Rugby - Pre-season Friendly

Clonmel 19 Swords 7

SWORDS kicked off their new campaign with a trip to Tipperary last Saturday and though it was Clonmel who came out on top, there were plenty of positives for the Greens to consider. Despite dominating proceedings, particularly at set-piece time, slack defending and a fair share of ring rust saw the hosts home by three tries to one.

Swords got off to the worst possible start when Clonmel got off the mark with a try in the opening minute, through poor tackling more than anything else. The Munstermen grounded shortly after, through a huge slice of luck, when a hack through bounced away from Swords fullback Wade Hill and into home hands.

Swords responded well and soon pulled a try back through outhalf Richie Cowman. From a scrum close in, number 8 Shane Mulligan made inroads and Cowman took a pass from the resulting ruck and crossed, adding on two points shortly after.

On top in most facets of play, Swords couldn't find the right combination to claw their way back into the game, and more missed tackles gave Clonmel their third try in the second half. The game turned scrappy in parts, though referee Derek Brennan did a fine job with the whistle. Swords showed plenty of aggression and impetus, but too often their recycling skills let them down.

However, for a pre-season fixture, there were far more positives than negatives and the Greens can reflect on a successful weekend. Matt Corbett excelled in the lineout, Emmet O'Donnell stood out at prop - his first match in that position - while there were also strong performances from captain Mulligan and scrum half James Kubran. Next up is a friendly with Trinity this Saturday, before a Jenkinson Cup tie with Skerries the following Sunday.

SWORDS RFC: W. Hill; D. Gallagher, D. Weafer, D. Cahill, L. Price; R. Cowman, J. Kubran; E. O'Donnell, M. Bradley, E. Flannery; M. Corbett, J. Leyden; P. Jones, M. Martin, S. Mulligan (c). Subs used: A. Dodsley, R. McBride, A. Zvidris, J. Beikmans.