Irish Colleges Run In Seven Tries

The Welsh Colleges outfit were hit for seven as the Irish Colleges, led superbly by Highfield fly half Colin Mahony, cut loose for a 47-0 win at Anglesea Road on Saturday.

COLLEGES INTERNATIONAL: Saturday, February 25

IRISH COLLEGES 47 WELSH COLLEGES 0, Anglesea Road, Old Belvedere RFC

Scorers: Irish Colleges: Tries: Stephen Corr 2, Mark Ryan, Eric Moloney 2, Michael O’Hea, Francis Cooney; Cons: Colin Mahony 5, Jeff Hitchmough

Welsh Colleges: –

Don Spicer’s men were physically stronger and fitter than their counterparts from the Valleys and it showed as the Irish raced into a 28-0 half-time lead thanks to four converted tries.

Captained by Belfast Harlequins centre Mike McKeever, the hosts had scorers in City of Derry number eight Stephen Corr (2), his back row colleague Mark Ryan of Old Crescent and UCC centre Eric Moloney. Mahony, who marshalled his backs in business-like fashion, converted all four touch downs.

It took the elusive Moloney just five minutes to prize open the disappointing Dragons defence – Mahony converted. The Irish sat back and soaked up some Welsh pressure before pouncing for try number six on 75 minutes through Garryowen lock Michael O’Hea.

Right at the death, De La Salle Palmerston winger Francis Cooney breached the cover for number seven with Midleton’s Jeff Hitchmough, fresh from kicking four penalties in the Cork side’s 22-3 Division Two defeat of Bective last weekend, tagging on the extras.

Saturday’s match marked the first representative international between the Irish and Welsh Colleges’ sides since 1992.

The Irish Colleges team next take on their Scottish counterparts in Edinburgh on Friday, March 10.

IRISH COLLEGES: Darragh Hughes (Garda College/Garda RFC); Francis Cooney (Dublin Institute of Technology/DLSP), Eric Moloney (Cork Institute of Technology/UCC), Mike McKeever (University of Ulster, Jordanstown/Belfast Harlequins), Pat O’Connor (Limerick Institute of Technology/Shannon); Colin Mahony (Cork Institute of Technology/Highfield), Alex Ryan (Cork College of Commerce/Cork Constitution); Colm Murphy (Dublin Institute of Technology/Blackrock), David Sheehan (Limerick Institute of Technology/Young Munster), Gareth Fitzgerald (National College of Ireland/Blackrock), Francis Broderick (University of Limerick/Garryowen), Michael O’Hea (Limerick Institute of Technology/Garryowen), Brian Moroney (IT Tallaght/Terenure), Mark Ryan (Limerick Institute of Technology/Old Crescent), Stephen Corr (University of Ulster, Magee/City of Derry).

Replacements: Sam Duffy (North West Institute Derry/City of Derry), Batt Duggan (Cork Institute of Technology/UCC), Philip O’Connor (Limerick Institute of Technology/Old Crescent), Matthew Irvine (University of Ulster, Jordanstown/Banbridge), Ben Clements Univerity of Ulster, Jordanstown/Ballymena, Jeff Hitchmough (Cork Institute of Technology/Midleton), Stephen Carey (Limerick Institute of Technology/Young Munster).