Kilkenny 1-28
Galway 1-27
Kevin Egan reports from Tullamore
AN INCREDIBLE, MEMORABLE and enthralling contest in Tullamore ended in the biggest shock of the U20 championship so far, as Kilkenny came from five points down in extra-time to pull off a remarkable victory that will live long in the minds of all involved.
Throughout the contest, the metronomic free-taking of Billy Drennan kept Kilkenny in contention. The Galmoy player hadn’t put a single dead ball shot wide of the target until he stepped up to one midway through the second half of extra time.
He didn’t put this one wide either, but instead dropped it fractionally short, enough for John Cooney to put up his hurl to knock the ball down and prevent the point. This proved to be the wrong call as the sliothar fell into the palm of Gearóid Dunne, and he fired in the goal that put Kilkenny three ahead.
Still the Tribesmen roared back, and Cooney seemed to have redeemed himself when he hoisted over an incredible long range free to tie the game in the 80th minute.
There was still time for more drama, and while Galway were the team that came up with the match winning score after Kilkenny equalised at Pearse Stadium yesterday, the roles were reversed this afternoon in Tullamore, as Joe Fitzpatrick came up with a skyscraper of a strike to send Kilkenny through to a Leinster final decider against Wexford.
The mesmerising, breathless finish to the game was a far cry from the cautious and cagey early stages of the contest, where both sides had two extra men back in defence.
The difference between the teams at that stage was that while Kilkenny found it impossible to connect with their inside forwards and didn’t score from play until the 24th minute, Galway’s Liam Collins seemed to be able to come up with possession despite being double marked time and again, and he picked off some majestic early points from play as the Tribesmen moved 0-9 to 0-4 ahead.
The closing stages of the first half saw Kilkenny settle into the game however, as they changed around some of their match-ups to address problem areas of the field.
Harry Shine picked off an excellent point as Kilkenny got back to within two, though the second of three excellent Alex Conaire scores pushed Galway three up again by half-time, 0-11 to 0-8.
The story of the second quarter was the story of two missed penalties, both easy decisions for referee Richie Fitzsimons. Twice Liam Collins stood on the 20 metre line with just Aidan Tallis to beat, and twice his effort wasn’t in keeping with his general play or his dead ball shooting from distance, as the Kilkenny goalie easily saved both efforts.
With confidence rising, Kilkenny took a two point lead into the final quarter, powered by Drennan’s frees and further scores from Timmy Clifford. Galway found another gear however, and they moved 0-18 to 0-16 and then 0-19 to 0-18 in front, up until Drennan’s solitary score from play tied up the teams and sent the contest into extra time.
It looked for all the world as if Galway’s bench was going to win the day, as the Tribesmen moved 1-24 to 0-22 in front, with every score – including a goal from Reuben Davitt – coming from one of their substitutes.
That would have been far too simple. Three Drennan frees and a snapped score from Jack Doyle tied up the game, before Dunne’s goal and Fitzpatrick’s late winner sent the Kilkenny crowd into raptures.
Scorers for Kilkenny: Billy Drennan 0-17 (0-14f, 0-2 65s), Timmy Clifford 0-3, Gearóid Dunne 1-0, Harry Shine 0-2, Joe Fitzpatrick 0-2, Jack Doyle 0-2, Ian Byrne 0-1, Ted Dunne 0-1.
Scorers for Galway: Liam Collins 0-12 (0-6f, 0-1 65), Reuben Davitt 1-1, Alex Conaire 0-3, Diarmuid Hanniffy 0-2, Colm Molloy 0-2, Diarmuid Davoren 0-2, Declan McLoughlin 0-1, Seánie McDonagh 0-1, Greg Thomas 0-1, Tiernan Leen 0-1, John Cooney 0-1f.
Kilkenny
Aidan Tallis (Lisdowney)
Niall Rowe (Dicksboro)
Billy Reid (Glenmore)
Seán Purcell (Windgap)
Joe Fitzpatrick (Dunnamaggin)
Pádraic Moylan (Dicksboro)
Paddy Langton (Young Irelands)
Killian Doyle (Emeralds)
Andy Hickey (Dunnamaggin)
Timmy Clifford (Dicksboro)
Denis Walsh (Dunnamaggin)
Peter McDonald (Thomastown)
Billy Drennan (Galmoy)
Gearóid Dunne (Tullaroan)
Harry Shine (Dicksboro)
Subs:
Ian Byrne (Glenmore) for G Dunne (38)
Ted Dunne (Graigenamanagh) for Shine (42)
Pádraig Lennon (Carrickshock) for Reid (44)
Jack Doyle (Windgap) for Walsh (55)
Eoghan O’Brien (Rower Inistíoge) for Langton (57)
James Walsh (Kilmacow) for Hickey (67)
G Dunne for McDonald (70).
