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Coolmine fall at semi-final stage of Spencer Cup
Coolmine 12 - 20 Seapoint

The curtain came down on the 2007-08 season for Coolmine rugby with a semi-final defeat at Ashbrook against Seapoint. This was the home club’s second loss to this opposition in a few weeks. Coolmine led the match 12-6 just after half-time and looked in a good position at that stage, but a two-try salvo from the southside club midway through the second-half decided the game.

The two sides had gone head to head in the Metro Cup semi-final just over a week earlier and since then Seapoint had gone on to defeat Lansdowne to win that competition. This battle was for a place in the Spencer Cup final to face CYM. Coolmine were missing a few familiar faces in the side, but at this late stage of the season, this was to be expected.

Coolmine opened brightly despite playing into a strong wind. An early visit to the Seapoint line yielded a penalty for Hayes, and not long afterwards Coolmine should have done better with a lineout on the 5m line. Niall Ganly was missed as the lineout was pinched by an alert Seapoint.

The two sides traded penalties as both sets of players were being put under pressure at the breakdown with lively back rows managing to steal turnover ball. Harley Murray was again a threat going forward, and Eoin Mullen, playing at openside flanker, made his presence felt across the park.

Seapoint looked dangerous with ball in hand but the Coolmine defence was efficient in preventing threats developing. The early exchanging of penalties left the teams locked together at 6-6 as half-time approached. Seapoint's Keegan kicked deep on several occasions, but another sparkling display by Niall O'Donoghue saw off that tactic; he made ground with every ball that came his way.

Just before half-time another penalty was converted by Hayes, kicking well into the stiff breeze to just scrape the effort over. It was 9-6 at half-time in favour of Coolmine with the game still very much open to either side.

The second period opened with some good carrying from the Coolmine forwards, but Seapoint put in a trademark turnover on the ground to relieve the pressure.

However, after fifty minutes, Conor Hayes made a clean break through the Seapoint defence and offloaded to Ruairi Farrell. He was caught short of the line but an infringement gave Coolmine a penalty. Hayes made no mistake to give Coolmine a 12-6 lead. One of the Seapoint flankers was also sin-binned so Coolmine had the upper hand at that stage. A good home crowd was getting behind the team and making its voice heard.

Coolmine’s opponents came up trumps at this crucial point in the game, howvere, as Seapoint rallied to drive deep into the Coolmine 22. Patient mauling by the forwards finally led to a try, rumbled in wide on the right. Liam McGrath was binned for deliberately collapsing the maul so both teams were now down to 14 men. The conversion gave Seapoint a one-point lead and an advantage they would not surrender.
The visitors began to get an upper hand in the final quarter, winning much more possession and thwarting Coolmine attacks. A turnover on halfway produced good ball and the Seapoint No.8 found a gap to go clean through. Covering back, Robbie Savage forced a rushed offload in his tackle and the winger, who was clear to the line, was called back for a forward pass.

Not long afterwards however Seapoint scored from a similar line break, this time the winger making no mistake to score out wide. Keegan converted to give them a healthy eight-point advantage.

Conor Hayes had an opportunity not long afterwards to reduce the deficit, but his effort drifted just wide. Mullen was replaced on 65 minutes by under-20 player, Johnny Lee, who was making his first appearance for Coolmine at senior level. But Seapoint made replacements of their own and controlled possession to close out the game.

However, Coolmine battled until the end, Ken Condon proving an effective impact substitution and Ollie Prunty rallying the troops up front with some good carries. The final whistle of the 2008 season was blown and the game finished 20-12 to Seapoint.

The Coolmine 1st XV may not have brought home the silverware this season. But certainly the team has taken a big step forward in its development under the tutelage of Bernard Jackman, who is head coach again for the 2008/2009 season. The 2nd XV's League win, as well as young U20s talent coming through, would suggest there is strength in depth, and certainly there is competition in the side that has not been in evidence before and there is plenty of reason to be optimistic for the future.

Coolmine 1st XV: 15. Niall O'Donoghue, 14. Rory Farrell, 13. Ruairi Farrell, 12. Alan Cousins, 11. Brian Smyth (Rob Kiersey 70), 10. Conor Hayes, 9. Mark Flanagan, 8. Harley Murray, 7. Eoin Mullen (Johnny Lee 65), 6. Ollie Prunty, 5. Liam McGrath, 4. Dave Toole (Ken Condon 65), 3. Kieran Cawley, 2. Robbie Savage, 1. Andrew Wood. Subs: Eanna Delaney, Ian Flynn, Rob Kiersey, Ken Condon, Johnny Lee.

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