Cannon helps North Meath start season with a bang

By Nicholas Pratt

North Meath got their Leinster League Div 3 season off to a winning 46-26  start on Sunday, running in eight tries against the Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland (RCSI) with Dennis Cannon giving a man-of-the-match display.  

The performance was anything but clinical but the home team’s strength and resilience showed in the end after going in at half-time trailing by two points. 

It was RCSI who opened the scoring after five minutes when their fly-half broke the line in the North Meath 22 to stroll in under the posts.

North Meath then suffered a further setback when injured prop Sean Gilsenan was replaced by Jack Yore but it was North Meath that scored next. A scrum penalty in the RCSI 22 allowed number eight Eric Szymanski to break and from the subsequent ruck debutant Dennis Cannon broke free to score.

RCSI then doubled their score with another break from a ruck in the North Meath 22. As soft as the two tries were, the youthful exuberance of the RCSI backline and back row was stretching the North Meath defence and the visitors were deservedly in front.

North Meath’s superiority in the scrum was keeping them in the game and a 15 metre pushover scrum allowed Szymanski to score and scrum-half Conor Grey slotted the conversion, making it to 12-14 to RCSI.

Two tactical substitutions before half-time almost had an instant impact when Eanna Finn robbed the ball in midfield allowing Kevin Dowds to break for the line, however the final offload went awry and the half-time whistle brought play to a temporary halt.

North Meath got the second half off to a great start, scoring with their first attack. The tactic of keeping the ball tight and away from RCSI’s dangerous backs paid immediate dividends. After several phases in the 22, Andy Dowds was able to finish putting North Meath into the lead for the first time.

But the lead was short-lived. Loose tackling in the 22 let RCSI in to retake the lead. The two teams then swapped tries before North Meath started to dominate the game thanks to their new youthful recruits – Joe Carry at fly-half, Mikey McNamee at full back, Calum Kiernan on the wing, open side flanker Kevin Dowds and second row Cannon.

It was the two new forwards that had a hand in the try of the game. Straight from the restart Cannon caught the ball and gave to Chris McCartan who, running a great line, cut through the RCSI defence into the 22 where he offloaded to Kevin Dowds who scored under the posts.

McCartan then ran in two more tries to make the game safe and to vindicate the decision to move him from inside centre to prop.

Although North Meath finished the game with a 20 point cushion and a bonus point, it was not without its second half scares. The home team had to cope with going down to 13 men momentarily after two yellow cards and also allowed RCSI a deserved losing bonus point with their fourth try.

Nevertheless, North Meath must be happy with a healthy opening win, especially given that the team is not renowned for making good starts to league campaigns. Clearly the addition of some new players – especially those that have graduated from last year’s u-18s – have made a big difference, bringing some much needed energy, no end of skill and the competition for places that is vital to any successful league campaign.

Man of the match: Dennis Cannon.

Team: Michael McNamee; Adrian Sheridan; Colm McDonagh; Chris McCartan; Cailum Keirnan; Joe Carry; Conor Grey; Sean Gilsenan; Cormac Galligan; Cormac Donegan; Dennis Cannon; Martin Giles; Carlos Buckley; Kevin Dowds; Eric Szymanski

Replacements: Jack Yore; Eanna Finn; Andy Dowds; Gary McKay

Tries: Cannon; Szymanski (2); K Dowds; Finn; A Dowds; McCartan (2)

Conversions: Grey, Carry (2