Tullamore junior 3s squeeze past 'Stones in top of the league classic.

1st played 2nd in a tremendous advert for the dog eat dog World of Metro division 6 rugby, with a game high on skill, emotion and no little drama in Spollanstown on Saturday afternoon.

On a firm track and with a dry ball, Greystones came to play and they drew first blood after 8 minutes, their strapping ginger winger bursting through a few Tullamore turnstile tackles to open the scoring.

Better was to follow for Stones, with Tullamore messing about at the back, Stones capitalised and drilled a 3 pointer. 8 - 0 and Tulliers were rocked.

Tulliers needed a response and they got it through the slamming south African Essie van der westhuisen. Nippy winger Mark McGrath made the first dart before good hands along the backline saw Rory Lynch put the flying South African away.

Tulliers needed a steady hand on the tiller now to settle the game, but lacking their usual rhythm and cohesion, Stones once again grabbed the initiative, stealing possession and making huge yardage off the turnover before posting another try.

This Tullamore team is nothing if not resilient and when the backs are to the wall, they come out swinging. Ronan Hooper was in the man to ignite it all, zipping about and sniping around the fringes. Good field position lead to Davy Mann eventually charging over after impressive carries from the big men of the pack, Cronin, Kenny and Connolly. McCabe converted, 13 - 12.

SEE NEXT: So near, yet so far as Lowry suffers another agonising late loss

The 4 pillars of any team coached by that wily, old mentor Colin Hughes - faith, devotion, loyalty and liberty, were all needed and very much on display now in the next ten minutes and Greystones found their purple patch and launched power play after power play. Tulliers were on the ropes and duly conceded another 5 pointer. Another missed conversion left it 18 - 12 and in the end game these missed conversions were to prove very costly indeed.

Tulliers got a timely tonic when Niall McCabe booted over a 3 pointer just before the half time hooter but even only 3 points behind, Tulliers looked to be under serious pressure going into the 2nd 40.

Yorkshire man Dan Cronin had been under the pump at scrum time but a rejig of 2nd rows saw John Connolly and Odrus Hictorius lend their considerable bulk to Cronin and so turn the tables on the Greystones tight 5.

Hughes now rolled the dice, Cian Sullivan in for Cathal Feighery, Tommy Gilligan in for Essie, Eoin O'Dixon for Eoin O'Connor and Paulie Galvin for Benjy Hensey and Darren Brady for Jake Kenny.
Unfortunately this had the opposite of the desired effect, Greystones intercepting a wayward pass and motoring in for a 7 pointer. 25 - 15 and things looked bleak from a red and black perspective.

However when the chips are down, this Tulliers team tends to find a way. Sullivan, Lynch and Draper all had little nibbles in the midfield before South African lineout king Odrus Hictorius set up good field position and then Tommy Gilligan was flying over the whitewash. 25 - 22, game on.

The clock was Tulliers enemy now but Greystones were visibly wilting. The game was swing for swing, blow for blow and with Tulliers having the extra zip in the backline, they threw caution to the wind.

Draper had up to this point had a mixed afternoon by his high standards, a runny nose all week leaving the little general drained, but he summoned one last piece of magic to put the flying Ronan Hooper away for the match winner. A frantic ending to a hugely enjoyable tussle.

Tullamore sit 6 points clear at the top of the table heading into the final round fixture v Trinity College next weekend. All but a calamity of results will see them end the season top of the table with a final likely against Greystones or Stillorgan in late March.