Cahill Signs Off With Winning Points.

Swords 14 Clondalkin 12

A conversion from fullback Dave Cahill gave Swords a well-earned win over Clondalkin at ALSAA on Sunday, in a fitting end to a fine career.
Cahill, who has given the club almost 20 years of sterling service, will hang up his boots at the end of the current campaign, and he marked his final home league appearance in style, knocking over the winning score late in the second half.

In an otherwise lacklustre Dublin derby, there was little to keep the supporters or either back line interested. The game was dominated by a strong wind and a referee obsessed with the set piece, meaning the pace barely move above pedestrian.
Swords were missing a number of key figures, particularly second row Matt Corbett and scrumhalf James Kubran, which saw the lineout and distribution suffer.

The Greens failed to take great advantage of the first half wind assistance and turned around at the break only 7-5 in front after a try from Aidan Ryan. For the only real time in the game, Swords created good pressure, constantly recycling ruck ball and after a number of phases outhalf Richie Cowman swept back to the blindside and lobbed a pass that Ryan did well to take. The wing ran in under the posts and Cahill converted, having earlier missed a penalty from 40 metres. The rest of the half saw a variety of Swords players put boot to ball, trying to take advantage of the strong wind, with the result that a number of kicks went dead.

This allowed the big visiting pack to pick and drive regularly and after a number of concerted efforts the Clondalkin scrumhalf used his considerable bulk to power over. Swords felt aggrieved that both Mal Bradley and Cowman had been impeded by the referee and a blocking Clondalkin player. Tellingly the conversion was missed.

The second half saw Swords put on the back foot immediately by the Clondalkin pack and after more pressure, the visitors got their reward again.
For the first time in the game the ball was moved to the Clondalkin number 10 who spotted the blitz defence from the Greens and slid a ball into the dead ball area, which the Clondalkin centre 12 touched down having won the foot race.

Swords responded well and were recipients of arguably the most bizarre try of the season. Awarded a scrum on their own five metre line, Clondalkin moved the ball to the centre, who decided to try kick to the open wing where there were acres of space. Swords' centre Loic Guyomarc'h made a majestic leap to pluck the ball out of the air and fell over the line untouched. Cahill converted in front of the posts.

The rest of the half saw the ball engulfed as the packs fought out a war of attrition. Despite this, Cahill could celebrate his final home game in the green shirt after years of outstanding service.

SWORDS RFC: D. Cahill; A. Ryan, W. Hill, L. Guyomarc'h, D. Gallagher; R. Cowman, J. Beikmanis; E. O'Donnell, K. Corcoran, E. O'Griofa; J. Condron, F. Coll; M. Bradley, P. Jones, S. Mulligan.

Subs used: J. Gormly, F. McKevitt, J. Julian, A. Forkan, M. McDonnell.