Connacht Snatch Late Victory

A try in the final minutes of a pulsating encounter, gave Connacht a 29-25 vitory over Leinster in the Under 21 Interprovincial Championship at Donnybrook.

With just two minutes left on referee David Keane’s watch, Connacht mauled their way to within feet of the Leinster line and Mark McPhail nipped over from the side of the scrum for Colm Glynn to convert and give the westerners a 25-29 win

Glynn had put Connacht ahead with a penalty but Leinster replied quickly with a try from Phillip Costello created by Barry Lynn. Just before the break Connacht conducted one of their trademark driving mauls that ended in a try for McPhail.In the second half, after an exchange of penalties, Rob Connolly found himself in space following a Leinster midfield break and James Norton finished in some style to take the home side to within four points (18-22) of the lead.

Three minutes later Conor McPhilips collected just inside the Connacht half and ran 40 metres for what appeared to be the winner.

But Connacht weren’t done with and a final effort paid rich dividends.

Scoring Sequence. 5 mins: C Glynn pen 0-3; 11 mins: P Costelloe try, E Hickey con 3-7; 19 mins: C Glynn pen 7-6; 22 mins: C Glynn pen 7-9; 32 mins: E Hickey pen 10-9; 39 mins: M McPhail try, C Glynn con 10-16. Halftime. 60 mins: C Glynn pen 10-19; 63 mins: E Hickey pen 13-19; 66 mins: C Glynn pen 13-22; 70 mins: J Norton try 18-22; 73 mins: C McPhilips try, E Hickey con 25-22; 78 mins: M McPhail try, C Glynn con 25-29.
LEINSTER UNDER-21: B Burke (Barnhall); J Norton (St Mary’s), B Lynn (St Mary’s), J Downey (Clontarf), P Costelloe (Terenure); E Hickey (UCD), B O’Riordan (UCD); J Lynn (Lansdowne), B Blaney (Terenure), J Keogh (Terenure), R Bolger (Carlow), C Davis (UCD), S Jenning’s (St Mary’s, capt), R Connolly (Greystones), M Carroll (Blackrock). Replacements: K Corrigan for Blaney (40 mins); M Olima for Costelloe (47 mins); C McPhilips for Burke (61 mins). A Kelly for Jennings (77 mins).
CONNACHT UNDER-21: J Meagher (Buccaneers); B Liddy (Galwegians), F McLoughlin (Galwegians), M McPhail (UL Bohemians), P O’Sullivan (Skerries); C Glynn (Buccaneers), C O’Loughlin (Buccaneers); C Hussey (Old Belvedere), H Burke (Old Belvedere), W Maxwell (Garyowen), A Maher (DU), C Murphy (Clontarf), J Muldoon (Galwegians), I Muldoon (Galwegians), A Conboy (Corinthians).
Referee: D Keane (ARLB).