Con’s Lane Continues Hot Streak

…Richard Lane in action for the Ireland Under-21s against Italy in 2004…

Former Ireland Under-21 winger Richard Lane, lining out at full-back, scored two tries to continue his hot streak of form and help send Cork Constitution into the inaugural AIB Cup final.

AIB CUP: SEMI-FINAL: Saturday, February 25

BUCCANEERS 13 CORK CONSTITUTION 20, Dubarry Park

Scorers: Buccaneers: Try: Brian Buckley; Con: Tom Cregan; Pen: Cregan; Drop: Cregan

Cork Con: Tries: Richard Lane 2; Cons: Darragh Lyons 2; Pens: Lyons 2

Con won through to a final meeting with St. Mary’s College on Saturday, April 8 as Lane led the way at Dubarry Park.

A loose pass in the Buccs midfield led to Con taking the lead after nine minutes. The ball was hacked on by the speedy Lane and he charged through to gobble up possession and swap passes with scrum half Frank Murphy before scoring.

Fly-half Darragh Lyons converted and added a penalty as the visitors exerted some early pressure. Lane then sent Con hurtling towards the interval, armed with a 17-0 lead, as he got in for his seventh try in three games. The ex-UCC back scored four in Con’s quarter-final thumping of Belfast Harlequins, earlier this month.

Con captain Frank Cogan, who charged down a Mark Bruce kick in the lead-up to the first, began the move for Lane’s second in first half injury-time. Play swung from right to left with Lane crossing in the corner for Lyons to convert again.

Con lost centre Conrad O’Sullivan to the sin bin just before half-time for killing the ball, and Buccs, far from out of it, began the second half well with full-back Tom Cregan kicking a drop goal and penalty in quick succession. They increased their chances of a comeback win when lock Brian Buckley was pushed over for the hosts’ only try. Cregan converted but with Buccs prop Brian Campbell in the sin bin, Lyons added a late penalty to confirm his side’s success.

BUCCANEERS: T Cregan; T Robinson, W Wallace, P O’Sullivan, C O’Loughlin; G O’Grady, M Bruce (S Brady 81); M Diffley (B Gilligan 65), G Halligan (capt) (K O’Gorman 47), B Campbell, B Buckley (D Gannon 69), C Short, T Richardson (A Hanley 69), C Hartigan (D Kelly 78), D Quinlan.

CORK CONSTITUTION: R Lane; D O’Riordan, C Quaid, C O’Sullivan, C Healy; D Lyons, F Murphy; M Ross (T Ryan 82), D Murray, J Danagher (L Hill 52), S Cottrill, J Moloney (B O’Connor 56), M O’Connell, B Cutriss, F Cogan (capt).

Referee: Simon McDowell (IRFU)