Miller backbones resurgent Terenure

Anywhere else it might be called unpredictable. They begin by losing to two of the "supposed" relegation candidates, Blackrock and Buccaneers, then - inspired by a vintage Eric Miller display - deservedly end the league leaders' unbeaten record. But in Terenure, these things are normal, utterly normal.

Then again, at the risk of sounding Irish, this AIB League is quintessentially Irish. So it is that where there is a roughly equitable amount of talent, then the safest yardstick in determining the likely outcome is simply: who needs it most.

If one sentence summed up this game in a nutshell it was the typically phlegmatic viewpoint of the vanquished captain Kurt McQuilkin: "They wanted it more."

Terenure, after those early setbacks, turned around into a second-half wind on Saturday and realised that a hard-earned 6-0 lead was a scant buffer for what they were about to face into.

Nothing concentrates the mind like impending adversity and a simpler game plan. So they dug deeper than they'd done before this season, and on the day, way deeper than a disappointing Lansdowne.

"We realised that we needed another score if we were to win," said the Terenure coach Bobby Byrne. Necessity being the mother of invention, he reckoned that Terenure's slender lead probably forced them to play better than would have been the case had they used the elements to create a bigger lead in the opening period.

Making their intentions clear from Barry Everitt's deep restart, they recycled the ball up field ad nauseum. No matter if the close-in ruck yielded little or no yardage, they just kept going, and their ball retention, in the conditions, was, as Lansdowne coach Michael Cosgrave admitted "absolutely outstanding." It took them three scrums and almost 10 minutes to work their way into the Lansdowne half before a Rory Sherrif take and a drive led by Eric Miller yielded a nine point lead through Billy Treacy's penalty.

Repeating the formula from the next restart, gradually Terenure's monopoly of possession and relentless close-in running began penetrating even Lansdowne's famed fringe and midfield defence. Terenure's approach was tailor-made for Miller and Niall Hogan, as the pair of them effectively tied the game up. The more often Miller gets the ball, the better he plays. The moment of the match was his sublime blind-side chip and low gather on the bounce.

Terenure's naturalised 20-year-old South African forward Steve Barretto was often on the shoulder of the ball carrier, while Sherrif made many pick and go drives. But really it was a cumulative effort from the Lakelanders.

Few of Lansdowne's celebrated names enhanced their reputation.

Gordon D'Arcy counter-attacked very effectively in the opening period, but may as well have been a spectator in the second. Up front, though Colin McEntee did his damnedest, they were a particular disappointment. They were, however, granted an unexpected reprieve with a Brian Glennon intercept try from Dermot Blaney's over-ambitious pass for Brian Hogan. However Terenure's response was far from panicky; after Ciaran Clarke had taken the ball up the middle, inevitably Terenure then went blind for Miller to lead the rumble. Donal Hyland pierced the fringe and Brendan Kavanagh was the vital link for Niall Hogan to put his brother Brian over in the corner.

Lansdowne had cause for complaint that they weren't afforded an equalising conversion attempt in injury time as Gordon Black prematurely awarded them penalties just before David O'Mahony and Gabriel Fulcher plunged over. At the death Brian Hogan hauled down Marcus Dillon and his brother and Miller smothered the ensuing drive.

As Cosgrave also bemoaned; three successive penalties for varying infringements also gave an argument for a penalty try. "But that's not an excuse, we didn't play well. Fair play to them, Terenure deserved to win." On the same weekend last year, in marginally less foul conditions, Terenure had been bulldozed off the pitch by the Ballymena pack. That they could adapt on Saturday in such gritty fashion ought to do wonders for their self-belief. They've some big hombres up front now, and the more they gel - five were making their home debuts and this was only Miller's second game for them - the better they'll get, and when conditions do improve they've an outside three to rank with anyone's. They'll be kicking themselves for losing both those opening games.

The one blight on Terenure's improved horizon was an eye injury to Girvan Dempsey which necessitated a trip to hospital. But his vision was restored before he went home on Saturday night and he returned to hospital for precautionary tests yesterday.

Scoring sequence: 8 mins: Fitzpatrick penalty 3-0; 31: Treacy penalty 6-0; 50: Treacy penalty 9-0; 66: Glennon try, Kearns conversion 9-7; 71: B Hogan try 14-7.

Terenure College: C Clarke; D Coleman, B treacy, M Smyth, G Dempsey; C Fitzpatrick, N Hogan; S Barretta, J Blaney (capt), J Campbell, R Sherrif, D Quinn, D Blaney, E Miller, B Kavanagh. Replacements: C Potts for Quinn (41 mins); D Lynagh for Fitzpatrick (42 mins); B Hogan for Dempsey (48 mins); P Holden for Sherrif (75 mins).

Lansdowne: R Kearns; M Dillon, S Horgan, K McQuilkin (capt), G D'Arcy; B Everitt, D O'Mahony; R Corrigan, P Grimes, A McKeen, S O'Connor, G Fulcher, S McEntee, C McEntee, L Toland. Replacements: C Egan for Grimes (51 mins); B Glennon for Horgan (59 mins).

Referee: G Black (Leinster).