Days like this …

We can survive a mad man in the White House, 40 days and nights of rain and even repeatedly stubbing our toes at the edge of the bed … we can endure it all and more for days like this. What a joyful day of rugby.

First we win a vital fixture in the AIL, then the J4s win their League Final and, saving the best wine ‘til last, the unbeaten J2's, coached by former players: Angus Pigott, Rory Madigan & Aaron Daly, alongside Director of Junior Rugby John Delany and captained by Conor Linehan, put on a spectacle of joyful junior rugby in the Metro 3 League Final against Old Wesley. Gerry Thornley, apparently, said it was the best game of rugby he'd watched all season.... Apparently..

Days like this.

The fixture opened at a frenzied pace, so much so that the visitors had already scored by the time your reporter made it pitch side from the bar.  But after a good spanking for being late from fixture secretary Ricky Geraghty, who had engineered this wonderful festival of rugby, normal service was resumed and Lansdowne started to play five points down after five minutes. 0-5

Wesley had brought the big guns for a big start; their ruck speed and line running was worthy of the earlier AIL standard. But, after the initial hiccup, our defence was up to them.  Backrows Alex McEvoy, Arthur Henry and Aidan Long, tackled, jackled, rebounded and tackled again and when the ball went out the Wesley line, centres Jiggy Jiggy Walsh and Adam Galbraith did the same in the middle of the pitch. Whatever was said under the posts after the first try, it clicked. Our defence was immense. For over ten minutes Wesley rained attack after attack on us and with our courage and discipline marginally exceeding theirs, we forced a penalty and won a huge exit from the boot of Conor Linehan.

And from there, Conor’s mastery of his craft took full hold of the contest.  Moving the ball swiftly wide, or kicking for position, he put the visitors on their back feet for the first time in the game and worked us up the pitch so, lo and behold, we were inside their 22.

A scrum about 15 meters out was a close fought thing as Wesley put on a push, but adaptable as ever, scrum half Paul (PK) Kinney scooped it out to Conor who shifted his shoulders to look like he was winding up for a long pass to the left wing, drawing the defenders’ eyes that way, but instead he pops it inside to charging Adam Galbraithrunning a perfect line to take it under the post. Conor added the extras and it’s 7 – 5. Game on.

But the class wasn’t just on our side.  Wesley restarted with an excellent drop out and straight away they were passing our 22 like a horde of Visigoths looking for revenge (or a golden chalice or whatever Visigoths look for … anyway). The ball went wide on both sides, stretching our defences to the edges of the pitch, so when their 13 took a bee line for posts there was enough of a gap for him to get through. Fair play, it was an excellent try. And conversion. 7 – 12.

The game resumed like a showcase of rugby union at its very best. Speed, skill and courage from both sides and so sporting – the hardly visible ref said later that it was one of the best games he had ever refereed. But this glorious stalemate had to be broken and thankfully it was the home side that smashed it. Handing over commentary on next try to veteran J2 great and another Munster refugee, Rory “many nicknames” Cunningham: “Second row Eoin Buggy makes a great break off the back of a lineout and splits the Wesley defence in two, then ever-present scrumhalf PK moved the ball from the base, keeping Wesley on the backfoot, to Alex McEvoy who cut inside and fell over the line. We’d normally refer to Alex as “veteran” but compared to his ancient brother Will, who can now travel across the city for free, he's a rookie! Conor added the extras, 14 – 12 after 20 mins.

And almost from the restart we were back in their danger zone, now with the nerves of the first 20 minutes settled.  All 15 on the pitch were playing with clarity and intent, just like Andy Farrell's 2023 Ireland. Another of our attacks is brought down in the middle of the pitch about 20 meters out; the speed of ruck is breathtaking and as Conor draws defenders to the right with a run, Kinney sends it left to outhalf turned centre, Jiggy Walsh.  He draws a man then lets loose an Exocet of a pass to Rory Boyle on the wing, giving their floundering defence no chance. What a try. 19 – 12.

Wesley closed out an excellent half with a penalty and we went into halftime, 19 – 15.

After the extraordinary half time entertainment of the Italian visitors singing opera from the balcony, the second half resumed with the same energy and class that ended the first. And best of all, we were still on top. PK showed his full range of scrum half skills with a dinky little chip over the Wesley wingers which rolled into touch 5 metres from the Wesley line. The line-out, which took place right in front of the non-playing members of the junior squad, and the victorious J4 team (who were 28 Four Star Pizza's deep at this stage) misfired, and after several pick and go's from the pack, Aidan Long powered over for our fourth try. 

Now Lansdowne are rampant and within five minutes, Adam Galbraith crossed for his second try of the day, finishing off an amazing bit of counter-attacking in rugby, started by former Irish Star from Luke Fitzgerald, and with Conor's boot still on song, we’re pulling away 31 – 13. 

Not so fast, say the visitors, and as the game approached the final stages, just when normal mortals would be starting to tire, Wesley scored what could be the try of the game and bring us back to 31 – 22. But try as they might, that was as close as the magnificent Old Wesley side came to our even more magnificent lads.

The full time whistle marked the end of three wonderful games for the club and the beginning of a night of even better celebrations. 

Days like this.

 Match photos can be seen HERE