Cave Touches Down As Ulster ‘A’ Beat Connacht ‘A’
Ireland international Johnny O’Connor made a successful return to action from injury in the Connacht ‘A’ team’s defeat by their Ulster counterparts at Mullingar RFC on Friday.
‘A’ INTERPROVINCIAL MATCH: Friday, February 27
CONNACHT ‘A’ 12 ULSTER ‘A’ 28, Mullingar RFC
Scorers; Connacht: Tries: Johnny O’Connor, John Hearty; Con: Andy Dunne
Ulster: Tries: Thomas Anderson, Filo Paulo, Darren Cave, Willie Faloon; Cons: Bryn Cunningham 4
Johnny O’Connor, out of action since December, marked his return with a first half try.
Ulster led 14-7 at the break with tries from impressive flanker Thomas Anderson and second row Filo Paulo.
John Hearty scored a try for Connacht in the second half but Ulster secured victory with tries from Darren Cave and Willie Faloon in a contest where five players, three from Ulster, were yellow carded.
Cave slotted in at out-half due to the late withdrawal of Ian Humphreys.
CONNACHT ‘A’: Troy Nathan; Richard Keatley, John Hearty, Mel Deane, Mike Roberts; Andy Dunne, Conor O’Loughlin; John Lyne, Conor Muldoon, Ronan Loughney, Michael Swift, David Nolan, David Gannon, Johnny O’Connor, Joe Moran.
Replacements used: John O’Brien for Keatley (14 mins), Conor Higgins for Moran (34-40), Nick McCarthy for O’Connor (36), Higgins for Moran (51), Liam Scahill for Higgins (64), Sean Carey for Hearty (69), Adam Kennedy for O’Loughlin, Alan Gaughan for Dunne, Alex O’Sullivan for Muldoon (all 73), Higgins for Lyne (78).
ULSTER ‘A’: Bryn Cunningham; Tommy Seymour, Andrew Trimble, Ian Whitten, Jamie Smith; Darren Cave, Cillian Willis; Justin Fitzpatrick, Neil Hanna, Declan Fitzpatrick, Filo Paulo, Ryan Caldwell, Thomas Anderson, Willie Faloon, David Pollock.
Replacements used: Isaac Boss for Seymour (12 mins), Bryan Young for J Fitzpatrick (53), Ed O’Donoghue for Paulo (61), Nigel Brady for Hanna (65), Hanna for D Fitzpatrick, Dan Roache for Faloon (both 69).
Referee: David Keane (IRFU)