Cork Constitution go the distance

AIB ALL-IRELAND LEAGUE FINAL: Cork Constitution 17 St Mary's College 10:WHEN YOU know how to win, you know how to win. Defending their line for long stretches as if it was for their lives, Cork Constitution twice struck stealthily to complete a unique AIB All Ireland League and Cup double. Constitution are the kings of this season's club game.

Winning trophies is in their DNA. This was Con’s fourth AIL crown, and they specialise in landmark titles, having won the inaugural league in 1991, the first AIB All Ireland Cup and now the first league under the new format.

Remarkably, it is also Munster’s 16th AIL crown in its 19-year history.

But St Mary’s, like Clontarf last year, need feel no shame in failing to augment their triumph of a decade ago. They too extended one of Munster’s mightiest clubs to 100 minutes of pain before going down, and at least this time Constitution actually won the title on the scoreboard.

This completed what coach Brian Walsh said was the toughest campaign he’d known in his six years at the helm. “The spirit of both sides was testimony to what value the league has this year in terms of rugby and quality. Two well-coached sides played an excellent brand of rugby and not a dirty swipe in the game, a fitting finale to what’s been a great league.”

A capricious wind and hard pitch meant this never quite scaled last season’s epic decider, but it was still a cracking final. Peter Smyth and the St Mary’s team had done their homework on the Constitution lineout, and picked off their first four throws. But Con boasted the best defence in Division One A and you could see why.

“We operate in an environment where fellas make their own decisions, and I know it sounds a bit silly but we try and make them grow as players and characters and people in terms of the responsibility they have to each other,” said Walsh. “And everybody buys into that and you could see that right throughout the game.”

Frank Cogan carried magnificently, the influence of the talented Peter O’Mahony grew more profound, as did Stephen Archer’s, Duncan Williams was assured and polished at the base, and ultimately they had match-winners in Jeremy Manning and the dancing Cronan Healy in what may have been their final games with the club.

Manning was a surprise late inclusion for only his third game of the campaign, although Smyth joked no selection from Munster and especially Constitution surprised him and that he thought of giving Jonathan Sexton a call.

In an injury-disrupted season, Manning had played one game fewer than the requisite three to be eligible for the play-offs, but a request from the Munster management meant he could play, and he appeared to have decided the tie with a try from his only break of the match.

But St Mary’s hammered away and their third, multi-phase assault on the line of the second half took the last play into the 89th minute, when Australian outhalf Shaun McCarthy went wide to Gareth Logan and took the return pass inside to score. With an eight-month campaign on the line, the acute conversion by Gavin Dunne, the league’s leading points scorer, was one of the kicks of the season.

As cramp spread like a disease, Constitution’s smattering of Munster full-timers was possibly a slight advantage in the additional 20 minutes, but even so they were obliged to win the game for a second time. And that they did.

Defending around their 22 with the breeze in the last play of the first extra period, Williams and O’Mahony blocked Dunne’s kick ahead. Williams made the follow-up tackle and O’Mahony pilfered the ball off the deck for Robert Quinn to link with Evan Ryan, who in turn found Manning. He considered going himself but instead worked a switch with Healy, who scored with a side-step under the posts.

As in regulation time, St Mary’s kept probing for the converted try that would have earned them a replay. Their pack won more ball, and their backs went through a far greater variety of moves, as they threw the proverbial kitchen sink at Constitution. Tighthead Robert Sweeney put in a phenomenal shift, as Smyth conceded with a mixture of awe and surprise.

It didn’t stop there either, for, as with them all, Hugh Hogan left little or nothing of himself behind. Damien Hall carried a ton of ball, Robin Copeland showed what an exceptionally talented lock he is, Mark Sexton showed a sharp game appreciation and Daragh Fanning, although rarely getting quality attacking passes, was immense under the high ball and invariably beat the first tackle in turning nothing ball into go-forward possession.

Smyth said he had never been more proud of his players and though “broken” by the defeat, he vowed they would be back. “Hopefully it won’t take us another 10 years to get back . . . In fairness to Brian Walsh and the Con guys their defence was superb. All credit to them.”

SCORING SEQUENCE: 5 mins:Manning pen 3-0; (half-time 3-0); 43: Dunne pen 3-3; 50: Manning try, Lane con 10-3; 80 (+9):McCarthy try, Dunne con 10-10; (full-time 10-10). 90 (+1): Healy try, Manning con 17-10.

CORK CONSTITUTION: S Zebo; R Lane, T Gleeson, E Ryan (capt), C Healy; D Lyons, D Williams; M Gately, R Quinn, S Archer, M O'Connell, I Nagle, P O'Mahony, E Leamy, F Hogan. Replacements: B Hayes for O'Connell (62 mins), B Cuttriss for Nagle (87 mins), A Ryan for Williams (94 mins). Not used: J Silke, G Murray, J McSweeney, T Conneally.

ST MARY'S COLLEGE: G Dunne; D Fanning, S Grissing, M Sexton, R Doherty; S McCarthy, C McPhillips; Rob Sweeney, Richie Sweeney, J McGrath, R Copeland, S Bradshaw, D Hall, P Nash, H Hogan (capt). Replacements: C McMahon for McGrath (half-time), G Logan for Bradshaw (56 mins), G Hickie for Richie Sweeney (70 mins), B O'Flanagan for Nash (72 mins), C Donohoe for Sexton (82 mins), C Quinn for McPhillips (86 mins), S O'Flanagan for Doherty (94 mins).

Referee: Alain Rolland(IRFU).