It is a cliche that American Football is a game of inches.
The line perpetuated by Al Pacino rang true, however, for the Dublin Rhinos at Sportslink on Sunday. For the second time in two seasons, the Rhinos stood just three yards, 108 inches, from toppling the national champions.
And, for the second time, the Rebels found a way to deny them.
Going into the game 1-1, the Rhinos were looking to make a statement of their intentions for the 2012 season. After all, what better way to mark your card than by beating the best team in the country who had recently beaten Trinity 55-8?
The game started well for the Rhinos, with QB Stephen Macken showing the hot hand in finding Alex McGuirk on a seam and a well-executed screen to Robert Pops. Pops was up for the game from the off, gouging the Rebels D to put his team in scoring position.
A fumble on the Rebels 4 meant the game stayed scoreless, but the Rhinos D, looking to bounce back after giving up 24 points against Belfast, were in mean form. Early hits at the line from Fintan Corr and Lorcan Sherlock set the tempo, before Nick Newby showed incredible agility to recover a botched Rebels pitch. The game became about the respective defences, before Rebels HB Sam Hodgins crossed the line to make it 6-0, with the 2-point conversion missed.
Viking Splash Performer of the Game: Nick Newby recovering Rebels fumble mid air.
The Rhinos had been down before and their offence came out onto the field in the mood. With Pops sidelined with a rib injury, Dan Breslin took over at HB, but Macken’s toughness and quick feet meant the Rebels had to deal with a dual running threat.
After Breslin had given the Rhinos a first down on the 13, Macken found McGuirk, with a Rebels defender draped all over him, in the endzone for the big receiver’s third touchdown in two games. Paul Hosford would hit the point after and the Rhinos would take the lead for the first time, 7-6.
The Rebels came out to answer and, with a combination of QB Andy Dennehy, HB’s Aaron Smith and Sam Hodgins and WR Gary Sommerville all making plays, it looked like they would. In fact, with just seconds remaining in the half, they had found their way to the Rhinos 3-yard-line.
Some incredible defence from Eoin Fox, Kevin Mulligan-Carroll and Nick Newby brought up 4th down, before Stephen Mooney made the defensive play of the game. Dennehy bounced off the line and attempted to reverse towards the endzone. But, Mooney read it and, with the veteran QB trying to keep the play alive, forced an intentional grounding call, having chased him far from the pocket.
That ensured the Rhinos would lead 7-6 at the break.
QB Stephen Macken piercing the Rebels defense with his unrivalled pace and agility.
Knowing a win was a possibility, the Rhinos looked to hold firm, but two big plays, the first a kick return, the second a pass up the middle, put the Rebels in scoring position. This time, they would punch it in, with Dennehy running it in on the bootleg.
The 2-point conversion would be missed and the game would become a case of who scores next, wins.
As it transpired, however, neither team could score, with the Rhinos defence picking off Dennehy through Sam Monson and the Rebels D holding firm.
That was before the final drive of the game. With just 2 minutes on the clock, the Rhinos had the ball in the redzone. An unbelievably gutsy run from Macken on fourth down brought the Rhinos to the Rebels 3.
But, the experience of the Rebels D told as they would deny the Rhinos 4 times, ensuring a narrow win.
Having played two teams tipped for the Shamrock Bowl in consecutive games and having lost by a mere 9 combined points, the Rhinos can rightly feel they have as talented a team as is in the league, but wins on the board are the only measurement of success in this league.
The hunt for the next win starts straight away, with a trip to Cork this Sunday.
VIKING SPLASH Performance of the game – Nick Newby.
