Champions progress without hitting real form

The champions, Shannon, in pursuit of a fourth successive league title, achieved the primary objective when they opened their campaign with a win at Thomond Park on Saturday. But relief was the predominant emotion in the home ranks when the win had been secured.

It was a performance from the champions some considerable way below the quality they have produced so often and so effectively in their great run of success. They made some uncharacteristic errors, and the traditional fire allied to control and forceful and concerted rucking and mauling were in evidence infrequently.

Nor did the back row trio of Eddie Halvey, Anthony Foley and Alan Quinlan exert the expected influence. But despite playing badly by their standards, Shannon did have the depth of resilience to prevail.

That said, Dungannon deserve credit for the full-hearted nature of their performance. They were short three players, and in the prematch warm-up lost back row Andrew Hutchinson with a knee injury. That meant a late change and revision of the back row.

Yet for most of the match they gave as good as they got and they were in with a chance of creating a big upset. Their tackling was a notable feature of their approach. Their backs, however, did not carry menace as an attacking force.

Dungannon's Keith Walker, in particular, did well in the lineout until the closing stages when they got a bit ragged in this vital area.

Shannon's experience asserted itself in the end, and Mick Galwey also produced an effective final quarter that was an important element in his side's success.

It was another "old" hand in out-half Jim Galvin who got the vital try, converted by Andrew Thompson, which enabled Shannon to lead by seven points at a crucial stage. Thompson's kicking was another important element. He landed four kicks from four attempts; in contrast, Robin Morrow was successful with just one from four.

Galvin's try came in the 61st minute and it was Galwey's telling thrust into the Dungannon 22 which set up the attack. Galvin gained possession, saw a gap, sold a dummy, and cut through and scored near the posts. It was one of the few occasions when the Dungannon defence got caught.

That left Shannon 20-13 points in front with 19 minutes remaining. But there was no passive acceptance of defeat by Dungannon, even though Shannon did have the better of the final phase.

Thompson kicked a penalty after four minutes for the champions, but Dungannon replied with a try from Jeremy Hastings. It came after Dungannon established an attacking position near the Shannon line and Hastings crashed through after a tapped penalty.

Foley got a try for Shannon that came after some effective work by his pack - John Hayes in particular. Thompson converted. But it was not the prelude to any Shannon dominance.

Within three minutes scrumhalf Stephen Bell got Dungan non's second try in circumstances not unlike their first. So it was 1010 at the interval and 13-13 with 25 minutes remaining after Thompson and Morrow exchanged penalties.

But even after Galvin's try Shannon could not shake off the tenacious opposition. They might, too, have had reason to regret not taking a few easy penalty chances before the interval, when they opted to try to break down the opposition, without success, rather than putting the points on the board.

The Shannon coaching duo, Pat Murray and Niall O'Donovan, kept the players in conclave for nearly 20 minutes after the match. They come no shrewder than that pair who knew that this was one that might well have got away. Shannon have not lost a league match on their own formidable territory for four years and have never lost to Dungannon. Shannon will know that those two records could have gone by the board after this indifferent display.

"It was not a question of reading the riot act to the players," said Murray. "They are disappointed with the display. I was relieved to win and I thought Dungannon played well, and their tackling was especially good. Yes, we should have kicked those penalties in the first half. "Last season, and indeed in other years, we have made what you call a slow start to the league. We have won without playing anything as well as we can and that is what happened this time. This was the first occasion this season that the side played together and it showed out there."