
How ironic, then, after a summer spending spree that made their not inconsiderable investments of previous seasons seem of the tuppence ha'penny category, that the only inevitability about Buccaneers these days is that they will lose, regardless of possession or opportunity.
The reality is that many of their investments, not least behind the scrum, have not delivered.
There had been suggestions, after back-to-back defeats, that Terenure hadn't the stomach for the hard fight. They put that nonsense to bed at Ericsson Park on Saturday, not least in a stirring final quarter when Buccaneers, sensing a comeback, came at them propelled by a gale-force wind.
Terenure were 19-3 to the good when impressive winger Matty Walker sprinted in for a fine try down the left, and Eamon Molloy's touchline conversion left a nine-point margin with 14 minutes remaining.
Then Terenure showed their resolve of last year, and led by inspirational outhalf Shane Cullen, they kept it in tight.
Notions of a comeback were dispelled in the next movement, a yard-by-yard drive up the heavy field which resulted in Cullen putting the game out of sight with his fifth penalty of the match.
Appropriately, he finished the game scything through for a last-minute try.
They opened a 10-0 lead during the time Buccaneers flanker Ian Dillon, once more, found himself in the sin-bin, with Peter O'Malley linking well with Luke Hammond to power through for the opening try after 12 minutes.
But Buccaneers, facing the wind, took control for most of the second quarter and should have had more than Eamon Molloy's 36th-minute penalty to show for their hard work.
SCORING SEQUENCE: 9 mins: Cullen pen 0-3; 12: O'Malley try, Cullen con 0-10; 36: Molloy pen 310; 39: Cullen pen 3-13. Half-time: 52: Cullen pen 3-16; 61: Cullen pen 3-19; 66: Walker try, Molloy con 10-19; 72: Cullen pen 10-22; 80: Cullen try, con 10-29.
BUCCANEERS: R Lee; M Devine, E Molloy, P Whittaker, M Walker; G Austin; C Keane; J Screene, J McVeigh, M Cahill; C Brownlie, K Barrett; I Dillon, C Rigney, E Brennan. Replacements: A Hanley for Brownlie, M Foyle for Whittaker, C Finn for Brennan (all 52 mins); T Duignan for Screene (75 mins).
TERENURE COLLEGE: R Governey; D Coleman, M O'Kelly, M Smyth, J Coffey; S Cullen, D Hegarty; S Barretto, J Blaney, J Campbell; R Sheriff, D Quinn; A Ryan, L Hammond, P O'Malley. Replacements: K Putt for Coleman (48 mins), B Kavanagh for Hammond (49 mins), C Egan for Blaney (71 mins), K Coleman for O'Malley (76 mins).
Referee: S McDowell (Ulster)
Sin-bin: I Dillon (Buccaneers) 8 mins
