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Irish Colleges Rugby Union National Championship Final

Irish Colleges Rugby Union National Championship Final

Irish Colleges Rugby Union National Championship Final

Athlone were crowned champions of student rugby in Ireland for the third successive year after a hard fought 32 points to 8 points win over Waterford at a sun baked Railway Union Grounds in Monkstown on Wednesday (April 23rd).

Despite the final scoreline, Athlone did not get it all their own way, and after taking a 7 point lead courtesy of Niall Smullens first try (converted by Dermot Keegan), Waterford replied immediately with a try by Karl Gaule.
Despite both linesmen allowing the John Lillis conversion, the referee overruled them and the score remained 7-5 until the 32nd minute. Then, following some ferocious pressure on the Waterford scrum, Niall
Divilly
ghosted over after an error by the Waterford
backrow.
Lillis replied immediately for Waterford
with a well taken penalty and 4 minutes later, the same player was very unlucky to see his well struck penalty drift wide at the last minute. Right on the stroke of half time, Smullen went in for his second try, and from the restart, Athlone rucked the ball into a favourable attacking position and Smullen then claimed his hat trick, with Keegan adding the points.

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At this stage, it looked like one way traffic for the Athlone team as the second half commenced and one felt that after conceding 12 points just before the half-time break, Waterford’s chance had gone. However, they re-emerged with purpose, and for thirty minutes laid siege to the Athlone line, only heroic defence by the Athlone team preventing Waterord from breaching that line on a number of occassions.

Waterford were now playing a high risk attacking game and following an error by the their backline on the 34th minute, Athlone broke
for a try by Colin Finnerty which sealed the outcome. Dermot Keegan ended the scoring with a
penalty to leave the final score at 32 pts to 8 pts. in favour of
Athlone.

Athlone I.T.
Geoff Kenny Buccaneers
Paul Flanagan Buccaneers
Marcus Madden Buccaneers
Ronan Farrell Buccaneers
Pat Rice Fermoy
Anthony Doolan Buccaneers
Andy Hall Longford
James Tormey Buccaneers
Trevor Langley Buccaneers
Anthony Cloonan Buccaneers
Colin Finnerty Buccaneers
Niall Smullen Buccaneers
Adrian Hughes Buccaneers
Johnny McDonagh Galwegians
Peter Beirne Buccaneers
Dermot Keegan Unattached
Pierre Cronje Buccaneers
Sean Quinn Buccaneers
Sean Brady Buccaneers
William Wallace Buccaneers
Paddy O’Sullivan Buccaneers
Niall Divilly Monivea
Rory McGowan Buccaneers
Gary Greene Buccaneers
Niiall O’Hara Buccaneers
Alex Curry Buccaneers
Michael-John Hillhouse Buccaneers
Ian Murphy Monivea

Waterford Institute of
Technology Team

1. Michael Doherty Clanwilliam.
2. Frankie Strumble Cashel.
3. Michael Slattery Waterpark
4. Anthony Hughes Buccaneers.
5. Aidan Walsh Waterpark.
6. Dion O’Brien Bruff 7.
Cian O’Connor Cork Constitution
8. Karl Gaul Waterpark.
9. Mark Finney Waterpark.
10. John Lilis Old Crescent.
11. Robbie Gaul Waterpark
12. Andy O’Brien Waterpark.
13.Dave Murphy Waterpark.
14. Gary Conway Waterpark
15. Peter Curran Waterpark.