An impressive UCD team triumphed in the annual Colours clash at Donnybrook on Friday night when they beat holders Trinity College 31-9 after a strong second half showing.
ANNUAL COLOURS MATCH: Friday, November 18
UCD 31 TRINITY COLLEGE 9, Donnybrook
Scorers: UCD: Tries: Rob Shanley, Sam Coghlan Murray, Alex Kelly; Cons: James Thornton 2; Pens: Niall Earls 4
Trinity College: Pens: David Joyce 3
Scrum half Rob Shanley, exciting winger Sam Coghlan Murray and replacement centre Alex Kelly pounced for second half tries to swing the 60th Colours match in UCD’s favour.
Trinity started with five forwards earning their first ‘Colours’ and they enjoyed the better of the opening stages, their out-half captain David Joyce kicking two penalties for a 6-3 lead at the end of the first quarter.
A superb tackle by Trinity centre Ciaran Wade on UCD’s Tom Fletcher from Niall Earls’ beautifully executed cross-field delivery saved a certain try.
‘College strung together two quick-fire penalties from Earls for a 9-6 lead before Joyce equalised right on the stroke of half-time.
Shanley made the decisive breakthrough by splitting the Trinity blindside defence for the first try in the 43rd minute. Earls could not add the conversion, but he was successful with another penalty attempt in the 58th minute to make it a two-score game.
The unloading of ‘College’s strong bench, including Ireland Under-20 players James Tracy, David Doyle and Alan O’Connor, had the desired effect.
Bobby Byrne’s talented outfit, who play in a division above Trinity in the Ulster Bank League, produced some impressive play late on which enabled Coghlan Murray (73 minutes) and Kelly (84) to touch down and seal a runaway win.
TRINITY COLLEGE: James O’Donoghue (Terenure College); Neil Hanratty (Gonzaga College), Ciaran Wade (Clongowes Wood College), Paddy Lavelle (Gonzaga College), Niyi Adeolukan (DLS Churchtown); David Joyce (Cistercian College Roscrea) (capt), Michael McLoughlin (Clongowes Wood College); Ian Hirst (The King’s Hospital), Warren Larkin (Clongowes Wood College), Paul McFeely (Londonderry & Foyle), Colin MacDonnell (C&P College Kilcullen), Jack Kelly (Blackrock College), Colm Goode (Villers College), Dominic Gallagher (Rathmore GS), Jack Dilger (Clongowes Wood College).
Replacements used: Tim O’Mahony (Clongowes Wood College) for Larkin (32-47 mins, temp; 62), Brendan O’Connell (St. Mary’s College) for Goode (32), Julian Mackey (Blackrock College) for Kelly (51), Ariel Robles (The King’s Hospital) for Hanratty (56), Billy Glynn (Clongowes Wood College) for McLoughlin, Rob Cruess-Callaghan (St. Michael’s College) for Lavelle (65).
Coaches – Tony Smeeth and Hugh McGuire; Team Manager – John Young
UNIVERSITY COLLEGE DUBLIN: Michael Twomey (St. Michael’s College); Sam Coghlan Murray (Newbridge College), Andy Cummiskey (St. Michael’s College) (capt), David Lynch (Naas CBS), Tom Fletcher (Clongowes Wood College); Niall Earls (DLS Wicklow), Rob Shanley (St. Michael’s College); Kieran Moloney (Terenure College), Neil Foley (Blackrock College), Brian Hall (Cistercian College Roscrea), Brian Cawley (Blackrock College), Keelan McKenna (St. Michael’s College), Danny Kenny (East Glendalough School), Mark McGroarty (Gonzaga College), Shane Grannell (CBS Monkstown).
Replacements used: Richie Bent (St. Mary’s College) for Kenny (32 mins), Alex Kelly (St. Michael’s College for Lynch (39), James Tracy (Newbridge College) for Hall, David Doyle (Gonzaga College) for Foley (both half-time), James Thornton (Terenure College) for Earls (51-56, temp; 62), Peter du Toit (The King’s Hospital) for Shanley, Alan O’Connor (Skerries Community College) for Cawley (both 65).
Coaches – Bobby Byrne, Shane Moore and Killian Keane; Team Managers – Kevin Kenny and Daibhi O’Leary
Referee: Brian MacNeice (Leinster)
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