If a week is a long time in rugby, then a year is an age. Terenure reflected on this gutsy victory over Buccaneers as the type of game they would have lost last season, whereas Buccs rued it as one they would have won. Both assessments are undoubtedly on the money.
In a first division possibly more competitive than ever, with little between the bulk of the teams and the margin between success and failure growing ever finer, the end result is that Terenure have moved up to third place, while Buccs' third successive defeat leaves them third last. Thus far, it's almost a role reversal of last season.
This is typical Terenure of course. When considered top four dark horses, they flirt with relegation; when regarded as potential strugglers, they rub shoulders with the leaders.
In explaining the relative turnaround, Gerry Murphy, the Terenure coach, said simply "this is a young side. These things take time; I think the average age is about 22 or 23."
"I'm happy with the four points," added Murphy. "I suppose we've played better and lost. Our defence was very good and we're happy to be where we are."
Nevertheless Murphy played down the significance of their lofty position, pointing out that their next four games are against Young Munster, Dungannon, Shannon and Cork Con.
Their two under-21 props, Steve Barretto and John Campbell, added another string to their bow by more than holding their own against Buccs' battery of bulky Connacht full-timers, while Rory Sheriff has grown into his role as captain. And when Eric Miller plays, as he did yesterday, (only his fourth AIL game for the club) then he holds the back five together well, while Richie Governey and David Lynagh have solved the out-half and goal-kicking conundrums.
Miller was Terenure's main ball-carrier into the first-half gale but more than anything it was the collective heart and tackling of the entire team which ensured the type of win which gives a dressing-room as much satisfaction as can be had.
Consider that Buccs had about 20 close-range tap penalties, scrums and line-outs and yet couldn't breach the stubbornest of defences. The countless, try-saving close-in tackles were epitomised by the flankers Colin Potts and Dermot Blaney, hooker James Blaney and, naturally, Derek Hegarty (sleeves-rolled-up encounters such as this hold no fears for him).
The nature of this game was cast in stone literally with Governey's kick-off, which didn't so much fail to go 10 metres as boomeranged back to the Terenure 22 for a Buccs' line-out. The crowd howled with laughter but for the poor unfortunates on the pitch it was no laughing matter and soon a predictably grim but titanic struggle ensued.
As Murphy agreed, it was almost easier to play into the wind than with it. Certainly Buccs seemed quite perplexed as to what to do with it. After Simon Allnutt kicked them ahead, and Lynagh's attempted retort had been blown back after possibly bisecting the posts, Eamonn Molloy's kick from the ensuing mark actually went dead at the other end of the pitch.
After Miller had had his first dart from the scrum, he then orchestrated a close-in maul with Rory Sheriff and Dermot Quinn from which the latter touched down; Lynagh converting. Buccs' muddled mentality was compounded by Allnutt missing three penalties to go with his second three-pointer; Owen Cobbe then taking a quick tap before Molloy missed a drop goal from the third recycle.
However, even without flu victims Gavin Webster and Martyn Steffert, as well as the demoted Stephen McIvor (not even on the replacements' bench) Martin Cahill led the way as Buccs began to mount some sustained pre-interval, if unrewarded, pressure.
Alternate sin-binnings for John Maher, on half-time, and subsequently for Potts, contributed to the trend of the second-half; Dermot Blaney making a brilliant pick up from a backpedalling Buccs' scrum as a prelude to Lynagh's vital second penalty before Buccs' ultimately encamped in the Terenure 22.
Scoring sequence: 2 mins: Alnutt pen 0-3; 6: Quinn try, Lynagh con 7-3; 16: Alnutt pen 7-6; 47: Lynagh pen 10-6.
Terenure College: G Dempsey; M O'Kelly, S Cullen, M Smyth, D Lynagh; R Governey, D Hegarty; S Barretto, J Blaney, J Campbell, R Sheriff (capt), D Quinn, C Potts, E Miller, D Blaney. Replacements: J Sharpe for Quinn (71 mins), C Long for D Blaney (77).
Buccaneers: C Kilroy; M Devine, E Molloy, M Deane, R Lee; S Allnutt, O Cobbe; J Maher, J McVeigh, M Cahill, Donal Rigney, R Keady, Des Rigney, C Rigney, O Brennan. Replacements: (temp) J Screene for Keady (41-48 mins), Screene for Maher (59), N Rusk for Des Rigney (59).
Referee: O Trevor (Munster).
