How many times has it been said of a team that loses by as much as 41-3 that it could have been more. Old Crescent knew this, too, at Lakelands and although, at times Terenure struggled to smother their visitors' zest, it was a match in which the home side could have galloped out of site much faster than they did early in the second period.
Both teams bolted out of the four-week foot-and-mouth storage like hounds off a leash but it was Terenure who found the quickest shape amid a first half of tatty but oddly absorbing rugby.
Largely, Old Crescent were battling in their own half and frequently in their own 22. But because of Terenure's largesse with ball in hand, the Limerick side kept their noses in the match as the home team managed to spill, fall offside or turn it over on three or four dangerous attacking positions.
Eric Miller, as he often does for Terenure, towered over the proceedings. His presence, nominally at number eight, had Crescent concerned as soon as he ran in the first try after just five minutes from a centre position. Miller popped up at pace regularly in midfield and heaved in the scrums as a wing forward. Ubiquitous to the end, he even played a minor part in Mark O'Kelly's second try of the first half.
A Richie Governey break saw two of the Old Crescent covering defence line up to engage Miller, again at centre. Two players were regularly tackling him. But Governey laid off to O'Kelly instead, who cut through the gap to run 30 metres for Terenure's 15-3 lead, Billy Treacy scoring the visitor's only points from a penalty on the half hour.
A penalty try just after the break followed by another touch down from second-row Cormac Long was inevitable as Crescent began to fray from the waves of attack. Long's effort was a heart warmer for the Terenure crowd as it earned the side their much needed bonus point. Second-row Dermot Quinn and loose-head Steve Baretto then added to the four-try second half.
Typically Kevin Putt was clever in his decision making while the mobile Peter O'Malley at openside was regularly in the thick of it. Shane Cullen's kicking was assured enough with five out of seven, not all of them easy, while the centres Governey and O'Kelly were menacing throughout the match.
Such was the ease at the end that the Terenure marshall behind the scrum, Putt, even had time to banter with the crowd. Girvan Dempsey at full back was quiet in his first club appearance of the season while Rory Sheriff and Derek Hegarty remained on the injured list.
Old Crescent simply did not gell. Treacy at outhalf was constantly hassled and rarely had time to settle or orchestrate much behind the scrum. Still on 10 points at the wrong end of the table Crescent have much work to do if the league ever gets finished.
With Terenure on another upswing, the question they must now ask themselves is can they keep it that way.
Scoring sequence: 5 mins: E Miller try, S Cullen con, 7-0; 26 mins: Cullen pen, 10-0; 30 mins: B Treacy pen, 10-3; 35 mins: M O'Kelly try, 15-3. 42 mins: pen try, Cullen con, 22-3; 59 mins: C Long try, Cullen con, 29-3; 73 mins: D Quinn try, Cullen con, 36-3; 79 mins: S Barretto try, 41-3.
TERENURE: G Dempsey; D Coleman, R Governey, M O'Kelly, J Cofffey; S Cullen (capt), K Putt; S Barretto, C Egan, J Campbell, C Long, D Quinn, L Hammond, E Miller, P O'Malley. Replacements: K Coleman for Campbell (66 mins), A Ryan for Miller (70 mins). M Dowling for O'Kelly (74 mins), D Mahony for Putt (76 mins).
OLD CRESCENT: B Begley; S Madigan, W Munn, M Brodie, J Cusack; B Treacy, C Forde; G Evans, L Brown, J Cullinane, D O'Malley, M Bird, D Bowles (capt), P Glamuzina, A Herlihy. Replacements: D Clohessy for Evans (54 mins0, E Redddan and M Hayes for Cusack and Brown (58 mins), C Schoeman for Bird (66 mins).Yellow card: M Hayes (74 mins).
Referee: A Lewis (Leinster).