Galway:
Darragh Walsh (Turloughmore)
Michael Walsh (Ardrahan)
Eoin Lawless (Athenry)
Adam Nolan (Kilnadeema Leitrim)
Seán O’Hanlon (Turloughmore)
Ian McGlynn (Kilconieron)
John Cooney (Sarsfields)
Alex Conaire (Sarsfields)
Liam Leen (Clarinbridge)
Diarmuid Hanniffy (Oranmore Maree)
Seanie McDonagh (Mountbellew-Moylough)
Declan McLoughlin (Portumna)
Liam Collins (Cappataggle)
Kieran Hanrahan (Loughrea)
Greg Thomas (Castlegar)
Subs:
Colm Molloy (Kilnadeema-Leitrim) for McDonagh (30)
Tiernan Leen (Craughwell) for L Leen (47)
Reuben Davitt (Oranmore Maree) for Hanniffy (48)
Diarmuid Davoren (Moycullen) for McLoughlin (50)
Colm Cunningham (Moycullen) for Thomas (60)
Shane Morgan (Loughrea) for Cunningham (full-time)
McLoughlin for Hanrahan (68)
Patrick Burke (Oranmore Maree) for O’Hanlon (68)
L Leen for Conaire (74).
Referee: Richie Fitzsimons (Offaly)
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Crazy decision. Completely accidental clash of heads.
A five game ban for this is outrageous. How is a decision like that arrived at. It was clearly accidental.
Cant watch the clips because I’m in Australia ffs. But the fans I’ve spoke to say it’s a yellow a most and even that’s harsh. Any truth to this??
@Dara: no
@Dara: Do they not have YouTube in Australia ?
Shameful decision. Warranted a yellow card at best. He’ll be badly missed for the ECC games where his brawn and explosive speed would have levelled things up for Connacht.
Whatever about whether it was right or wrong, how can they suspend 1 week off the 6 week ban for ‘remorse’ when the red card was challenged? Surely that is a prime indication that not alone was there no remorse but the feeling was that it wasn’t even a red card. This incident aside, I would be concerned that the judicial process is flawed on that basis.
His biggest mistake was not being Owen Farrell.
I think he’s a lucky lad to only get 5 weeks, accidental or not he clearly didn’t learn his lesson from the last high shot.
@Jim Demps: I don’t think people here understand. The tackler has an obligation to tackle safely. Accidental or not he has made head to head contact which could have been avoided. The player doesn’t dip in fact he may even come up a little at impact. It’s a clear red and when it’s your second of the season 5 weeks seems lenient.
@Jim Demps: It was an accidental clash of heads after the attacking player changed his running line. I think 5 weeks is harsh, I’d love to see how they arrived at this decision. He does need to lower his tackle height though. Owen Farrell only got 5 weeks for tackle on Charlie Atkinson and in terms of intent those tackles are like chalk and cheese. With Farrells tackling track record it should have been far longer.
@Jayme Mc Goldrick: yeah that’s it. Accidental or not the outcome is still a dangerous tackle. I get why people are annoyed, I’d probably be the same if it was a munster player but it’s not like it’s a new rule, a head shot has never been legal.
@MacEoin.T: I think the decision is pretty clear, he got 6 weeks the first time and it was reduced to 3 for having a clear record. He then got 6 weeks this time and didn’t get the reduction for having a clear record. If anything I’d be saying he didn’t deserve the one week reduction given he clearly hasn’t learnt his lesson.
@Jim Demps: Out of interest, does a player get a clear record at the beginning of each season or is it a pro career duration timeframe?
@MacEoin.T: I know in the amateur game in Ireland they look at your records for 5 years so I assume it’s probably something similar. They definitely don’t get a clean slate at the start of the season anyway. Punishing repeat offenders more harshly I think is a good way to go. Like if Papalli gets sent off again for another high shot I’d say he could be looking at 10+ weeks.
@Jim Demps: he’ll be back in time for the game against Munster on the 9th of January Jim. We’ll get a proper look at him in action then.
@Jim Demps: Would you stop Jim, Farrell got the same ban for trying to take Atkinson’s head off and you’re arguing the Papali’i deserves the same? You’re dreaming lad.
@Paddy Kennedy: I’m not arguing anything, I’m saying that’s how it works. Farrell actually got a 10 week ban reduced by half for a first offence. Farrells was worse and he got a bigger ban, papalli is in the dock for the second time in four games and gets less of a reduction. It’s fairly straightforward
@David Finn: great stuff, hopefully he takes the time between now and then to learn how to tackle in Union. He’ll be a serious player once he irons out those mistakes.
@Paddy Kennedy: It was Farrell’s first red so he got more lenient treatment. The fact that Farrell should have had plenty of reds in recent seasons can’t be taken into account.
Players & coaches have to understand how seriously World Rugby is taking head injuries and act accordingly. That means a lower body position in any potential tackle situation.
Clearly difficult to get it right all the time so some players will get unlucky from time to time. Lack of intent doesn’t seem to be a mitigating factor.
Crazy biased decision.
That makes no sense. How the ref made out he led with his head is beyond me. The attacking player steps and papali has to change direction to make the tackle, their heads collide. 5 games is ridiculous.
Outrageous decision! Ref & TMO bottled it!!
I really don’t understand all the comments arguing that this is somehow disproportionate. It was a clear red card, it was clear he was going to get a significant ban and if he doesn’t learn how to tackle lower he’s going to miss more games than he plays. Crazy decision by Connacht to contest this and I’d argue you shouldn’t get a reduction if you contest the decision, as you’re clearly not remorseful if you think you didn’t commit an offence.
The hypocrisy on this forum , when it was Peter O Mahony deliberately targeting someone’s head in the ruck with his shoulder a few weeks ago (imo, is much worse than an accidental clash of heads) people here were saying ‘he was frustrated’ and ‘playing on the edge’!