PwC Under-18 Men’s Interpros: Round 3 Previews

The PwC Under-18 Schools Interprovincial champions will be crowned on Sunday, and it is a straight shootout between Ulster, the unbeaten pacesetters since the second week of August, and last year’s champions Leinster.

With 14 points from their three matches to date, Ulster travel to Energia Park for a mouth-watering title decider against Leinster (kick-off 2.30pm). Brett Igoe’s home side sit on 12 points, having picked up four bonus points to add to their two wins.

The teams played out a 10-try thriller on August 14 at Kingspan Stadium, which was decided in dramatic circumstances by Ulster out-half Owen O’Kane’s last-minute score out wide.

Jonny Graham’s Ulster charges prevailed 34-31 on that occasion, but a win for either team this weekend would be enough for them to lift the trophy. A draw, regardless of try-scoring bonuses, would see Ulster bring the silverware home.

Under the competition rules, in the event of the top teams being equal on points in the final table, the trophy will be shared.

With Leinster’s maul a big weapon, their captain Lee Fitzpatrick is the competition’s top try scorer with six tries, including a hat-trick away to Munster in midweek.

Ulster scrum half Connor McVicker tallied up 22 points during their most recent win, at home to Munster last Saturday.

He is the joint-second leading try scorer with three, level with his team-mate Russell Alo Veikune, and Leinster duo Bernard White and Ronan Kelly.

Meanwhile, a similarly intriguing PwC Under-18 Clubs Interprovincial title race will come to a climax on Saturday, with just a single point separating Ulster (10) and Leinster (9) heading into their final round showdown at Energia Park (kick-off 3pm).

The other placings will be confirmed following Sunday’s meeting of Munster and Connacht at Virgin Media Park (kick-off 1pm), which is part of another double header with the two provinces’ Under-19 outfits.

Daryl Maxwell’s Ulster side have had a canny knack of converting pressure into points, with an average of five tries scored per match. Larne winger Ryan McDowell has led their try-scoring with three, closely followed by Ballyclare hooker Joshua McColgan.

Leinster have had nine different try scorers so far, including captain Eoin O’Doherty and fellow forward Michael Bolger who both touched down twice against Munster.

Completing his hat-trick by the 49th minute, Kinsale scrum half James Brugger’s trio of scores in the same game has been Munster’s scoring highlight to date.

PWC UNDER-18 SCHOOLS INTERPROVINCIAL CHAMPIONSHIP – ROUND 3:

Sunday, September 1 –

LEINSTER U-18 SCHOOLS v ULSTER U-18 SCHOOLS, Energia Park, 2.30pm

Leinster head coach Igoe has selected a strong starting XV, with the replacements to be confirmed closer to kick-off given some injury concerns emerging from Wednesday’s 55-15 bonus point defeat of Munster at Virgin Media Park.

Leinster have bounced back from the late loss to Ulster – their first in seven years against their rivals from the north – with two convincing performances against Munster. Blackrock College scrum half Luke Coffey (pictured below with Lee Fitzpatrick) has led the scoring with 36 points.

Compared to the team that lined out in Cork in midweek, there are four changes in personnel. Castleknock College’s Cory O’Connor comes in to start at out-half, as he did in that first game against Ulster in Belfast.

Luke McNiff and Owen Twomey are also promoted from the bench, starting in the second row and back row respectively. Terenure College’s Josh Mooney joins St. Michael’s pair Twomey and Myles Berman in the loose forwards.

Meanwhile, Graham has made two changes to his Ulster selection, bringing in RBAI’s James Kerr at full-back, and Ollie Fitzsimmons of Wallace High School swaps back in for Angus Graham at tighthead prop.

It is the same starting line-up from the famous triumph over Leinster, apart from the inclusion of centre Charlie O’Connor, another of the RBAI contingent. Fitzsimmons is one of four starters from Wallace High School in the pack.

O’Kane and McVicker line out together at half-back for the fourth successive match, having scored 49 points between them. Regent House centre Tom Bell, the player-of-the-match from the sides’ first encounter, is another Ulster back to watch out for.

