What a game this was an absolute belter of an encounter between two very well-matched and sporting teams. It is often said about finals that they do not always live up to their expectations / billing as being the best of spectacles but that does not certainly apply here. This match had everything, the lead changing hands-on multiple occasions, it was full of twists and turns, it was tense, the large attendance added to the atmosphere and there was literally only a kick of ball between the teams. Yet there had to be a winner as well as a loser and it was the J’1s that just edged it.

The first half resembled two heavyweight boxers going at each other from the outset. They slugged it out from the opening minutes with one team taking an advantage only for the other team to strike back. The only fair outcome was a split decision and really emphasizes the tight nature of this division all season. The game was played in beautiful spring warm weather with the sun shining and a large crowd in attendance with good support for both teams and this only really added to the occasion.
 For entertainment value it was a brilliant game to watch except if you are a coach/mentor. The margins were so tight that the result was uncertain right up until the very last play. It is an advertisement for all that is good in junior rugby with the result ebbing and flowing one way and then the other and as one spectator said to me after the game it was the best game played at this venue throughout this season. That no doubt is fair comment in what was a classic with no backward steps taken by either team played in good spirit and huge credit to both teams and management for that.

The half opened at a high fast tempo with good work from No.8 Louis McGauran from a scrum in the St Mary's ‘22-meter line. He got close to touching down only to be held up. The ball was recycled and this allowed scrum half Jack Connolly to finish off the move from close in and with his conversion 7-0. St Mary's struck back on the 10-minute marker with some very good slick passing from their backs in open play. This allowed their outside Centre to make a clean break and throw an inside pass to the supporting scrum half Shane McGrath who scored close to the right-hand posts. Inexplicably, the conversion from close in struck the upright resulting in a missed conversion. They were not to know then that this would prove hugely significant later in the game 7-5.

The Lansdowne pack, who throughout this game were immense as a unit, then found good field position within the St Mary's ‘22-meter line. This allowed second row Luke O'Connor score from close in and with Connolly’s conversion 14-5. This did not in any way affect St. Mary's game plan and back they came gaining field position in the Lansdowne half following the concession of several penalties. They went through the phases from a close in attack on the left-hand side and their scrum half McGrath sniped through a gap to double his try tally. However, again the conversion was missed 14-10 from out on the left.

It was the visitors who, despite having a scrum which was going backwards, were to score next. They have a slick fast backline, and the ball was moved out wide very skilfully through hands to their right winger Zach Hopkins who broke a tackle. He then cut in first and then out and in so doing wrong footed the defenders to score from the halfway line. They were now in front for the first time and the conversion was added 17-14. 

The J1’s had a real game on their hands, and they knew it. They responded following good attacking play including a super go forward carry from prop Ben Popplewell. The ball was recycled out on the right-hand side whilst going through hands only for a long pass to be thrown to winger Billy Foley who did the rest and scored in the right-hand corner. Again, Connolly with a touchline conversion, pushed the score out to 21-17, another lead change.
The breathless first half pace continued with St. Mary's striking back this time with their fourth try from Hopkins who again with quite a bit to do showed huge pace to score in the left-hand corner following very good play from the openside flanker. This time the conversion landed from the touchline and the lead changes hand again at 24-21.
There was still time on the clock and J1’s yes you guessed it struck back. Their now dominant scrum gained them penalty advantage allowing Connolly to put them in field position. Thereafter they secured a scrum close to the St Mary's line which was beautifully converted by McGauran and after Connolly’s conversion 28-24 lead change.
From the kick-off reception, the J1s immediately went on the attack again after a long kick. They gained good position close to the St Mary's line and were awarded a scrum a couple of meters out only for the referee after having awarded the scrum blowing for half time denying them the opportunity to increase their lead. 

This had been a breathless relentless all action first half from both teams with the dominance of the Lansdowne forwards being matched by the skill and guile of the St Mary's backs. At half time, it gave both teams a chance to catch their breath in what had been a fast-moving thrilling first half populated by eight tries four from each team. The message from the Lansdowne bench was that we needed to retain possession better and wait for our opportunities to come. There was a slight breeze in St Mary's favour in the second half and it was noted that the kicking game could be what would make the difference.

