Leinster ‘A’ Earn Bonus-Point Win Over Connacht Eagles In IRFU 150 Interprovincial ‘A’ Championship

Leinster ‘A’ came away with a hard-fought 28-7 bonus-point win over Connacht Eagles in the first round of the IRFU 150 Interprovincial ‘A’ Championship at Creggs RFC on a beautiful Saturday afternoon.

Andrew Osborne sealed the deal in the 76th minute following on from earlier tries by John McKee, Ruben Moloney and Alex Usanov.

The home side were eager to make an aggressive statement as Leinster locks Brian Deeny and Conor O’Tighearnaigh were driven back. But the visitors absorbed the heavy hits to methodically move forward. Deeny took a lineout and was driven to the line for McKee to claim the game’s opening try, which Harry Byrne converted.

Liam Turner gathered a chip from Byrne to provide the momentum for the next attack. It was mastery of the basics in action as Aitzol Arenzana-King popped up on the left to send Moloney to the whitewash for Byrne to make it 14-0 in the 10th minute.

The home side needed a response and Shane Jennings’ tumbling kick moved Connacht deep inside the 22 for the first time. But Leinster’s goal-line defence was impregnable.

A scrum penalty was reason enough for Leinster to launch their next foray only for the previously supreme lineout to falter. Connacht were growing into the game at this point. Scrum-half Colm Reilly blocked down Fintan Gunne’s attempted clearance but the ball beat Chay Mullins to the deadball line.

The impact of Will Connors in contact and the openside’s scavenging presence at the ruck was causing problems for Connacht. The stop-start nature of the game was fed by inaccuracies at the breakdown and the retrieval of high and long balls by both out-halves. A smart inside ball from Connors to Turner enabled Gunne to test the fabric of Connacht’s stiff scramble defence.

Leinster were on the verge of adding to their advantage from a clever lineout to the front, involving McKee, when Connors was held up over the line by Bobby Power on the half-time whistle. Connacht came out fighting in the second half.

In the blink of an eye, they turned a scrappy lineout into a try by Byron Ralston on foot of superb work by replacement Billy Bohan and Oisin Dowling. Sean Naughton converted to halve the difference in the 43rd minute.

It was just what the game needed. Leinster pushed for a response and their forwards were on course for the ultimate reward until Connacht swarmed to defend a maul. Replacements James Nicholson and Andrew Smith’s commitment to the cause stirred the crowd in earning a penalty. Adam McBurney’s poach on the floor was another sign of Connacht’s renewed vigour for the contest.

It took an athletic leap by Max Deegan to disrupt the lineout. Still, Naughton refused to take the points on offer. Ralston’s playmaking and Dowling’s line onto the ball cleared the way for Naughton and Nicholson to threaten.

It took a scrum penalty for Leinster to relieve pressure before Byrne’s long ball was grabbed by Arenzana-King for Ben Brownlee to almost get away. Again, the Leinster scrum moved into overdrive for a penalty which delivered position and a try by Usanov. Byrne converted to extend the lead to 21-7 in the 63rd minute.

Deegan surged down the left but Osborne could not take advantage as he was smothered by Thomas Farthing. The same combination of Deegan and Osborne exposed the left flank once more before Nicholson brilliantly intervened. The intensity of the Leinster defence lifted, scrum-half Cormac Foley taking an interception to counter at pace.

All that was left for Leinster to secure the fourth try which arrived through Osborne shooting beyond tiring bodies for Byrne to convert.

Connacht Eagles: 15. Shane Jennings; 14. Chay Mullins, 13. Byron Ralston, 12. John Devine, 11. John Porch; 10. Seán Naughton, 9. Colm Reilly; 1. Jordan Duggan, 2. Eoin de Buitléar (Capt), 3. Fiachna Barrett, 4 Eanna McCarthy, 5. Oisín Dowling, 6. Bobby Power, 7. Oisín McCormack, 8. Sean O’Brien.

Replacements: Daniel Hawkshaw for Devine 24 mins; Adam McBurney for de Buitlear, Billy Bohan for Duggan, Temi Lasisi for Barrett, S Mallon for Mullins, James Nicholson for Jennings, Andrew Smith for Porch all ht; Charlie Keane for McCormack, Tomás Farthing for Reilly both 62 mins. Scorers: B Ralston try; S Naughton con.

Leinster ‘A’: 15 Ruben Moloney; 14. Aitzol Arenzana-King, 13. Liam Turner, 12. Ben Brownlee, 11. Andrew Osborne; 10. Harry Byrne, 9. Fintan Gunne; 1. Michael Milne, 2. John McKee, 3. Rory McGuire, 4. Brian Deeny, 5. Conor O’Tighearnaigh, 6. Diarmuid Mangan, 7. Will Connors, 8. James Culhane (CAPT)

Replacements: Max Deegan for Deeny ht; Cormac Foley for Gunne, Ross Byrne for H Byrne both 54 mins; Stephen Smyth for McKee, Alex Usanov for Milne, Niall Smyth for McGuire all 60 mins; Liam Molony for Connors 62 mins; Ciaran Mangan for King 64 mins; Connor Fahy for Brownlee 69 mins; Caspar Gabriel for Moloney 72 mins. Scorers: J McKee, R Moloney, A Usanov, A Osborne try each; H Byrne, R Byrne 2 cons each.

Referee: S Holt, IRFU.