WANDERERS and Clontarf were given the opportunity - in some small way - to crawl out from under the avalanche of criticism Irish rugby has endured in recent weeks. They grabbed this chance with both hands at Lansdowne Road last night, and ran with it in this All-Ireland League Division Two meeting.

Admittedly, there were more mistakes than magic. But, the wrong option was always taken with the best intention in mind.

Were it not for Clontarf's fatal capacity to self destruct at the beginning of both halves, the northsiders may have taken more than just bruises home with them. As it was, the same two Wanderers forwards, Jim O'Callaghan and Michael Finlay, hit them twice where it hurt most - behind the Clontarf line.