Young Munster Prevail After Sharing Out Six Tries With UCD

Argentinian out-half Julian Leszczynski landed a late penalty to steer his new club Young Munster to a hard-fought 24-22 win over UCD in their Energia All-Ireland League Men’s Division 1A opener.

ENERGIA ALL-IRELAND LEAGUE MEN’S DIVISION 1A:

Saturday, September 21 –

UCD 22 YOUNG MUNSTER 24, UCD Bowl
Scorers: UCD: Tries: Andrew Osborne, Michael Moloney, Ruairi Shields; Cons: Michael Moloney, James Tarrant; Pen: Michael Moloney
Young Munster: Tries: Shay McCarthy 2, Stephen McLoughlin; Cons: Julian Leszczynski 3; Pen: Julian Leszczynski
HT: UCD 15 Young Munster 14

Young Munster were pipped by two points when visiting the UCD Bowl last November, but this time it was Ger Slattery’s men who were celebrating at the final whistle thanks to Leszczynski’s 81st-minute kick.

Michael Moloney, last season’s top points scorer in Division 1A, contributed 10 points – including a breakaway try for the highlights reel – as UCD took a 15-14 lead into the second half.

Emerging Ireland squad member Andrew Osborne had started the scoring with an unconverted eighth-minute effort, but Young Munster led on two occasions thanks to a neatly-finished brace from the Munster Academy’s Shay McCarthy.

A tight second half saw Stephen McLoughlin and Ruairi Shields swap tries, with UCD battling through Conor Tonge’s sin-binning. However, the Cookies’ set-piece strength helped them to get over the finish line.

It was a hugely encouraging sight to see Sean Rigney back playing All-Ireland League rugby. The Munsters lock took ill while in Australia earlier in the year, and had to undergo heart surgery, but his recovery went well enough for him to start this Belfield encounter.

Young Munster had the game’s first 22-metre entry, but Leszczynski knocked on a difficult pass. He added a good deal of variety to their attack, chipping over the top a couple of minutes later, but Rob Gilsenan got his hands to the ball, ahead of Samson Seinafo.

UCD used a subsequent penalty to move infield, as carries from Tom O’Riordan and Dan Barron gained further momentum. Armed with a penalty advantage, their backs cleverly created an opening for Osborne to strike out wide.

Gilsenan fizzed a pass out to Leinster’s Ben Brownlee, whose quick hands allowed Michael Moloney to dart towards the right corner and put Osborne over with a terrific offload out the back. Moloney missing the conversion on the near side.

Winger McCarthy did well to claim a high ball, helping the Cookies to march forward again from a penalty. Their lineout ball went loose, though, and UCD second row Matt Healy was able to pounce on it.

Ruben Moloney then covered a dangerous kick through from Shane O’Leary, an early replacement for Munster’s Patrick Campbell. UCD also rejigged their back-line as an injury to Gilsenan saw Michael Moloney move to scrum half, and Evan Moynihan came on for his debut in midfield.

Forwards McLoughlin and Bailey Faloon showed their handling skills, as part of a pacy Munsters attack that ended with Osborne just forcing McCarthy into touch. They made sure their next visit to the College 22 resulted in a converted try.

A mistimed UCD lineout, on the edge of the Cookies’ 22, led to Manuel Covella finding O’Leary on the opposite wing. He cut inside Ruben Moloney and released the speed in the form of McCarthy, who could not be caught from 50 metres out.

Nearing the half hour mark, UCD managed to steal two lineouts in quick succession, with Healy nabbing one in the air, and former captain Bobby Sheehan picking up another one at the rear.

The students turned the possession into a superbly-worked try from half-back Moloney. He had a 35-metre run-in after a couple of classy offloads from James Tarrant and Barron, whose low-slung effort – while being tackled by Rigney – set up O’Riordan to time his assist to perfection.

The conversion from the try scorer made it 12-7 to Emmet MacMahon’s youngsters, who were hugely frustrated to concede a soft try in response.

Munsters countered down the left wing, the bounce of a McCarthy kick seeing the ball come off Michael Moloney’s hand deep inside UCD’s 22, and O’Leary flicked it up for McCarthy to run in a try which Leszczynski converted.

There was still time for UCD to retake the lead heading into the interval. Half-back Moloney knocked over a 40-metre penalty to punish David Begley and James Horrigan for not rolling away.

Following an early penalty miss from Michael Moloney, UCD created the first try-scoring opportunity of the second half. Unfortunately for the home support, hooker Sheehan could not hold onto an offload from the lively Ruben Moloney.

McLoughlin was whistled up for a crooked throw as Munsters failed to capitalise on a promising lineout position. Another couple of penalties, including good work at the breakdown from Covella, saw them remain in UCD territory.

The pressure led to replacement Tonge infringing close to the UCD try-line and he was promptly sin-binned. The Munsters pack got their legs pumping to drive McLoughlin over for his maul try, with Leszczynski’s conversion making it 21-15.

Handling errors halted the students’ progress just as they were enjoying a spell inside Munsters’ half. Skipper Tarrant had to switch to scrum half for the remainder of the match, following Michael Moloney’s injury-enforced departure.

Entering the final few minutes, full-back Moloney and the returning Tonge spearheaded a threatening UCD counter attack. They used a penalty, and a powerful set of carries, to lay the foundations for Shields to score close to the left corner.

Tarrant and replacement Tim Corkery combined off a close-in ruck, with the latter’s floating pass giving the winger enough of a headstart on Hubert Gilvarry to scamper over. The difficult conversion was nailed by Tarrant for good measure.

Crucially, the Cookies’ power up front put the wheels in motion for Leszczynski’s match winner. Penalties at scrum and maul time led to his all-important three-pointer from the right wing. A muscular Faloon turnover, inside the dying seconds, confirmed the two-point victory.

UCD: Ruben Moloney; Andrew Osborne, Ben Brownlee, James Tarrant (capt), Ruairi Shields; Michael Moloney, Rob Gilsenan; Tom O’Riordan, Bobby Sheehan, Rory McGuire, Michael Colreavy, Matt Healy, Dan Barron, Mark Hernan, Rory Byrne.

Replacements: Chris Hennessy, Hugo O’Malley, Andrew Sparrow, Conor Tonge, Evan Moynihan, Tim Corkery.

YOUNG MUNSTER: Patrick Campbell; Hubert Gilvarry, Samson Seinafo, Manuel Covella, Shay McCarthy; Julian Leszczynski, Marcus Lyons; David Begley, Stephen McLoughlin, Paul Allen, Sean Rigney, Alan Kennedy (capt), James Horrigan, Bailey Faloon, Ronan Murphy.

Replacements: Aaron Roulston, Peter Meyer, Oran O’Reilly, Jack Shaw, Oisin Pepper, Shane O’Leary.