The second half was unsurprisingly at the outset a cagey affair with both sides trying to exercise dominance. At scrum time Lansdowne were very much in the ascendency but out of touch it was St Mary's who operated a very good line out with a fine display from their lock No. 4 Paul Deeney who caught everything that was thrown at him.
 The opening score of the second half was to be from a penalty goal by Connolly his 24th consecutive kick and pushed out the lead to 31-24. However, St. Mary's were far from done by and continued through their backs to probe away for the breakthrough that would bring them level. 

Replacements started to appear with the Lansdowne bench using their forward substitutes to keep the intensity up which certainly helped to maintain their dominance in this area. St Mary's themselves made changes and continued to attack the home team but with good defence from Lansdowne a lot of the game was played between both sides ‘22-meter line. Something had to give and St. Mary's whose ever-dangerous back line continued to probe away had started to press. From an attack out left on the 10-meter line the ball went through hands finding its way to their ace try scorer Hopkins. He this time as in first half cut back in and then out to breach the home Defence and score a fine try his third in the left-hand corner. This came at the midway point of the second-half 31-29 with the conversion to come which was narrowly wide.

The game had by now reached the final quarter and although both teams continued to go at each other by and large there were not many scoring opportunities. This was other than the refusal of a mid-range penalty effort from St Mary's from just outside the ’22 and the refusal of taking three points from St Mary's after a foray into the Lansdowne 22. 

For the J1’s they too had possession but seemed during this period of the game to be taking one step forward only to take two steps back following numerous infringements which were penalized by the referee. The penalty count was high and there was even talk of a yellow card if this continued.

The clock was ticking down into the last 15 minutes. The game had descended into a very tense affair, the noise had increased in the crowd with chants of Mary’s being matched by chants of Lansdowne. Neither team wanted to make that mistake that might cost the game. St. Mary's being the team who were behind were throwing everything at the J1’s and despite being awarded several penalties each time they would attack they were repelled, and the clearance was made. 

With only a couple of minutes to go on the clock they were awarded a penalty just inside the Lansdowne half on the right-hand side and their kicker opted for a shot. Could this be the winning score. He addressed the ball only for the strike to be on the high side resulting in the kick falling short of the posts. However disastrously for the J1’s the ball was knocked on giving St. Mary's a scrum five meters from the Lansdowne line. This only added to the drama, and you could sense that this was a huge moment in the game. The initial go at that scrum although looking like a Lansdowne penalty was given as a reset but the second time the defence was strong from the Lansdowne rear guard. St. Mary's were stopped close to the line. No.8 Louis McGauran excellently secured a turnover penalty adjacent to the Lansdowne posts on the left with the tension unbearable. Connolly kicked for touch and from the resulting line out with seconds to go an overthrow was gathered by St Mary's and moved across their back line only for the Lansdowne line to hold and tackles were made. Eventually from the ensuing ruck the ball was secured by the J1’s and booted into touch the final whistle sounded to huge jumps of joy from the Lansdowne team.

For St. Mary's you must give them huge credit. It would not have been an unfair result if it had gone in their favour. They had tried everything to get level from their talented back line. They certainly left all their efforts on the field and went down on their sword in what was an impressive display from them. They should be hugely applauded and deserve huge credit. 

For the J1’S a huge display from the Lansdowne forwards won this game. As I have said before about them, they grind you down as a game goes on. Special mention here for the front row trio of Popplewell, Van Dijk and Connolly who scrummaged beautifully and to a very high standard.

It was left to captain Clive Ross to raise the league trophy high to great applause from the spectators. It has to be said in the dressing room after the game you could see the huge efforts that had been put in by the players who took some time to recover after this game but had achieved a famous league win in a brilliant final. There was talk of the double for the first time with the first part of it secured this team now moves on to the second part which is trying to win the Metropolitan cup where they have reached the semi-final so far.

That will be the next fixture for this team against Seapoint in Ollie Campbell Park the home of Belvedere on Sunday the 6th of April at 3:00pm. The other semi-final takes place the previous day between Clontarf and St. Mary's. Something tells me that the sequel of Lansdowne v St. Mary's could potentially be the final combination, but we will have to wait and see if dreams come true. 

That is it for me, my piece on this match probably does not do it justice. During my time with this team, that was one of the best games that I have witnessed.