LEINSTER U-18 SCHOOLS: Billy Cross (Newbridge College); Geoff O’Sullivan (Terenure College), Ronan Kelly (St. Gerard’s School), Bernard White (Blackrock College), Ethan Balamash (Terenure College); Cory O’Connor (Castleknock College), Luke Coffey (Blackrock College); Harry Goslin (Belvedere College), Lee Fitzpatrick (Newbridge College) (capt), Henry Maher (Cistercian College Roscrea), Jonathon Ginnety (Castleknock College), Luke McNiff (Terenure College), Myles Berman (St. Michael’s College), Owen Twomey (St. Michael’s College), Josh Mooney (Terenure College).

Replacements: tbc

ULSTER U-18 SCHOOLS: James Kerr (RBAI); Russell Alo Veikune (CCB), Charlie O’Connor (RBAI), Tom Bell (Regent House School), Matthew Callaghan (Regent House School); Owen O’Kane (Rainey Endowed School), Connor McVicker (BRA); James Gould (Wallace High School), Nathan Noble (Sullivan Upper School), Ollie Fitzsimmons (Wallace High School), Adam Boyd (RBAI), Noah Bell (Banbridge Academy), Ben Moore (Wallace High School), Sam Warwick (Wallace High School), Charlie Hargy (Ballymena Academy).

Replacements: Daniel Macklin-Copeland (Wallace High School), Matthew McGinty (Sullivan Upper School), Angus Graham (Dalriada School), Jack Law (Sullivan Upper School), Cian McClean (RBAI), Alex Stevenson (Wallace High School), Connor Patton (RBAI), Reuben Allen (Ballymena Academy).

RESULTS SO FAR:

ROUND 1:

Saturday, August 10 –

MUNSTER U-18 SCHOOLS 15 ULSTER U-18 SCHOOLS 28, Highfield RFC
Scorers: Munster: Tries: Alex Lautsou, Fionn Rowsome; Con: James Butler; Pen: James Butler
Ulster: Tries: Russell Alo Veikune, Sam Warwick, Nathan Noble, Matthew Callaghan; Cons: Owen O’Kane 4
HT: Munster 10 Ulster 14

Wednesday, August 14 –

ULSTER U-18 SCHOOLS 34 LEINSTER U-18 SCHOOLS 31, Kingspan Stadium
Scorers: Ulster: Tries: Connor McVicker, Nathan Noble, Russell Alo Veikune, Ollie Fitzsimmons, Owen O’Kane; Pens: Owen O’Kane 3
Leinster: Tries: Bernard White 2, Ronan Kelly, Lee Fitzpatrick 2; Cons: Luke Coffey 3
HT: Ulster 13 Leinster 12

ROUND 2:

Sunday, August 18 –

LEINSTER U-18 SCHOOLS 48 MUNSTER U-18 SCHOOLS 5, Energia Park
Scorers: Leinster: Tries: Lee Fitzpatrick, Luke Coffey, Bernard White, Josh Mooney, Ethan Balamash, Josh Mulligan; Cons: Luke Coffey 4, Paul Neary 2; Pens: Luke Coffey 2
Munster: Try: Robbie O’Donnell
HT: Leinster 17 Munster 5

Saturday, August 24 –

ULSTER U-18 SCHOOLS 27 MUNSTER U-18 SCHOOLS 19, Newforge Sports Complex
Scorers: Ulster: Tries: Russell Alo Veikune, Connor McVicker 2; Cons: Connor McVicker 3; Pens: Connor McVicker 2
Munster: Tries: Fionn O’Sullivan, Aaron Moloney 2; Cons: James Butler, Alan Cleary
HT: Ulster 24 Munster 7

ROUND 3:

Wednesday, August 28 –

MUNSTER U-18 SCHOOLS 15 LEINSTER U-18 SCHOOLS 55, Virgin Media Park
Scorers: Munster: Tries: Alex Lautsou, Daniel O’Connell; Con: Andrew Cleary; Pen: Alan Cleary
Leinster: Tries: Lee Fitzpatrick 3, Ben O’Toole 2, Ronan Kelly 2, Geoff Wall; Cons: Luke Coffey 4, Andrew Stronge 2; Pen: Luke Coffey
HT: Munster 8 Leinster 29

PWC UNDER-18 CLUBS INTERPROVINCIAL CHAMPIONSHIP – ROUND 3:

Saturday, August 31 –

LEINSTER U-18 CLUBS (2nd) v ULSTER U-18 CLUBS (1st), Energia Park, 3pm

Both of these young teams have their destinies in their own hands, knowing that a final win will see them presented with the Interprovincial cup. A draw would be good enough for Ulster too, unless Leinster bag a try-scoring bonus point and that would see the trophy shared.

