Old Crescent given a harsh lesson in cup

OLD CRESCENT, who won the second division of the All-Ireland League and were the only team in the country to go through their league campaign unbeaten, will not be having a protracted run in the Munster Senior Cup to add to their achievement. They got a telling and informative lesson in the form of a 30-19 defeat from Cork Constitution in the quarter-final tie at Thomond Park on Saturday, that the demands in the top sphere of league competition next season will impose their own very stringent demands.

Old Crescent went into the match with understandably high copes that they would defeat Cork Constitution in the cup for the first time since a famous win in the early days of their senior status in 1955. In the initial stages of the match the hopes that ambition might indeed be matched by achievement, seemed to have a reasonable foundation. Their pack did well, they drove at Constitution and established some good attacking positions and were they were not inhibited even after Paul Burke had given Constitution the lead with a penalty in the fourth minute.

But Old Crescent needed points on the board and their failure to get them, allied to a predictable attacking strategy consistently moving the ball off both sides of scrum, ruck and maul and seeking the breakthrough too close to the forward exchanges, was an unprofitable exercise. The Constitution defence was proof against that tactic. They had, too, in Burke, a commanding figure in a key position at outside half. He contributed 20 points with four penalty goals, a conversion and two beautifully taken dropped goals.

He also split the Old Crescent defence with a superbly timed, long accurate pass, that opened the way for a try from Brian Walsh midway through the second half and which effectively killed off the Old Crescent challenge. In contrast to Burke kicking accuracy, Brian Begley had an off day with his kicking. He missed three chances in the first ha If and another early in the second and by then Constitution were beginning to exert control with their craft and experience very evident.

It was a point not lost on Old Crescent coach Jed O'Dwyer. "We just did not play well. They showed their experience and read our hand very well. We never really got going and did not play as we had hoped and intended. We missed Liam Toland and they had the craft to see them through. We also conceded a try just after, we had got the lead in the closing stages of the first half and that, was an important score and we missed some chances."

Constitution coach Christy Cantillon, in contrast, was especially pleased to get out of Limerick with a win. "They were on an high after the league and I had some apprehension about the match. I was very pleased with our second half display, our tackling and defence generally were excellent when we needed it, we did very well in the line-out especially in the second half and Paul Burke was superb."

The two tries Constitution scored came at crucial times. The first in the 31st minute was scored by Niall Murray after a very well placed chip down the touchline by scrum half David O'Mahony. Old Crescent had just taken a 6-3 lead when Stephen Tuohy dropped a goal to supplement Begley's 22nd minute penalty. That try left Constitution 8-6 in front and then Burke kicked his second penalty just on half time and Constitution led 11-6. Two penalties by Burke within 12 minutes of, the restart edged edged Constitution 17-6 clear before Begley kicked his second penalty for Old Crescent to make it 17-9 and a flicker of hope. Then Walsh struck with that fine try. Burke converted and at 24-9 Old Crescent's cause was lost.

Begley kicked a penalty in the 65th minute, but Burke replied with a dropped goal. Then Old Crescent got reward for their persistence when Diarmuid O'Malley got over for a try and Tuohy converted. But appropriately Burke had the final word with a dropped goal in injury time.

Queensland fought back from the brink to score an injury time try and pip Natal 21-20 in a thrilling Super 12 encounter at King's Park yesterday. Trailing 20-14 after 80 minutes, Queensland capitalised on a horrific defensive error by Natal for centre Jason Little to crash over under the posts. John Eales kicked an easy conversion to seal the win.