Leinster Towns Cup

Swords 0 Naas 11

Moral victories don't even come in to it. Swords can feel rightly aggrieved to not be in the hat for the next round of the Towns Cup after a performance of the highest quality at ALSAA on Sunday. This had nothing to do with a gulf in class, a difference in skill level or even the margin of fitness between the sides. When it comes to cup rugby, luck often plays a crucial role and Swords had little or none of it.

A try conceded when a man short, followed up by two penalties - that's all that Naas could take from the home side. Their coach, Christian Stemmet's pre-match talk of 'pulverising' up front and smothering the opposition proved to be mere paper talk - if anything it was Naas who were on the end of a good pummelling.

Midway through the first half, the AIL side had a lineout deep inside the home 22. Three times they were driven back by the rampaging Swords pack and eventually ended up turning over possession around halfway. That passage of play summed up Swords' performance - stern in defence, dynamic in attack and, above all, determined and committed to the cause.

At a frenetic pace, the men in green swarmed all over Naas from the start and deserved an early score - in the end, it was the lack of scores that cost them. After absorbing another wave of Naas attacks, Swords were harshly reduced to 14 men - Mal Bradley binned for an offside decision - and the visitors eventually breached the defence for an unconverted try.

Swords responded immediately, outhalf Richie Cowman going agonisingly close with a drop-goal, after good work upfront. Indeed, the home pack were on top in most departments, with the lineout pillars of Matt Corbett and Fiachra Coll excelling. For the first time in a while, Swords possessed a sense of urgency, forwards and backs were on the same wavelength at last and when it 'clicked', it was running rugby of the highest order.

Naas eventually tagged on a penalty to stretch their lead to eight and then came the most decisive play of the game and arguably the turning point. An excellent break down the right saw the forwards dig out a few more yards, before Cowman unleashed his backs out left. The outhalf found fullback Dave Cahill, who in turn found wing Robin Kiely and he passed to flanker Jim Julian on the flank. Julian returned the pass to Kiely and centre Ian Anderson took on possession and went for broke, coming up inches short. Swords eventually got the penalty, kicked to touch and went again, but couldn't get the try they so richly deserved, the half-time whistle saving Naas.

The visitors must have wondered what hit them. Where was the easy ride they had expected? At 8-0, Swords were very much alive and kicking and unlucky not to have at least one score on the board.

The second half was a similar story and for the home side, one that was to have a frustrating ending. Again, the moves flowed, the intricate offloads being match by some monster hits up front as the Greens moved forward at each opportunity.

It would be interesting reading to tally up the yardage gained by the Swords' pack, such was the Herculean effort taken on by the likes of Eoghan O'Grioffa, Emmet O'Donnell and Shane Mulligan. Loic Guyomarc'h too proved an elusive figure at 13. Swords pressed hard again and were rewarded with a penalty near the posts. Cahill somehow pulled his effort wide, but his side remained encamped in the opposition's 22.

From the resulting drop-out, Swords attacked down the right, the penalty eventually giving them the first of two lineouts five metres out. Both times however, their luck deserted them and once more they couldn't get over the line. Cowman struck the second of his attempted drop-goals a matter of inches wide moments later and you began to get the feeling that it wasn't going to be the Fingal men's day.

That didn't get through to the players however as they kept up the intensity and effort, with impact sub Rob Merrigan adding to the yardage total during a couple of surging breaks. A second Naas penalty put the game just out of reach and the final whistle was no doubt met with relief from the hooped-clad Midlanders.

A brave and impressive effort from Tony Lawless' men that may not have given them victory on the day, but may yet provide the catalyst to spark a run-in of real promise. Four games and four wins will see Swords promoted to the second tier - four performances anywhere near Sunday's efforts and they'll be waving Division 3 a long-overdue farewell.

The quest starts this Sunday at home to Athy.

SWORDS RFC: D. Cahill; R. Kiely, L. Guyomarc'h, I. Anderson, D. Gallagher; R. Cowman, J. Kubran; E. O'Donnell, M. Bradley, E. O'Grioffa; F. Coll, J. Condron; S. Mulligan (c ), J. Julian, M. Corbett.

Subs used: R. Merrigan, K. Corcoran (temp rep)