Trinity Trump Lansdowne For Under-20 Crown

Early second half tries from full-back Colm Coyle and wing Gareth Murphy sent Trinity on the way to a second All-Ireland Under-20 crown in three seasons against Lansdowne on Saturday.

Early second half tries from full-back Colm Coyle and wing Gareth Murphy sent Trinity on the way to a second All-Ireland Under-20 crown in three seasons against Lansdowne on Saturday.

All-Ireland Under-20 Final: Saturday, April 30
Dublin University 25 Lansdowne 10, Coolmine RFC
Scorers: Dublin Uni: Tries: Colm Coyle, Gareth Murphy, Michael Kavanagh; Cons: Johnny Watt 2; Drops: Watt, Murphy
Lansdowne: Try: Johnny Murphy; Con: Andrew Geraghty; Pen: Geraghty

The students lifted the Frazer McMullen Cup in style at Coolmine – hitting Lansdowne for 19 unanswered points before the headquarters side’s full-back Johnny Murphy notched a late converted try in the closing stages.

The sides were locked at 3-3 at the break after Johnny Watt dropped a goal for Trinity in reply to Lansdowne scrum-half Andrew Geraghty’s early penalty.

Trinity – who brought Ireland Under-19s Diarmuid Laffan and Matthew D’Arcy on the bench in the second half – thundered ahead on the restart.

The students’ back three Coyle, Murphy and left wing Michael Kavanagh all touched down in the third quarter to tally up a 22-3 lead.

Murphy’s try for Lansdowne was no more than a consolation and try-scorer Gareth Murphy fittingly had the final word for Trinity, dropping a late drop goal from 25 metres out.

Tony Smeeth’s youngsters can double up next Sunday when they take on UCD in the McCorry Cup final (kick-off 2.00pm, Wanderers RFC) – gunning for their third such title.

Dublin Uni: C Coyle; Gareth Murphy, G Byron, C Donohoe, M Kavanagh; J Watt, J Burns; Graeme Murphy, J Cody, K O’Neill, R Morrow, M Cantrell, P Rowe, R Condon, P McFeely.
Replacements used: D Laffan for Rowe (44 mins), S Canavan for Byron, C Telford for Graeme Murphy, M Cooney for Cody (all 72), M D’Arcy for Kavanagh, E Hamilton for Burns, P O’Meara for McFeely (all 73).

Lansdowne: J Murphy; N Walsh, S King, T Moylan, A McCormack; B O’Shea, A Geraghty; A O’Sullivan, G O’Meara, D Soden, B Kennedy, D Toner, P Horan, S Dawson, S McCarthy.
Replacements used: T Delamie for Walsh, K Kurillejo for Kennedy (both 59 mins).

HT: Dublin Uni 3 Lansdowne 3
Referee: Peter Fitzgibbon (Munster)