Cill Dara scrum half Ryan Murphy is the only change to the Leinster side that won 22-17 away to Connacht. He pairs up with Wicklow’s James Curry who has landed seven successful kicks for a 16-point haul.

Visitors Ulster have also been building well through the rounds, and have a good deal of continuity and hard work put into their combinations. Notably, their only alteration is at scrum half where Portadown’s Danny Guy will start.

There appears to be tries in Ulster’s front row, with Luke Caskey, McColgan, and Don Farrell all having crossed the whitewash during the first two rounds.

Omagh Academicals’ Harry McIlwaine leads the team from the back row, with Malone young gun Dylan Fox filling the blindside flanker berth. He was selected as the Ulster Boys’ Youth Player of the Year for 2023/24.

LEINSTER U-18 CLUBS: Ryan Ovenden (Greystones RFC); Peader Glennon (Mullingar RFC), Brynn Nolan (Tullow RFC), Daniel Norval (Wexford Wanderers RFC), Hayden Casey Gray (Athy RFC); James Curry (Wicklow RFC), Ryan Murphy (Cill Dara RFC); Jack Power (MU Barnhall RFC), Eoin O’Doherty (Wexford Wanderers) (capt), Anthony Ukagwu (Boyne RFC), Michael Bolger (Suttonians RFC), Cian Butler (Portlaoise RFC), Cian Crampton (Naas RFC), Shane McGuigan (Longford RFC), Alex Carter (Navan RFC).

Replacements: Alex Murgatroyd (Coolmine RFC), Oisin Carroll (Cill Dara RFC), Jack Byrne (Edenderry RFC), Cillian McElwee (Kilkenny RFC), Simon Cantwell (Suttonians RFC), Oisin Kelly (Suttonians RFC), Ger Hallinan (MU Barnhall RFC), Harry Waters (Ratoath RFC).

ULSTER U-18 CLUBS: James McMillan (Ballymoney RFC); Adam Hewitt (Academy RFC), Nathan Hamilton (Dungannon RFC), Josh McCaughey (Ballynahinch RFC), Ryan McDowell (Larne RFC); Andrew Jackson (Banbridge RFC), Danny Guy (Portadown RFC); Luke Caskey (Rainey RFC), Joshua McColgan (Ballyclare RFC), Don Farrell (Banbridge RFC), Archie Graham (Ballymoney RFC), Jayden Irwin (Academy RFC), Dylan Fox (Malone RFC), Harry McIlwaine (Omagh Academicals) (capt), Sam Clarke (Enniskillen RFC).

Replacements: Killian Brolly (Limavady RFC), Lewis Robinson (Ards RFC), Jonah Woolley (Randalstown RFC), George Gamble (Enniskillen RFC), Noah Haughey (Banbridge RFC), Sam Harper (Omagh Academicals RFC), Jonny Dallas (Larne RFC), Lewis Connolly (Ballynahinch RFC).

Sunday, September 1 –

MUNSTER U-18 CLUBS (4th) v CONNACHT U-18 MEN (3rd), Virgin Media Park, 1pm

Connacht U-18 Men’s head coach Darin Claasen has handed first starts to scrum half Oisin Berthoz and number 8 Dylan Rice, as the westerners head to Leeside looking to finish their Championship run in winning style.

Their back-line scored all four of their tries from the first two matches, with Carrick-on-Shannon winger Peter Moran (pictured below) bagging two of them. Galway Corinthians’ Berthoz replaces Fiachra O’Neill at half-back.

Galwegians prop John Durkan is restored to the tighthead position, and Berthoz’s club-mate, Ruben Flynn, is moved to the blindside flanker role, allowing Castlebar clubman Rice to pack down at the base of the scrum.

Coláiste Éinde’s Matthew McNamara completes an all-new back row combination for Claasen’s youngsters. The battle between the loose forwards could prove crucial, especially with Nenagh Ormond’s Kedagh Broderick leading the charge for Munster.

MUNSTER U-18 CLUBS: Ryan O’Connor (Sunday’s Well RFC); Cathal O’Mara (Kilfeacle FC), Finn O’Dwyer (Kanturk RFC), Rory Forde (Kinsale RFC), Cillian Fitzpatrick (Kinsale RFC); Daniel Coughlan (Bandon RFC), James Brugger (Kinsale RFC); Thomas Crotty (Dungarvan RFC), Callum Tutty (Dungarvan RFC), Soloman Delea (Cobh Pirates RFC), Rhys Morgan (Waterford City RFC), Jamie Walsh (Bruff RFC), Charlie Callinan (Bandon RFC), Evan Welham (Cobh Pirates RFC), Kedagh Broderick (Nenagh Ormond RFC) (capt).

