Munster And Ulster Serve Up Pulsating U-18 Schools Interpros Opener

If the rest of the PwC Under-18 Boys Schools Interprovincial Championship matches take after this one, we are in for an exciting few weeks. Munster and Ulster shared out ten tries at Virgin Media Park, with Cathal O’Doherty crossing in the final play to snatch a 33-29 home win.

PWC UNDER-18 BOYS SCHOOLS INTERPROVINCIAL CHAMPIONSHIP – ROUND 1:

Saturday, August 9 –

MUNSTER U-18 SCHOOLS 33 ULSTER U-18 SCHOOLS 29, Virgin Media Park
Scorers: Munster U-18 Schools: Tries: Daniel Murphy, Jack Hayes, Ryan McCormack, Alex Moloney, Cathal O’Doherty; Cons: Daniel Murphy 3, Alan Cleary
Ulster U-18 Schools: Tries: Harry Wells, James Wells, Dylan Gray, Charlie Reaney, George Gamble; Cons: James McMillan 2
HT: Munster U-18 Schools 19 Ulster U-18 Schools 17

An entertaining first half finished 19-17 in Munster’s favour, their captain Ryan McCormack giving them a narrow advantage after last year’s champions Ulster had started strongly with early tries from Campbell College’s Harry and James Wells.

Daniel Murphy, with a superb run-in from over 60 metres out, and Jack Hayes hit back for Sean Cronin’s youngsters, while Ulster showed their resilience to score through Dylan Gray during scrum half James Wells’ sin-binning.

Both Harry Wells and Murphy saw yellow during an end-to-end closing 35 minutes, with an Alex Moloney effort initially giving Munster a nine-point buffer before Ulster, coached by Kieran Campbell, replied with a couple of forwards-inspired tries.

Charlie Reaney and replacement George Gamble both made it over in the same corner to make it 29-26, but despite Munster losing Murphy to the sin, O’Doherty emerged as their late hero to kick off the campaign in style.

Ulster started in business-like fashion, putting points on the board from their very first attack. Their carrying built momentum off an initial scrum, and Josh McCaughey dangled a kick out for winger Wells to neatly score in the left corner.

Having turned down a kickable penalty, Munster were unable to make a maul count. Play soon swept down the other end and the visitors were clinical again in the ninth minute, Gray carrying hard to the right of the scrum, and scrum half Wells quickly picked to dive over.

Despite a well-struck conversion from James McMillan making it 12-0, Cronin’s side produced a swift response. It came from the individual brilliance of full-back Murphy, who ran a kick back from outside his own 10-metre line, breaking past four defenders to glide in under the posts.

The PBC Cork talent converted his own try before a defence-dominated period, which included turnover penalties won by Paul Henry and Moloney. Nonetheless, Ulster suffered a double setback when they were next defending near their try-line.

David Nolan’s kick over the top got Munster moving, finding the onrushing Moloney who almost set up Lewis Linehan for a try. The forwards chipped away through two tap penalties before Hayes finished smartly in the 20th minute, getting past Harry Wells’ attempted tackle.

Referee Ryan Deacon also reached for his yellow card as James Wells was offside when tackling Nolan at the previous penalty. Murphy’s cracking conversion from out wide nudged Munster in front for the first time (14-12).

Campbell and his fellow coaches would have been very pleased with Ulster’s collective efforts over the next few minutes. Their pack used a scrum platform to threaten, going close on a few occasions before Gray gathered replacement Jack Best’s pass to cross from a couple of metres out.

After Ulster were restored to their full complement, another Nolan kick caused trouble for them. Gray got back to prevent Hayes from scoring, but Munster built pressure from a close-in tap penalty, their reward being McCormack’s 31st-minute effort to reclaim a tight lead.

There was little between the teams on the restart, with knock-ons halting their progress. Ulster had to cope with a second yellow card just six minutes in, losing Harry Wells to the bin for use of the boot at an attacking ruck.

Going down to 14 players again inspired another attacking surge from Campbell’s young guns, on the back of Oliver Gartley’s turnover penalty. Reaney and Jayden Irwin were both prominent as ball carriers before Munster forced an important turnover near their own try-line.

It took a slick Munster counter attack, in the 47th minute, to end the second period’s scoreless spell. Murphy showed his breaking ability from halfway, a weaving O’Doherty providing support and a peach of an offload for McCormack to send Moloney over to bag the bonus point.

With Murphy draining the difficult conversion, the home side had some precious breathing space at 26-17. It was not long until Ulster pocketed their own bonus point, as a scrum penalty set up a maul opportunity and hooker Reaney raided over, doing well to hold off Linehan in the process.

Following McMillan’s curling conversion, Ulster’s counter-rucking earned them another penalty approaching the hour mark. This time they cut infield from the lineout, Harry Doherty releasing Gamble on a powerful diagonal run that saw him score from just outside Munster’s 22.

Ulster were now three points to the good (29-26), with McMillan unable to repeat his previous kick from close to the left touchline. When Munster full-back Murphy saw yellow for taking out Isaac Hatch in the air, victory looked within reach for the visitors.

