THE MUNSTER Senior Cup, a competition sponsored by Carling, has gone back to a familiar setting, the Garryowen clubhouse at Dooradoyle. In the final yesterday at Thomond Park, Garryowen saw off the challenge of Young Munster to regain the trophy last won in 1995 and captured it for a record 35th time.
It was a final in the best traditions of this great competition. It was a tremendous contest, full of passion, relentless endeavour, courage and total commitment that held the crowd of over 8,000 captive to the last dramatic minute.
In the end Garryowen prevailed and just about deserved to do so as they scored the game's two tries and fine ones they were: But as they held on to a six points lead as the match entered the final five minutes, Young Munster very nearly stole it as they laid siege to the Garryowen line in front of the posts in a desperate attempt to get the try that would have given them the match winning chance with the conversion.
But Garryowen held firm as Young Munster scorned two penalty chances to try and drive over the line. Then Garryowen had to withstand three scrums in front of their posts, but they survived to embellish their magnificent cup record.
"I was very relieved to hear the final whistle," said Garryowen captain Killian Keane, who took over the leadership of the side in the absence of Paul Hogan. "It is tremendous to captain Garryowen to win the cup," said Keane, who joined the club from UCD three seasons ago and must be on9 of very few Dublin men to captain a Munster Cup winning side.
"It would have been a great way for Young Munster to win with a try and conversion in the last minute but a real sickener for us to lose that way," said Garryowen coach Philip Danaher. "I thought we showed great composure in defence in those final minutes. I felt really we should have been more than six points in front at that stage.
"We had a poor league campaign and winning the cup is a great way to end the season and great honour for us. I thought the Young Munster midfield backs and full back played very well and we had to have a good defence to deal with them. We knew Young Munster would come at us - and they did - and we had to be very resolute to keep them out."
One left with considerable sympathy for Young Munster, who have never defeated Garryowen in the final and who have now lost no fewer than six finals in the last seven years. Like Garryowen, Young Munster were also without their captain, Declan Edwards.
"I thought we were going to win it in those last dramatic minutes," said a very disappointed coach Dan Mooney. "In fact when the referee blew the final whistle I thought it was to signal a try for us. We went so very near. No doubt some will say we should have tried to drive them over the line from those late scrums, but Mick Lynch and Mark Fitzgerald were both held just about an inch short of the line and Des Clohessy was almost in twice.
"Garryowen defended very well all day and they defended well in the final minutes. While our backs played well, I thought some of our tactical kicking was too loose. That gave them the put in to the lineout," added Mooney.
Too often Young Munster kicked to touch rather than try and make Garryowen kick it out of defence to touch. Garryowen invariably won their own lineout and had a real ace in Shane Leahy. His play had a profound bearing on his team's success.
Michael O'Halloran also did very well for Young Munster in the lineout on his side's putin and at times the pack mauled with great effect. They had tremendous workers in Des Clohessy and Earls in the back row and in that area Ben Cronin had a very good match for Garryowen, while Andrew Bermingham brought off some very effective tackling.
Garryowen were the more creative and composed side in the first half and led 12-3 at the interval. They scored an admirable try after eight minutes when scrum half Stephen McIvor, who served his side well, set up an attack on the right, Joe Brookes made ground and then found Jack Clarke on his inside as the tackle came in. Clarke took the pass to score wide on the right. Keane kicked a superb conversion. Aidan O'Halloran landed a penalty for Young Munster in the 21st minute, but four minutes later Garryowen struck for a second try.
Attacking right to left, Dominic Crotty was tackled but Garryowen won the ensuing ruck and yet again spread the ball left to right. This time Clarke provided the pass for prop Kieran Ronan to score. Keane missed the conversion.
At this point Garryowen looked to be in command. But in fact they did not score again, as the Young Munster defence read their brief well and contained the backs.
Young Munster are nothing if not resilient and it showed in the second half. Mick Lynch missed a penalty chance at an early stage but when Aidan O'Halloran kicked a goal in the 52nd minute, the Garryowen lead had been reduced to six points.
It was cut and thrust. A superb tackle by full back Peter Boland on Keane saved the Young Munster line but as the match entered its final phase, Young Munster established a footing in the Garryowen half and did not surrender it after Keane had been wide with a 35 yard penalty attempt.
Then came the final five pulsating minutes as Young Munster hopes rose and fell and Garryowen hearts missed many a beat before the famous victory anthem, Hurrah For Garryowen, was sung with pride and passion from the victory rostrum. It was one of Garryowen's most famous sons, former international Paddy Reid, president of the Munster Branch, who presented the cup to Keane. Fifty years ago, in 1947, Reid had received this trophy when he captained Garryowen to victory in the final over Young Munster.