Replacements: Sean Wall (Clonmel RFC), Dara O’Brien (Newcastle West RFC), Richie Whelan (Dungarvan RFC), Daniel Maloney (Ennis RFC), Jake Galvin (Sunday’s Well RFC), Noah O’Sullivan (Bandon RFC), Darragh Carroll (Mallow RFC), Stephen Turner (Tralee RFC).

CONNACHT U-18: Andrew Henson (Buccaneers RFC/Marist College); Peter Moran (Carrick-on-Shannon RFC/Mohill Community College), Daniel Browne (Galway Corinthians RFC/St. Joseph’s Patrician College), Tristan Hoey (Carrick-on-Shannon RFC/Scoil Mhuire Strokestown), Zack Kelly (Galwegians RFC/Coláiste Iognáid); Cillian O’Neill (Sligo RFC/Summerhill College), Oisin Berthoz (Galway Corinthians RFC/St. Joseph’s Patrician College); Kailin Blessing (Buccaneers RFC/Marist College), Seán Glennon (Ballinasloe RFC/Garbally College), John Durkan (Galwegians RFC/Gort Community College), Emmanuel Olanrewaju (Ballinasloe RFC/Garbally College), Dara Walsh (Galway Corinthians RFC/Coláiste Éinde), Ruben Flynn (Galway Corinthians RFC/Cistercian College Roscrea), Matthew McNamara (Galwegians RFC/Coláiste Éinde), Dylan Rice (Castlebar RFC/St. Gerald’s College).

Replacements: Andrew Deegan (Carrick-on-Shannon RFC/Sligo Grammar School), Cathal McDonagh (Carrick-on-Shannon RFC/St. Nathy’s College), Dara Noone (Galway Corinthians RFC/Coláiste Bhaile Chláir), Niall Stenson (Carrick-on-Shannon RFC/Carrick-on-Shannon Community College), Reuben Colleran (Buccaneers RFC/Marist College), Tom Walsh (Buccaneers RFC/Clongowes Wood College), Conor Connolly (Carrick-on-Shannon RFC/St. Muredach’s College), Ferdia O’Braonain (Galway Corinthians RFC/Coláiste Chroí Mhuire).

RESULTS SO FAR:

ROUND 1:

Saturday, August 17 –

ULSTER U-18 CLUBS 33 CONNACHT U-18 MEN 14, Kingspan Stadium
Scorers: Ulster: Tries: Joshua McColgan, Ryan McDowell 2, Sam Clarke, Don Farrell; Cons: Andrew Jackson 4
Connacht: Tries: Andrew Henson, Peter Moran; Cons: Zack Kelly 2
HT: Ulster 12 Connacht 0

Sunday, August 18 –

LEINSTER U-18 CLUBS 56 MUNSTER U-18 CLUBS 17, Energia Park
Scorers: Leinster: Tries: Eoin O’Doherty 2, Michael Bolger 2, Shane McGuigan, Cian Butler, Jack Byrne, Penalty try, Oisín Hade; Cons: James Curry 3, Pen try con; Pen: James Curry
Munster: Tries: James Brugger 3; Con: Ryan O’Connor
HT: Leinster 20 Munster 12

ROUND 2:

Saturday, August 24 –

CONNACHT U-18 MEN 14 LEINSTER U-18 CLUBS 22, Creggs RFC
Scorers: Connacht: Tries: Fiachra O’Neill, Peter Moran; Cons: Cillian O’Neill 2
Leinster: Tries: Hayden Casey Gray, Alex Carter, Ryan Murphy; Cons: James Curry 2; Pen: James Curry
HT: Connacht 7 Leinster 15

Sunday, August 25 –

MUNSTER U-18 CLUBS 17 ULSTER U-18 CLUBS 31, Virgin Media Park
Scorers: Munster: Tries: Daniel Coughlan, Callum Tutty, Rhys Morgan; Con: Ryan O’Connor
Ulster: Tries: Luke Caskey, Ryan McDowell, Dylan Fox, Joshua McColgan, Killian Brolly; Cons: Andrew Jackson 3
HT: Munster 7 Ulster 17