Lane On The Rampage As Con Clear First Hurdle
Cork Constitution got their Division One title defence off to an ideal start against Terenure College at Temple Hill on Saturday afternoon.
AIB LEAGUE: DIVISION ONE: Saturday, October 4
CORK CONSTITUTION 43 TERENURE COLLEGE 19, Temple Hill
Scorers: Cork Constitution: Tries: Billy Holland, Richie Lane 3, Jeremy Manning; Cons: Jeremy Manning 3; Pens: Jeremy Manning 4
Terenure College: Try: John Bollard; Con: Conor Gildea; Pens: David McAllister 3; Drop: David McAllister
Cork Con’s eighth straight league victory over Terenure will be most remembered for winger Richie Lane’s hat-trick of tries.
Lane’s powerful, angled-running caused the Dubliners numerous problems, as did Munster out-half Jeremy Manning who scored 23 points in a man-of-the-match performance.
David McAllister split the posts three times to shoot Terenure ahead but they were 24-12 in arrears by half-time, and John Bollard’s late try was only a consolation score.
Captained again by number 8 Alex Dunlop, Terenure got off to a solid enough start. Backed by the wind, they were 9-5 to the good inside 15 minutes.
McAllister kicked two penalties, sandwiching a well-taken drop goal, to cancel out a seventh-minute try from Con back rower Holland.
Con’s pack, which included Munster prop Darragh Hurley, began to dominate at set piece time and in open play.
And with the penalty count rising, Manning was able to kick Con ahead with three successive penalties after 19, 33 and 39 minutes.
McAllister replied with a 40th-minute penalty but there was still time for Con to conjure up another 10 points in injury-time.
Manning booted his fourth penalty and then Lane galloped through and under the posts for a converted try.
‘Nure, who had Leinster prop Stephen Knoop sin-binned, just could not add to their tally after the break.
Bossed off the ball, the visitors struggled to keep tabs on Con’s lively back-line and Lane and Munster full-back Denis Hurley in particular.
Brian Walsh’s side found an extra gear as Manning and Lane (2) glided through for three tries in the third quarter, with Manning converting two of them.
Now 31 points in arrears, Terenure salvaged some pride with a final flurry in the Con 22, which yielded a converted try for Bollard.