Clane RFC 8-5 Ardee RFC: Clane overcome Ardee in second home game of the season

Clane remain unbeaten at home after a very hard-fought victory against Ardee, who came to the Ballinagappa Road top of the table. No quarter was given by either side as they struggled for dominance, with opportunities at a premium for much of the game. Tight defence and persistence gave Clane the belief they needed to finally take the lead in a game that could’ve gone either way.

The game didn’t start particularly well for Clane, with Ardee finding space down the wing soon after kickoff. Some nice interplay from their backs led to them scoring early on. They failed to kick the conversion from a difficult angle however, leaving Clane well in the game. The home side used this as impetus to score themselves, building up pressure in the opposition 22. They forced a penalty and went for the lineout, which Clane mauled. The forwards built up the phases before the ball was spread wide, but the Ardee defence held firm. Eventually Clane found a gap via Stephen Dwyer, who managed to wriggle his way over the line for his second try of the season. Clane failed to add the extras, leaving the scores level.

Ardee wouldn’t take that lying down, and soon began to establish their own territory in Clane’s half. They again found space down Clane’s right hand side and almost went over, but excellent scramble defence held them at bay. The away side eventually got over the line, but a ferocious effort from the men in red and black held them up and pushed them back. Luke Gannon then managed an outstanding turnover to relieve the pressure and get Clane out of their own half. The first half ended with both sides locked in stalemate.

Clane had to withstand an onslaught from Ardee in the second half, with the opposition camped inside their 22 for much of the opening exchanges. Ardee kept their foot on the gas and forced scrum after scrum trying to seek ascendancy in that area of the game. Clane refused to budge however, and didn’t allow themselves to be pushed over. Due to the home team’s tight defence, Ardee eventually opted to kick at goal, but missed. As tensions mounted, the referee showed yellow cards to Clane and Ardee for some afters. The pressure continued on, but another superb turnover, this time from Cormac Palmer, allowed Robbie Hyland to kick clear.

Clane managed to force a scrum from the resultant lineout and blew Ardee off the ball, winning a penalty. They managed to flip the script from the early parts of the first half and began to force Ardee back, leading to another penalty. The kick was missed, but this didn’t dishearten Clane who ratcheted up the tempo once more. They played keep-ball, starving their opponents of possession and tiring them out. This tiredness told as Clane were awarded a penalty in front of the posts with two minutes remaining. Joel Dyer made no mistake from the bench, slotting the kick between the sticks and finally putting Clane into the lead.

The visitors were never going to make it easy however, and a great kickoff meant they got the ball back. They focused on their strong attack down the right wing yet again, and made good ground doing so. Just as it seemed they might be building a head of steam, Enda O’Connell stopped all of their momentum dead with a textbook tackle, driving them back 5 yards in the process. This forced Ardee to move the ball to the other side of the pitch where they received a penalty for not rolling away. From the set-piece they again moved the ball sideways, forced wide by great work by tired Clane legs. Ardee were living dangerously, and Brian Corbett managed to hack the ball into touch, winning the game for Clane.

Clane will be delighted at winning such a tight game, especially against a side who were one game from promotion last season. Every aspect of their game was tested fully during the 80 minutes, with the scrum and defence under particular scrutiny. They denied Ardee the advantage they were clearly seeking at scrum time, and consistently repelled their opponents’ attacks. Ardee could’ve won the game too, and will feel unlucky to come away defeated in the end. The return game promises to be a cracker. This was the ideal way to bounce back after a disappointing outing against RCSI last time out, and Clane will be looking to make this home advantage count again next week, against league leaders Roscrea.

We hope to see you there!