Leinster U-18 Schools Team Complete Munster Double

IRFU UNDER-18 SCHOOLS INTERPROVINCIAL CHAMPIONSHIP – ROUND 2: Saturday, September 9

MUNSTER U-18 SCHOOLS 12 LEINSTER U-18 SCHOOLS 23, Cork Institute of Technology
Scorers: Munster U-18 Schools: Tries: Tommy Downes, Aaron Hennessy; Con: Andrew Hogan
Leinster U-18 Schools: Tries: Ed Brennan, Sam Dardis, Ethan Baxter; Con: Mick O’Gara; Pens: Mick O’Gara 2
HT: Munster U-18 Schools 0 Leinster U-18 Schools 8

There is nothing a Munster team likes more than to take Leinster to the trenches and force a dogfight, especially with the assistance of a strong first half wind. However, the Leinster U-18 Clubs side had been forewarned from the 34-22 win at home to Munster and they were also nursing something of a hangover from last week’s one-point defeat (18-17) in Ulster.

Jeff Carter’s young guns were determined to lay down a marker – even into the elements – at the Cork IT grounds and they looked after the ball very well in the circumstances. The ‘ball focus’ was a step up from that produced against Ulster in their second outing of the Championship.

Munster found themselves on the defensive for most of the second quarter and the deadlock was broken in the 25th minute when Blackrock College number 8 Ed Brennan made a break from a five-metre scrum to score the game’s opening try. Mick O’Gara’s conversion attempt rebounded off the upright.

Nonetheless, the Pres Bray centre managed to increase Leinster’s lead to eight points when slotting over a penalty approaching half-time. With the bit between their teeth, Leinster had the hosts on the back foot for most of the second half. Terenure College full-back Sam Dardis followed up on his long kick to barge over in the corner for a second try, following a maul deep inside the Munster 22.

Midway through the second half, the influential O’Gara landed his second penalty to stretch the margin to 16 points, and Munster leaked a third try when Leinster replacement flanker Ethan Baxter blocked down a clearance kick to score with O’Gara adding a classy conversion from the touchline.

That left Mark Butler’s charges trailing by 23 points, but they refused to give up without a struggle and they opened their account in the 53rd minute as CBC Cork centre Tommy Downes (pictured below) embarked on a soccer-style dribble to score a much-needed try.

Although Ballyea native Aaron Hennessy scored Munster’s second try in the dying minutes following a ruck outside the Leinster 22, with Andrew Hogan supplying the conversion, it was a case of too little, too late for Munster. Leinster took home the Dudley Herbert Cup – named in honour of the doyen of Crescent College Comprehensive – which the two provinces compete for on Munster soil.

Giving his reaction afterwards, Leinster U-18 Schools head coach Jeff Carter said: “We learned from the final quarter that we can’t switch off at all, especially against Munster, who kept coming and coming. They had a lot of pride in their play and we just got tired even with the substitutions. We need to be a 70-minute team the next day.

“We don’t play for two weeks. Munster and Ulster have to play each other in Belfast and we will have Ulster in Donnybrook on the 23rd of the month. It gives us a chance to have a look at our options for the last game. We played away last week and this week. It is probably no harm to take a breather, especially with lads back in the various schools.”

MUNSTER U-18 SCHOOLS: John Hurley (Crescent College Comprehensive); Jamin Hoffmann (Crescent College Comprehensive), Tommy Downes (CBC Cork), Jude Pendijito (St. Munchin’s College); Andrew Hogan (Glenstal Abbey School); Jack Delaney (Crescent College Comprehensive), Jack O’Riordan (CBC Cork); Conor Fitzgerald (Crescent College Comprehensive), Aaron Hennessy (Ayra Project), Mark Donnelly (CBC Cork), Cian Hurley (CBC Cork), Eoin Quilter (PBC Cork), Luke Obersby (Midleton College), Mark Crowe (St. Munchin’s College), Alex Kendellen (PBC Cork).

Replacements: Kieran O’Shea (Castletroy College), Ciaran Ryan (Rockwell College), Evan Sheehan (St. Munchin’s College), David McCarthy (PBC Cork), Jay Traynor (De La Salle College), Daniel Okeke (Ardscoil Rís), Oisin Mangan (Rockwell College), Cian Whooley (CBC Cork), Mark McLoughlin (PBC Cork).

LEINSTER U-18 SCHOOLS: Sam Dardis (Terenure College); Tom Maher (Blackrock College), Ross McInness (Terenure College), Mick O’Gara (Pres Bray), John Maher (Clongowes Wood); Cian Egenton (Castleknock College), Ben Murphy (Pres Bray); Conor Duff (Clongowes Wood), Jerry Cahir (CC Roscrea), Luke Rigney (CC Roscrea), Jody Booth (St. Michael’s College), Cian Prendergast (Newbridge College) (capt), Anthony Ryan (Clongowes Wood), Jack Cooke (Terenure College), Ed Brennan (Blackrock College).

Replacements: Bobby Sheehan (Clongowes Wood), Simon Clear (Gonzaga College), Thomas Clarkson (Blackrock College), Gavin Dowling (Clongowes Wood), Ethan Baxter (St. Gerard’s School), Adam McEvoy (St. Mary’s College), Ben Watson (St. Gerard’s School), Max O’Reilly (St. Gerard’s School).

Referee: Oisin Quinn (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

MUNSTER U-18 SCHOOLS 12 LEINSTER U-18 SCHOOLS 23, Cork Institute of Technology
Scorers: Munster U-18 Schools: Tries: Tommy Downes, Aaron Hennessy; Con: Andrew Hogan
Leinster U-18 Schools: Tries: Ed Brennan, Sam Dardis, Ethan Baxter; Con: Mick O’Gara; Pens: Mick O’Gara 2
HT: Munster U-18 Schools 0 Leinster U-18 Schools 8

IRFU UNDER-18 SCHOOLS INTERPROVINCIAL CHAMPIONSHIP – REMAINING FIXTURES:

Saturday, September 16 –

ULSTER U-18 SCHOOLS (2nd) v MUNSTER U-18 SCHOOLS (3rd), Royal Belfast Academical Institution, 1.30pm

Saturday, September 23 –

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

TOP SCORERS AFTER FOUR MATCHES:

POINTS –

29 – Mick O’Gara (Leinster)
17 – Nathan Doak (Ulster)
10 – Jack Delaney (Munster), Ethan Baxter (Leinster)
7 – Andrew Hogan (Munster)

TRIES –

2 – Ethan Baxter (Leinster)

1 – Andrew Smith (Leinster), Daniel Beggs (Leinster), Max O’Reilly (Leinster), Cian Prendergast (Leinster), Ben Murphy (Leinster), Ed Brennan (Leinster), Sam Dardis (Leinster), John Hurley (Munster), Cian Hurley (Munster), Jamin Hoffmann (Munster), Andrew Hogan (Munster), Tommy Downes (Munster), Aaron Hennessy (Munster), Ben McCaughey (Ulster), Aaron Sexton (Ulster)