The season has reached a stage where every game played from here on is a knockout game. This was a typical cup match which swayed one way and then the other with both teams having periods of domination and it was the J1’s who prevailed in what proved to be a very physical encounter. They looked ring rusty having not played for a couple of weeks and this was particularly evident in the first half. For Belvedere, this was their opportunity to take down the Division 1 champions and as a result they were really up for this game, and it looked like they had a 15-3 lead at the start of the second half that they were going to pull it off.
The game opened with both teams trying to feel each other out with some big hits going in. The J1’s, although having good possession squandered a lot of chances in looking for the final offload that was not there. It was not until the midway point of the first half after being awarded a penalty that Jack Connolly the Lansdowne fullback opened the scoring with a well struck penalty. This seemed to galvanize Belvedere into action, and they struck back a couple of minutes later with a very well taken try on the left-hand side from their winger and with a beautiful touch line conversion from their scrum half and kicker took the lead at 7-3.

The J1’s continued the first half pattern by having possession and trying to break through the Belvedere rearguard. It cannot be overemphasized not having played for a couple of weeks that this showed in their handling of possession with turnovers being given away in promising positions in the red zone. The lineout performed well and there was equity at scrum time. One felt the J1’s were trying too hard to make the breakthrough and as a result their first half performance was littered with mistakes which gave the Belvedere team confidence.

Lansdowne were attacking the Belvedere goal line in the last 10 minutes of the first half and the ball was moved through hands out on the right. However, from there an intercept by the Belvedere left winger. He took off down the sideline with supporting players behind him. Lansdowne struggled to get back and in a foot race with a couple of offloads the ball found its way back into the said winger's hands. He had gone the length of the field to score in the left-hand corner much to the Belvedere supporters joy and opening up a gap on the scoreboard. The kick was missed, and the halftime score would be 12-3.

The message at halftime was a stern one and it was pointed out that the large number of mistakes would lead to exit from this competition unless much improvement was made. This group are always a team that listen to such messages and that was to be the case here.

The second half opened in a similar vein to the first half with both teams cancelling each other out. Five minutes in after an infringement on the 10-meter line in the Lansdowne half, Belvedere were awarded a penalty, and their kicker expertly converted that opportunity to push their lead out to 15-3. It was now a two-score game, and the pressure was mounting to get the next score or face defeat. The j1’s responded and after good play by the forwards with a penalty field position was obtained inside the Belvedere ‘22-metre line. The ball was moved one way and then the other and found its way to winger Cathal Eddy who did the rest outflanking the defenders and scoring in the left-hand corner. Connolly continued his successful kick streak with a touchline effort to reduce the score to 15-10 game on.

The momentum of the game had changed, and it was now Belvedere who were doing the defending. The Lansdowne pack started a series of relentless carries which was putting pressure on the Belvedere defence. It was beginning to show as a number of replacements were made. The Lansdowne replacements certainly had an impact with good showings from James Kenny and Oscar Egan. Lansdowne gained good field position in the Belvedere half and from a back movement and skipped passes the defence was narrow. The ball was thrown out wide on the right to Oisin Devitt who had moved to the wing, and he did the rest running the ball in closer to the posts. Connolly of course converted his 20th consecutive kick and from a place where they were on the back foot the j1’s had taken the lead 17-15.

There were still a quarter of the game to go and at the midway point of the second-half Belvedere were awarded a penalty inside the Lansdowne 10-meter line on the left-hand side. Their trusty kicker you would have felt should have slotted but this time the ball went to the left of the posts and wide and one sensed at the time that this was to prove to be a costly miss.

That was the way it was to turn out as back up the field went the J1’s who are a team who grind you down and this is what they did here. The extracted a number of penalties and Connolly kicked them into good field position on the Belvedere ‘22 the ball was moved across the back line into the hands of centre Jamie McNulty who broke through his man and outpaced the defenders to score under the posts. Connolly converted 24-15. 

There was still time for Belvedere to come back and in fairness to them they threw everything at us and were rewarded with a penalty which they decided to go for goal. Their kicker this time slotted it 24-18. In the remaining time it was Belvedere who attacked looking for that game-winning try and during this period Lansdowne defended stoutly. This is what makes them a very good team when the pressure is on, they can raise their game, and they showed it in some last gasp defending. Here mention for centre Dylan O’Keeffe who had an outstanding game.

In fact, it took a penalty under the posts to the defensive team to break the shackles which was cleared. The game had been won in a close battle and after the other results a semifinal spot had been obtained against Seapoint on the 6th of April in Templeville road the home of Saint Mary’s.

Focus now turns back to the final of the league against St. Mary's a game which will take place in headquarters on Sunday afternoon the 30th of March at 3:00 PM. That promises to be an entertaining encounter between the sides who finished first and second in the league and all support would be hugely welcomed. This team deserve to win a trophy and on Sunday they will try to achieve that.