UCD Sweep Trinity Aside For Colours Glory
Winger Tom Fletcher helped himself to two tries as his UCD side reigned supreme in Thursday’s Colours match under the Donnybrook floodlights.
AIB LEAGUE: DIVISION 2: Thursday, March 4
UCD 28 DUBLIN UNIVERSITY 8, Donnybrook
Scorers: UCD: Tries: Tom Fletcher 2, Andy Cummiskey; Cons: Niall Earls 2; Pens: Niall Earls 2; Drop: Niall Earls
Dublin University: Try: Alan Mathews; Pen: Dave Joyce
UCD sealed the 58th Colours clash and picked up four AIB League Division 2 points in the process, as they beat great rivals Dublin University 28-8 at Donnybrook.
UCD bagged their 34th victory in the annually-fought college contest thanks in chief to a brace of tries from left winger Tom Fletcher, with centre Andy Cummiskey also crossing for a well-worked try.
UCD out-half Niall Earls capped a superb all-round display with a 13-point kicking haul which included two penalties, two conversions and a deftly-taken drop goal.
Dublin University, meanwhile, featured nine new Colours in their squad and earned a consolation try from former Kilkenny College back rower Alan Mathews, with out-half Dave Joyce chipping in with a penalty.
The result has moved UCD up to sixth place in the Division 2 standings, level on 28 points with the eighth-placed Trinity. There is a five-point gap to Bective Rangers, who currently reside in the fourth and final play-off spot.
Cummiskey and Fletcher both touched down early on, helping the Matt Nagle-captained hosts into a 14-3 lead by the seventh minute.
Trinity blindside flanker Mathews closed the gap by bursting over from close range, but two penalties and a drop goal from Earls stretched UCD’s advantage to 23-8 by the break.
The only score of a hard-fought second half saw Fletcher race onto a chip through from scrum half Rob Shanley and grab his second try, at the tail end of the third quarter.
UCD: Michael Twomey; Terry Jones, Andy Cummiskey, Eoghan Conran, Tom Fletcher; Niall Earls, Rob Shanley; John A Lee, Conor Geoghegan, Brian Hall, Ciaran Ruddock, Brian Cawley, Shane Grannel, Kevin Croke, Matt Nagle (capt).
Replacements used: Conor Mitchell for Hall, Risteard Byrne for Geoghegan, Arthur Houlihan for Cawley (all 69 mins), Brian Hall for Mitchell (73), Peter du Toit for Shanley, Rory Allwright for Jones (both 76).
DUBLIN UNIVERSITY: Andy Wallace; Neil Hanratty, Conor Colclough, Conor Mills, Colin Murphy; Dave Joyce, Mick McLoughlin; Tristan Goodbody, Mark Murdock, James Gethings, Scott LaValla, Pierce Byrne, Alan Mathews, Johnny Iliff (capt), Brian Coyle.
Replacements used: Dominic Gallagher for Iliff (57 mins), Richard Brady for Wallace, Craig Telford for Goodbody, Max Waters for Byrne (all 61), Paddy McCabe for Murdock (76).
Referee: Kevin Beggs (IRFU)