A stiff south westerly breeze greeted the players for today’s league encounter and match preparation got the players moving and contact ready to face the visitors, Inveragh Eagles who made the long journey to Charleville. Although the demands of other sports had affected the numbers of travelling players who fielded a team of thirteen, it was quality over quantity that counted to make for an excellent contest. With the semi-final of the BOI Cup coming up next weekend, today was an opportunity for the full squad to get game time and put a marker down.
Charleville started the opening half with the wind at their backs and elected to receive the kick off. This gave them the chance they relish to carry the ball back to the opposition and get that all important first gain line contact done and dusted to set the tone for the match. But Inveragh had other ideas and what ensued over the next 16 minutes was a fierce contest, as Charleville looked to get phase play going. This was met with Inveragh high press and excellent defensive line speed that made every Charleville yard gained very hard won. Inveragh were also aggressive at the breakdown and managed to slow Charleville ball down, which was a bonus for their large pack.
Through the middle of the half the conditions became more challenging and knock-ons increased, slowing the tempo of the game. Inveragh continued to compete at the breakdown, but a series of penalties for high tackles and coming in from the side of the ruck gave Charleville the opportunity to move the ball quickly from the point of attack. Alan Krause, who had made three hard straight carries earlier in the half, managed to break through the Inveragh defensive line at pace this time to dive over the line under the posts in the 16th minute for a converted score by Harry O’Conner to set a half time lead 7-0.
Charleville made some early substitutions to bring in more of the squad to get game time and experience against a good committed Inveragh team. With the Charleville boys playing into the strong wind, looking after the ball and phase play to work up the pitch was going to be essential. Inveragh started the 2nd half well, getting the ball to their hard running 10 who made good yards down the left, passing out wide for Inveragh to finish the move with a score in the corner in the first minute.
Charleville are nothing if not packed with grit and were determined to stop a pattern of taking their foot off the gas and letting sides get the upper hand early in the 2nd half of matches. Inveragh continued to contest hard and the breakdown and looked to release their pacey backline out wide. Charleville made some crucial tackles in the wide channels to keep Inveragh at bay. Charleville resistance became fiercer as Inveragh came into their 22 and this yielded a turnover ball, which was popped out to an already running Alan Krause, who beat all efforts to halt him to score his second try to make it 12-5.
What followed was an intense physical contest with both sides fully warmed to the task and competing for everything. Charleville cut down the handling errors and looked after the ball through a series of phases as they worked up the pitch. The protection of the ball at the breakdown by Charleville was a significant step up from the opening half and was rewarded 10 mins into the 2nd half when Ronan Hayes took a pass from the ruck to beat three defenders from 10 metres to finish off an excellent team score to make it 17-5.
More Charleville substitutions were made as they prepared for the restart. The adjustment caught Charleville cold and a knock on from the kick off allowed Inveragh entry into the Charleville 22. Although now uncontested, the central scrum allowed Inveragh to split the defence and their nifty 9 popped a pass to their hard running 10 who powered through the middle to finish under the posts for a converted score to narrow the gap to 17 -12 with 5 minutes to play.
Charleville boys have grown with their experience this season. They didn’t need to be told what they had to do. They knew it already. What’s more is they believed that if they stuck to their game and with each other, they could go right back up the field and close it out. Charleville put big pressure on to follow up the restart. After a few phases of ruck contest in their 22, Inveragh looked to take advantage of the wind at their backs and kicked the ball deep into the middle of Charleville half. Charleville were swift to collect and run the ball back and were now in their element, carrying the ball straight and with big physicality from their pack. With Harry O’Conner at 10 continuing to take the ball to the line on each phase play, Charleville again pushed their way into the Inveragh 22. Now in the final minute of the match, Charleville were exactly where they needed to be. But not content to run the clock down, they looked after the ball to get into the red zone and from 7m out Ronan Hayes powered over on the right hand side to finish the match with a convincing and deserved 22-12 win.
With so much physical effort put in by the Inveragh boys, they chose to end the contest at the end of the 2nd 17 minute period to head to the changing rooms for some well earned refreshments provided by the Charleville team parents, who once again outdid themselves with the spread on show.
This now makes it three wins from three in the league and BOI Cup for the U14/U13 boys. As they grow and progress with each outing, they are looking forward to stepping on again in the Cup Semi-Final at home next weekend. There will be a lot of hands up to take the field that day.