However, Sam Barry’s penalty win just metres from the Munster whitewash boosted his team-mates. More fresh legs came on, and with an Ulster error allowing replacement Alan Cleary to find touch just five metres out, the pressure was back on the boys in white.

Michael Landers was bundled into touch as the hosts tried to outfox their opponents with a creative lineout move, but Rian McFarlane O’Shea’s subsequent steal in the air kept the pressure on in a tense finale.

Retaining possession deep in the Ulster 22 and recyling well, Munster’s patience paid off when flanker O’Doherty scrambled over after a strong Landers carry. The extras from Cleary made it a four-point winning margin in the end.

TIME LINE: 3 minutes – Ulster U-18 Schools try: Harry Wells – 0-5; conversion: missed by James McMillan – 0-5; 9 mins – Ulster U-18 Schools try: James Wells – 0-10; conversion: James McMillan – 0-12; 11 mins – Munster U-18 Schools try: Daniel Murphy – 5-12; conversion: Daniel Murphy – 7-12; 20 mins – Munster U-18 Schools try: Jack Hayes – 12-12; conversion: Daniel Murphy – 14-12; 20 mins – Ulster U-18 Schools yellow card: James Wells; 26 mins – Ulster U-18 Schools try: Dylan Gray – 14-17; conversion: missed by James McMillan – 14-17; 31 mins – Munster U-18 Schools try: Ryan McCormack – 19-17; conversion missed by Daniel Murphy – 19-17; Half-time – Munster U-18 Schools 19 Ulster U-18 Schools 17; 41 mins – Ulster U-18 Schools yellow card: Harry Wells; 47 mins – Munster U-18 Schools try: Alex Moloney – 24-17; conversion: Daniel Murphy – 26-17; 53 mins – Ulster U-18 Schools try: Charlie Reaney – 26-22; conversion: James McMillan – 26-24; 57 mins – Ulster U-18 Schools try: George Gamble – 26-29; conversion: missed by James McMillan – 26-29; 65 mins – Munster yellow card: Daniel Murphy; 70+1 mins – Munster U-18 Schools try: Cathal O’Doherty – 31-29; conversion: Alan Cleary – 33-29; Full-time – Munster U-18 Schools 33 Ulster U-18 Schools 29

MUNSTER U-18 SCHOOLS: Daniel Murphy (PBC Cork); Jack Hayes (Cistercian College Roscrea), Alex Moloney (PBC Cork), Ryan McCormack (Ardscoil Rís) (capt), Cathal O’Mara (Cistercian College Roscrea); David Nolan (PBC Cork), Lewis Linehan (Bandon Grammar School); Jack Deasy (Bandon Grammar School), Kevin Griffin (Castletroy College), Sean Fitzpatrick (CBC Cork), Charlie Ryan (Rockwell College), Tom Murray (PBC Cork), Conor McLoughlin (PBC Cork), Cathal O’Doherty (Ardscoil Rís), Rian McFarlane O’Shea (PBC Cork).

Replacements: Michael Landers (St. Munchin’s College), Caden Smith (Glenstal Abbey School), Conor Dillon (St. Munchin’s College), Ben O’Connell (Castletroy College), Harry McCarthy (CBC Cork), Sam Barry (Bandon Grammar School), Alan Cleary (Crescent College Comprehensive), Harry Galvin Carty (PBC Cork), Robert Carrigan (Rockwell College), Sean Stone (Cistercian College Roscrea).

ULSTER U-18 SCHOOLS: James McMillan (Coleraine Grammar School); Paul Henry (Campbell College), Nathan Hamilton (RBAI), Dylan Gray (RBAI), Harry Wells (Campbell College); Josh McCaughey (Down High School), James Wells (Campbell College); Lewis Robinson (Regent House School), Charlie Reaney (Royal School Armagh), Alex Stinson (Royal School Armagh), Archie Graham (Dalriada School), Jayden Irwin (Belfast Royal Academy), Harry Doherty (Methodist College), Cian McClean (RBAI) (capt), Oliver Gartley (Methodist College).

Replacements: Alex O’Hagan (Methodist College), Reuben McIlwrath (RBAI), Jonah Woolley (Antrim Grammar School), Elliot Magowan (RBAI), George Gamble (Enniskillen Royal Grammar School), Jack Best (Campbell College), Ollie Taylor (RBAI), Isaac Hatch (Campbell College).

Referee: Ryan Deacon (IRFU)

PWC UNDER-18 BOYS SCHOOLS INTERPROVINCIAL CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS/FIXTURES –

Saturday, August 9 –

Munster 33 Ulster 29, Virgin Media Park

Wednesday, August 13 –

Leinster v Munster, Energia Park, 2.30pm

Sunday, August 17 –

Ulster v Leinster, Affidea Stadium, 3pm

Saturday, August 23 –

Ulster v Munster, Newforge, 1pm

Wednesday, August 27 –

Leinster v Ulster, Energia Park, 2.30pm

Sunday, August 31 –

Munster v Leinster, Virgin Media Park, 12pm