Provinces Have One Win Apiece In U-18 Schools Interpros

IRFU UNDER-18 SCHOOLS INTERPROVINCIAL CHAMPIONSHIP – ROUND 2: Saturday, September 2

ULSTER U-18 SCHOOLS 18 LEINSTER U-18 SCHOOLS 17, Campbell College Belfast
Scorers: Ulster U-18 Schools: Tries: Ben McCaughey, Aaron Sexton; Con: Nathan Doak; Pens: Nathan Doak 2
Leinster U-18 Schools: Tries: Cian Prendergast, Ben Murphy; Cons: Mick O’Gara 2; Pen: Mick O’Gara
HT: Ulster U-18 Schools 18 Leinster U-18 Schools 3

Ireland Under-18 Schools & Clubs winger Aaron Sexton scored one of Ulster’s tries as their first half exploits proved just enough to defeat Leinster 18-17 in a memorable U-18 Schools Interpro encounter at Campbell College.

The speedy Sexton has been starring on the athletics track and rugby pitch this year. He won gold for Northern Ireland in the 200 metres at July’s Commonwealth Youth Games in the Bahamas – just a few months on from his try-scoring debut for the Ireland U-18 Schools & Clubs team against England U-18 Counties in Ashbourne.

Their Interpro opener last Monday saw the Ulster U-18 Schools XV pipped by Munster due to an intercept try, while Jeff Carter’s Leinster outfit began the Championship a week earlier with an action-packed 34-22 bonus point victory over their Munster counterparts.

Making the trip north to Belfast, Leinster dominated field position and possession of the ball without the finishing touches to make it count. When their fast start did not yield points, Kieran Campbell’s Ulster youngsters took confidence from their sound defence which fed into an improvement in their attack.

Watched by Ulster director of rugby Les Kiss, they were able to turn territory into points from full-back Ben McCaughey’s fine try in the 18th minute, which saw him finish off a free-flowing move, and scrum half Nathan Doak’s penalty eight minutes later. Their flow was temporarily interrupted by a well-struck penalty from Leinster centre Mick O’Gara on the half hour.

However, Doak, the son of former Ulster scrum half and coach Neil Doak, kicked his second penalty and left winger Sexton was able to punish the visitors severely by scorching in for Ulster’s second try, converted by Doak, for a significant 18-3 lead at the break.

Leinster had to respond or they would suffer further and this is where the leadership of captain Cian Prendergast from Newbridge College came to the fore. They managed to wrestle back control of the game, largely by being more accurate with the ball.

The tide of territory turned and second row Prendergast pounded out the try, converted by O’Gara, to offer a window back into the game in the 51st minute. It was all up for grabs again when quick-thinking scrum half Ben Murphy, who had an impressive outing, picked up their second converted try with eight minutes remaining.

The visitors could not quite complete the comeback, though, with John McKee and his Ulster team-mates maintaining their discipline and defence up to the final whistle. The losing bonus point keeps Leinster top of the Interpro table with their team manager Stephen O’Hara admitting: “Everyone has won one game and lost one game, so it is all to play for.

“Ulster are a very good side. Munster are good. The competition is very even this year. It is wide open. It is anyone’s to win, to be honest. The points situation at the moment is that Leinster are on six, Ulster are on five and Munster are on four.”

ULSTER U-18 SCHOOLS: Ben McCaughey (Friends’ School); Chris Larmour (Methodist College), Ben Power (Campbell College), Angus Adair (RBAI), Aaron Sexton (Bangor GS); Robbie Johnston (Regent House), Nathan Doak (Wallace HS); John McKee (Campbell College) (capt), Tom Stewart (BRA), Ben Crangle (Methodist College), Joshua McAuley (Ballymena Academy), Jack Stinson (Campbell College), David McCann (RBAI), Kevin McNaboe (Methodist College), David Brown (Coleraine GS).

Replacements: Bryn Davies (Rainey ES), Ben McCrossan (Bangor GS), Glenn McKinley (Omagh Academy), Jake McCay (Omagh Academy), Ryan O’Neill (RS Armagh), Robbie Armstrong (Methodist College), Lewis Finlay (Down HS), Thomas Armstrong (Methodist College), Robin McIlveen (RBAI), George Saunderson (Sullivan Upper), Conor Rankin (Wallace HS).

LEINSTER U-18 SCHOOLS: Sam Dardis (Terenure College); Tom Maher (Blackrock College), James Reynolds (CBC Monkstown), Mick O’Gara (Pres Bray), John Maher (Clongowes Wood); Ben Watson (St. Gerard’s), Ben Murphy (Pres Bray); Cian Duffy (Blackrock College), Ethan Baxter (St. Gerard’s), Thomas Clarkson (Blackrock College), Jody Booth (St. Michael’s College), Cian Prendergast (Newbridge College) (capt), Anthony Ryan (Clongowes Wood), Jack Cooke (Terenure College), Ed Brennan (Blackrock College).

Replacements: Jerry Cahir (Cistercian College Roscrea), Conor Duff (Clongowes Wood), Luke Rigney (Cistercian College Roscrea), Gavin Dowling (Clongowes Wood), Daniel Beggs (Clongowes Wood), Adam McEvoy (St. Mary’s College), Andrew Smith (St. Michael’s College), Max O’Reilly (St. Gerard’s).

Referee: Richard Horgan (IRFU)

IRFU UNDER-18 SCHOOLS INTERPROVINCIAL CHAMPIONSHIP – RESULTS SO FAR:

LEINSTER U-18 SCHOOLS 34 MUNSTER U-18 SCHOOLS 22, Donnybrook
Scorers: Leinster U-18 Schools: Tries: Ethan Baxter, Andrew Smith, Daniel Beggs, Max O’Reilly; Cons: Mick O’Gara 4; Pens: Mick O’Gara 2
Munster U-18 Schools: Tries: John Hurley, Cian Hurley, Jamin Hoffmann; Cons: Ryan O’Sullivan, Jack Delaney; Pen: Jack Delaney
HT: Leinster U-18 Schools 17 Munster U-18 Schools 22

MUNSTER U-18 SCHOOLS 10 ULSTER U-18 SCHOOLS 9, Thomond Park
Scorers: Munster U-18 Schools: Try: Andrew Hogan; Con: Jack Delaney; Pen: Jack Delaney
Ulster U-18 Schools: Pens: Nathan Doak 3
HT: Munster U-18 Schools 10 Ulster U-18 Schools 6

ULSTER U-18 SCHOOLS 18 LEINSTER U-18 SCHOOLS 17, Campbell College Belfast
Scorers: Ulster U-18 Schools: Tries: Ben McCaughey, Aaron Sexton; Con: Nathan Doak; Pens: Nathan Doak 2
Leinster U-18 Schools: Tries: Cian Prendergast, Ben Murphy; Cons: Mick O’Gara 2; Pen: Mick O’Gara
HT: Ulster U-18 Schools 18 Leinster U-18 Schools 3

IRFU UNDER-18 SCHOOLS INTERPROVINCIAL CHAMPIONSHIP – REMAINING FIXTURES:

Saturday, September 9 –

MUNSTER U-18 SCHOOLS (3rd) v LEINSTER U-18 SCHOOLS (1st), Cork Institute of Technology, 3.30pm

Saturday, September 16 –

ULSTER U-18 SCHOOLS v MUNSTER U-18 SCHOOLS, Royal Belfast Academical Institution, 1.30pm

Saturday, September 23 –

LEINSTER U-18 SCHOOLS v ULSTER U-18 SCHOOLS, Donnybrook, 2.30pm