Nine-Try Terenure Romp Home Against UCD

Division 1A leaders Terenure College made it four bonus point victories on the trot by hammering UCD 58-5 at Lakelands Park on Saturday.

ENERGIA ALL-IRELAND LEAGUE MEN’S DIVISION 1A: Saturday, October 29

TERENURE COLLEGE 58 UCD 5, Lakelands Park
Scorers: Terenure College: Tries: Jordan Coghlan 2, Sean McNulty 2, Harrison Brewer, Adam La Grue, Craig Adams, Caolan Dooley, Luke Clohessy; Cons: Callum Smith 3, Caolan Dooley 2; Pen: Callum Smith
UCD: Try: Gerry Hill
HT: Terenure College 29 UCD 0

Flanker Gerry Hill scored the students’ only try during the second half, at which stage Terenure were already 44-0 to the good.

Former UCD forwards Jordan Coghlan and Sean McNulty notched two tries each for ‘Nure, while captain Harrison Brewer, Adam La Grue, Craig Adams, Caolan Dooley and Luke Clohessy also crossed the whitewash in another rip-roaring team performance.

Brewer was presented with the Eddie Thornton Memorial Trophy afterwards, which has been competed for between the two Dublin clubs since the 2018/19 season.

The pace of the game was quick right from the off, a blocked kick allowing UCD winger Shane Murray to launch a kick chase out wide and then Terenure got their first chance to stretch their legs from a Dooley interception.

‘Nure opened the scoring in the eighth minute, a powerful maul taking them up close from the edge of the UCD 22. Colm de Buitléar and Campbell Classon both carried well before Alan Bennie fed Coghlan to muscle in under the posts.

Some solid defending from UCD was rewarded with a well-directed 50:22 kick from Tim Corkery, but they were unable to build phases in the hosts’ 22 as flanker Mark Fleming was penalised for an extra roll.

Adding to his earlier conversion, Callum Smith fired a penalty over from just outside the UCD 10-metre line to make it 10-0. Player-of-the-match Clohessy won the battle at the breakdown to prevent UCD from gaining momentum off the restart.

The visitors then lost prop Ryan McMahon to the sin bin for a cynical challenge on his opposite number Adam Tuite at a maul. However, UCD continued to have some bright moments and threaten on the break.

One such attack saw the students’ captain Bobby Sheahan swat away a tackle and offload out of another to send Harry Donnelly scampering up into the ‘Nure 22. Dooley brought him down and put enough pressure on at the breakdown for the loose ball to be picked up by Michael Melia.

For the final 10 minutes of the first half, ‘Nure found another gear in attack. Bennie’s cross-field kick was knocked back by Dooley, Brewer dribbled through and flicked a brilliant overhead pass behind him – taking out two defenders – for McNulty to finish off to the right of the posts.

Smith’s conversion put 17 points between the sides, a heavily-involved Brewer quickly following up with their third try via de Buitléar’s break from halfway and a Clohessy assist.

With Corkery overcooking the restart kick, strong running from Peter Sylvester and replacement Adam Melia had Terenure hunting down the bonus point score. Near his own line, UCD lock Mark Morrissey saw yellow for not rolling away.

Coghlan picked from a ruck to score on the stroke of half-time, Smith’s extras pushing the margin out to 29 points. McMahon did really well to pinch possession at a ‘Nure maul early on the resumption, giving UCD a timely lift.

Nonetheless, just under seven minutes after the break, McNulty plunged over for an unconverted try from a powerful lineout drive. The 50-50 calls were going Terenure’s way, leaving UCD unable to get into scoring range.

From a UCD clearance kick, ‘Nure attacked out to the left where Henry McErlean released La Grue into space and he took a return pass from de Buitléar to race clear for the hosts’ sixth try.

Sean Skehan’s side were over again straight from the restart, Clohessy plucking down the kick and unleashing replacement Adams with a superb one-handed offload. He took off from 60 metres out, burning off defenders – including Michael Moloney with a tap tackle attempt – to romp over on the right.

That brought the best out of UCD, some slick hands setting up replacement Gus McCarthy for a run down the left touchline. Hill then took advantage of a couple of missed tackles for a strong finish from the edge of the opposition 22.

McCarthy continued to provide impact with a turnover penalty, but a Michael Melia lineout steal in the UCD 22, coupled with good hands from Coghlan and replacements Sam McCoy and Cathal Marsh, sent Dooley in under the posts.

Dooley converted his own try to make it 51-5 on the hour mark, and once more Terenure managed to score right from the restart as they created a magical seven-pointer from deep.

Dooley regained possession for them, young full-back McErlean tearing through midfield past two defenders and passing wide to Adams. He stepped inside and deftly slipped an offload behind him for the onrushing Clohessy to collect and embark on a 35-metre run-in, handing off Niall Carroll along the way.

The lopsided scoreline did not reflect how competitive UCD had been for long spells. Fleming was inches away from scoring as their forwards pressed off a lineout, while a crooked throw from McCarthy blew another opportunity near the left corner.

Terenure ended the game down to 13 men, with Adam Melia binned for an off-the-ball tackle on Rob Gilsenan, and then fellow replacement Matthew Caffrey followed him off the pitch for a cynical infringement.

UCD, though, failed to score from their late onslaught as Emmet Burns was held up. They remain eighth in the table ahead of next Saturday’s visit of Cork Constitution to Belfield.

TERENURE COLLEGE: Henry McErlean; Caolan Dooley, Colm de Buitléar, Peter Sylvester, Adam La Grue; Callum Smith, Alan Bennie; Campbell Classon, Sean McNulty, Adam Tuite, Harrison Brewer (capt), Michael Melia, Conall Boomer, Luke Clohessy, Jordan Coghlan.

Replacements: Levi Vaughan, Sam McCoy, Matthew Caffrey, Adam Melia, Cathal Marsh, Craig Adams.

UCD: Niall Carroll; Shane Murray, Jack Ringrose, James Tarrant, Harry Donnelly; Tim Corkery, Michael Moloney; Chris Hennessy, Bobby Sheehan (capt), Ryan McMahon, Mark Morrissey, Jonathan Fish, Gerry Hill, Mark Fleming, Simon Burke.

Replacements: Gus McCarthy, Emmet Burns, Evin Coyle, Martin Fallon, Rob Gilsenan, Tim Gilsenan.