What a turn for St Mary's. Asked to mine at the pit face under terrible conditions against a Garryowen side which had recently notched up 46 points against Galwegians, they did so like tunnel rats on holiday rates. There goes the Dublin side's reputation as a pretty, ball playing team. And good riddance.
St Mary's not only lasted the gruelling 10-man game, pulling away at the end to snatch those critical points and secure an upper-table foothold, but altered their reputation from a team that can play expansively to one that can also tough it out.
St Mary's would say that was always the case, but it was important to show it. The slippage that had been so apparent against Lansdowne and Ballymena over the last two games was gone, replaced with an efficiency that held Garryowen scoreless from the 24th minute until the end of the game. And that took some doing.
Their first-half performance gave the Dublin side a winning platform. Going in at half-time level at 7-7 and knowing that even Garryowen would sag with a biting wind in their faces presented St Mary's with an incalculable psychological edge.
"We dominated up front where the pack gave us a platform. Obviously to be level at half-time having played against that heavy breeze, we were happy. But we've lost games before where we've turned around with the wind in our back and didn't use it properly. Today we used it well," said coach Steve Hennessy afterwards.
John Hall, former Bath coach and now based in Dooradoyle, had no ready-made excuses for Garryowen's capitulation.
"I thought it was the right result," he said. "Their danger men were their big men in the back row and I though we allowed them run too much. They deserved their victory."
Intriguing rather than attractive, St Mary's game was characterised by the rampant Mark Cuddihy, Victor Costello and Trevor Brennan in the back row. Man of the match Cuddihy put St Mary's first points on the board after 17 minutes. A sweeping move left then right with the home side impressively retaining the ball through three rucks allowed prop John Maher to pick up and make ground. From there Cuddihy, as always, was at hand to advance on his knees before plunging over for the try.
Garryowen, who held territorial advantage, replied on 24 minutes after captain Killian Keane wisely kicked to touch to set up a line-out five yards out. Garryowen drove well in possession before Kieran Ronan grabbed the ball at the fringe and wriggled over. Ben Cronin left the Garryowen back-row with a shoulder injury after Keane's conversion took the sides level, but it was never enough.
Fergal Campion edged St Mary's ahead soon after the break before the Garryowen alarm bells finally started to ring. St Mary's broke into the Garryowen 22 from a line-out with Brennan and Maher each recycling. Finally Steve Jameson picked up, catching the stretched defence static and romped over for a 15-7 lead.
"I think our substitutions in the second half worked really well," said Hennessy. "Bringing Emmet Byrne on as a sub is obviously a bonus. He's played Leinster, Combined Provinces and Ireland A this year.
"We've lost a couple of backs from last year but we've beefed up the front. . . If you can't play 10-man rugby from time to time you may forget about it." Byrne's distaste for the tight-head prop position continues to be a feature of St Mary's team politics, but the substitutions, which also saw the introduction of Ian Bloomer for Dan Bourke, were canny. The home side finished defending a desperate last gasp effort by Garryowen. Fittingly Cuddihy, Brennan and robust centre Ray McIlreavy, who twice left the pitch for attention, were knocking them back at will. St Mary's look more complete than ever.
Scoring sequence: 17 mins: M Cuddihy try, F Campion conversion 7-0; 24: K Ronan try, K Keane conversion 7-7; 59: F campion penalty 10-7; 69: S Jameson try 15-7; 74: F Campion penalty 18-7.
St Mary's: K Nowlan; J McWeeney, P McKenna, R McIlreavy, P Lane; F Campion, C McGuinness (capt); J Maher, P Smith, P Coyle, S Jameson, D Bourke, T Brennan, V Costello, M Cuddihy. Replacements: E Byrne for Coyle (47 mins); I Bloomer for Bourke (67 mins).
Garryowen: D Crotty; M McNamara, K Keane (capt), R Durno, K O'Riordan; J Staunton, T Tierney; N Hartigan, P Cunningham, K Ronan, P Hogan, S Leahy, C Varley, B Cronin, D Wallace. Replacements: A Bermingham for Cronin (37 mins); R Laffan for Ronan (49 mins); P Humphries for Cunningham (54 mins); F Costello for Varley (70 mins).
Referee: B Sterling (Ulster)
