Cup Final Heartbreak for Bective 3XV
Bective Rangers 12 – 19 St Mary’s College RFC
VIEW MATCH PHOTOS credit: Ronan O’Riain
A breathtaking, relentless, intense cup final took place in Donnybrook last Friday night. The O’Connor cup is allegedly the J4 final. Ask anyone who was there, it felt like the Webb Ellis cup was on the line. A titanic battle on the hallowed Donnybrook front pitch saw St Mary’s come out on top in a match worth of a final.
Bective had an excellent run to this final. A first round 0-16 victory over Ravens showed our ability to grind out a match in trying conditions. The 10-36 semi-final victory over Railway showcase our ability to play in open field and inflict our game on the opposition. The coaches and players believed they had a trophy in them and a spot in the O’Connor cup final was well deserved. Coming up against our rivals at this level St Mary’s, always meant it was going to be a battle royale.
Mary’s drew first blood inside the opening minutes. Bective knocked on the kick off, instantly giving Mary’s great territory. From the scrum, Mary’s were set for a backline move but captain and scrumhalf Stephen Fox was a thorn in his opposite number’s side all match, wrapping him up at the nearest opportunity. From the scrappy ball, Mary’s held possession and the forwards battered the Bective line for a few phases, but the Donnybrook side’s defence held firm and repelled them. Mary’s then got quick ball from the ruck and fired wide to captain Thady McKeever who engaged in lovely interplay with the Mary’s fullback to put their wing over. The conversion was pulled wide, and Mary’s had the opening score in the final. 0-5 after just shy of 3 mins.
This could quite easily have been a chance for the heads to drop and the flood gates to open. But Bective regrouped and went on the attack. From the restart Mary’s gave away a penalty which outhalf Henry Carroll just pulled wide, but Bective remained deep in the opposition half. The ball retention was outstanding from Bective, Fox marshalling his forwards who made gains big and small with every carry. Dave O’Mahony at 8, Ross O’Donovan from lock and centre Ed O’Sullivan in particular made some bloody hard yards as Bective patiently marched up the field. Carroll then made the call for the backs to have a go, putting centre Rob Jolley through a gap for the line break. Repeated phases saw Mary’s pinged for offside, captain Fox pointing to the corner. The lineout was overthrown but tail gunner, prop Sean Hassett was alert, batting the ball backwards into the grateful hands of O’Mahony who was brought down 3 metres shy of the line. After a snipe from Fox, second row Ryan Murtagh picked and went for the line, flanker Rob Doyle helping him over for a great response from Bective. The conversion was wide, but Bective were back in the fight. 5-5 after 10 mins.
Overall, the remainder of the half was tit-for-tat, both sides making good ground and territory but either defence repelled and turned over, or attacking mistakes at the ruck or in handling would let the opposition off. Bective fullback Aerton Griffin made some notable contributions in attack and defence in this period and all game, fielding well from the back and slaloming past the onrushing Mary’s chasers. Wingers George Beeby and Emmet Geraghty chased hard and tackled harder, committing everything to stop Mary’s in their tracks. The Bective pack worked hard around the pitch. But, as in sport as in life, against the run of play after 31 mins, Mary’s struck. Bective defensive efforts had forced Mary’s into a turnover again on the Bective ’22. Bective played out and Mary’s captain McKeever read the play, intercepting, and running in under the sticks for a try. The conversion was straightforward and Mary’s lead 5-12 with 8 mins left in the half. Mary’s dominated the rest of the half, camped in the Bective half but the lads were resolute and repelled Mary’s time and time again. Halftime Bective 5-12 Mary’s and a second half with all to play for.
The conversation at halftime was positive from the lads and coaches. We had more in the tank, needed to shore up the ruck, and be more precise in our exit play. All things that are workable and tweakable.
The second half started as the first ended, both sides playing their games but being forced into errors by aggressive defence. After 9min Bective were blessed by the referee calling Mary’s back for a forward pass after their winger went over in the near corner at the Bective end. Mary’s continued to dominate the third quarter, finding the wide channels with excellent passing from their backline. On more than one occasion Bective’s scramble defence came to the rescue, last second interventions from the likes of Geraghty, flanker Adam Murphy and subs Eoin Bradley and Charlie Hughes, preventing Mary’s pulling ahead. But the visiting side’s efforts were rewarded after 58 mins. Mary’s spread the ball wide in the Bective ’22 with the scramble defence again covering well. But Mary’s were quick at the recycle and a pick and go saw them over, the conversion sailing between the sticks. Mary’s were feeling the pain of their two losses in the 2022 and 2023 O’Connor Cup finals and it spurred them on to a 5-19 lead, just shy of the hour.
