Fraser McMullen Cup Final Is An All-Dublin Affair
It was an Easter Monday to remember for the Lansdowne and Dublin University Under-20 teams as they both won through to next weekend’s Fraser McMullen Cup final.
The final of the All-Ireland Under-20 competition will be held at Anglesea Road next Sunday (kick-off 2.30pm), with Lansdowne chasing their second Fraser McMullen Cup title in three years.
Highly-fancied Terenure College were runners-up last season, but Lansdowne had the measure of the Leinster league champions in Easter Monday’s semi-finals. The headquarters club, who won away to Young Munster (20-13) in the previous round, got the better of ‘Nure on a 35-25 scoreline at sunny Lakelands Park.
In a very entertaining contest, Lansdowne led 21-13 at half-time and two further converted tries confirmed their passage through to the cup decider.
UCD, the team that knocked out 2014 winners Cork Constitution, fell at the semi-final hurdle when arch rivals Dublin University hung on for a thrilling 22-21 victory at Belfield. First half tries from Paddy Finlay and Michael Courtney laid the platform for Trinity, but they had to endure a nervy finish as UCD missed a last-gasp touchline conversion to win the game.
That means next Sunday’s Fraser McMullen Cup final is a repeat of the 2013 decider which saw Lansdowne edge out Trinity by a single point – 27-26 – at Merrion Road. You can watch highlights of that game below:
2014/15 FRASER MCMULLEN CUP RESULTS/FIXTURES:
First Round –
Cork Constitution 15 UCD 17, Temple Hill
Dublin University 48 NUIG/Corinthians 5, College Park
Terenure College 32 Buccaneers 10, Lakelands Park
Young Munster 13 Lansdowne 20, Tom Clifford Park
Semi-Finals –
UCD 21 Dublin University 22, Belfield
Terenure College 25 Lansdowne 35, Lakelands Park
Final –
Dublin University v Lansdowne, Anglesea Road, 2.30pm, Sunday, April 12
FRASER MCMULLEN CUP – RECENT WINNERS:
2013/14 – Cork Constitution
2012/13 – Lansdowne
2011/12 – UCD
2010/11 – UCD
2009/10 – UCC