If the third quarter was Mary’s, the fourth belonged to Bective as they hammered the Mary’s line repeatedly. With respect to Mary’s, their defence stood up to the relentless Bective onslaught and turned Bective over on a few occasions. But Bective came right back at them, concerted pressure eventually leading to a deserve yellow card for repeated infringements for Mary’s. Then, after Mary’s had turned Bective over and cleared their lines, Griffin went on a fantastic mazy run. Bringing the play back up into the Mary’s ’22, he offloaded to sub David O’Loughlin who found Luis Santana who somehow in turn, found Griffin again. Griffin tore down the blindside, stepping inside sensibly and popping the ball to Fox. Several hard carries from the pack later, Fox found Carroll who darted for a soft outside shoulder. Intelligently, centre Ed O’Sullivan picked up the ball and darted for the line from 2 metres out, the Mary’s defence finally giving way. The roar that greeted the try and Carroll’s conversion, was deafening. All of Bective, young and old, had come out to cheer the boys on. 12-19 with 5 mins remaining.
A grandstand finish awaited this epic cup final. The bench had been emptied well before this stage, Bective veteran forwards Ross Jones and Simon Besanson made their marks on the pitch (and some Mary’s tacklers) while resident Kiwi Anthony McLeod was a calming influence from the wing and support to Griffin at fullback. They all made their presence felt along with the previously mentioned Hughes, Bradley, O’Loughlin and Santana. A real 1-22 effort.
From the restart, constant hard powerful carries from Bective got us up to the halfway line, the Mary’s territory in sight for one last push. But Mary’s captain McKeever left us with a sense of déjà vu as he intercepted a tip on pass. While he was tackled well by the Bective cover. Mary’s held on to possession for the remaining 2 minutes of the half, kicking the ball out for victory. And heartbreak for Bective. Congratulations to Mary’s or a stellar win, another epic match to add to our ongoing rivalry.
Coach Shane Comer asked the lads for two things before the match kicked off; the right attitude and honesty of effort and my God did the lads deliver. This was a cup final of intensity and drama that had you on the edge of your seat from start to finish and belied the “J4” tag of the O’Connor Cup. The entire 3XV squad want to explicitly thank everyone who came out to support them on the day. The roar of a crowd that size isn’t rarely experienced at junior level, and it spurred the lads on to never say die and to fight to the bitter end.
We also want to say a massive thank you to Simon “Chuck” Byrne, Wewa Power and Rory O’Connor for live streaming the game with excellent commentary. Don’t worry Chuck, the jersey numbers will be more visible next season we promise! Louis Manahan has been an amazing support in helping us become more visible within the club. We also want to thank our amazing physio Róisín Brady for keeping the lads taped up in one piece all year, President Mick Shalloe and Junior Vice-President Jimmy White for the support off the pitch, and Mark and Sharon behind the bar for looking after us so well every time we crossed the club bar threshold. Former President Johnny Comer for his insights on the pitch and in training during this cup run, Manuel Alonso for his invaluable admin support, the 2XV lead by captain Ben Ryan and coach Mark “Gibbo” Gibbons for training with us in the buildup to the final. Our sponsors Danu Sports (Oisin Lennon)and SMP Financial (Donal Milmo-Penny) have been amazing, and we look forward to working with them again next year. And lastly to every Bective Member who’s cheered us on, particularly in the final; thank you for roaring us on all year, we’ll repay ye with a trophy don’t worry.
After the first couple of matches, this season could’ve gone one of two ways. But the lads dug in, trained hard and got to a final which was richly deserved. The 3XV lead by Coaches Col Bathe, Comer and player/coach Fox, have made the Bective community stand up and take notice this year of the incredible group of men who wear the Bective jersey with pride. There’s something special afoot in the junior section and silverware isn’t far away.
This year we laid the foundations. Next year we build the fortress. The 2024/2025 season is going to be something special.
FT score:
Bective Rangers 12 – 19 St Mary’s College RFC
Scorers: Ryan Murtagh (1 try), Ed O’Sullivan (1 try), Henry Carroll (1 con)
15. Aerton Griffin 14. Emmet Geraghty 13. Rob Jolley 12. Ed O’Sullivan 11. George Beeby 10. Henry Carroll 9. Stephen Fox (C) ; 1. Edouard Perrier 2. Eoin McIntyre 3. Sean Hassett 4. Ryan Murtagh 5. Ross O’Donovan 6. Adam Murphy 7. Rob Doyle 8. Dave O’Mahony
Subs: 16. Ross Jones 17. Eoin Bradley 18. Simon Besanson 19. Charlie Hughes 20. Dave O’Loughlin 21. Luis Santana 22. Anthony McLeod
photos credit: Ronan O’Riain
