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Title Delight For Impressive Leinster In PwC U-18 Schools Championship

IRFU Committee member Robert Deacon presents the Kevin D. Kelleher Cup to victorious Leinster Under-18 Schools captain Michael Smyth ©SPORTSFILE/Piaras Ó Mídheach

Leinster confirmed themselves as the standout team in this season’s PwC U-18 Boys Schools Interprovincial Championship with a title-clinching 47-17 win over Ulster at Energia Park.

PWC UNDER-18 BOYS SCHOOLS INTERPROVINCIAL CHAMPIONSHIP – ROUND 3:

Wednesday, August 27 –

LEINSTER U-18 SCHOOLS 47 ULSTER U-18 SCHOOLS 17, Energia Park
Scorers: Leinster U-18 Schools: Tries: Dan McKenna, Johnny Woods 2, Chris Maguire, Hugh Keaney, Brion Donagh 2; Cons: Michael Kenny 4, Harrison McMahon 2
Ulster U-18 Schools: Tries: Cian McClean, David Nelson; Cons: James McMillan 2; Pen: James McMillan
HT: Leinster U-18 Schools 19 Ulster U-18 Schools 10

Sean Skehan’s young side took their try haul to 15 in three matches as they maintained their unbeaten form to be crowned champions, ahead of Sunday’s final round trip to Cork to play Munster.

Ulster, who were just two points behind Leinster in the table after beating Munster 35-23, came to Dublin on a mission to avenge the 32-20 defeat they suffered at Affidea Stadium two Sundays ago.

A try from captain Cian McClean moved Ulster in front on the quarter hour mark, but converted scores from Johnny Woods and Chris Maguire, adding to Dan McKenna’s early maul effort, gave Leinster a 19-10 half-time lead.

The title holders could not contain the hosts during the closing 35 minutes, as scrum half Woods took care of the bonus point, Hugh Keaney also crossed, and replacement Brion Donagh added a late brace, taking his tally for the competition to four tries.

Luck was not on Ulster’s side at times, but Kieran Campbell’s charges gained some consolation during the final minutes with converted try from replacement David Nelson, under the posts at the Old Wesley end.

Eoin Farrell got his hands in at the breakdown to earn an early penalty, with Michael Kenny’s thumping touchfinder leaving Leinster just a few metres from the try-line. Backs Tom Martin and Maguire joined the maul to help drive hooker McKenna over in the third minute.

Kenny’s well-struck conversion was cancelled out by an equally crisp three-pointer from James McMillan for Ulster’s opening points. It remained 7-3 with Leinster reorganising well in defence after Harry Wells had gained ground out wide.

When Herbie Boyle took Dylan Gray out in the air in the 13th minute, Josh McCaughey booted the visitors into try-scoring territory. They took play in towards the posts through James Wells and George Gamble, before McClean made the line with a muscular carry.

After McMillan knocked over the conversion for a 10-7 scoreline, Boyle and the fit-again Phillip Lynch became more prominent as ball carriers for the Blues. Ulster were defending smartly, though, and Connor Patton dug in for a turnover penalty.

Soon back on the attack, Leinster pieced together one of the tries of the Championship. The powerful Boyle gave them front-foot ball, Martin sent loosehead Tom Quigley charging through the middle, and David Kenny and Lynch’s pinpoint offloads put Woods in under the posts.

The conversion from Michael Kenny opened up a four-point advantage for Leinster, who then had a couple of misfires with a crooked lineout throw, and a close-in maul that Ulster defended successfully with McKenna knocking on at the rear.

Archie Graham’s well-timed turnover stood out in a scrappy late spell, but the homie side gradually wore down the defence for Maguire to score in the right corner. Woods swept a great pass out for the winger to go over after sustained pressure from the forwards.

Leinster captain Michae Smyth led by the example on the restart, ripping the ball back in a tackle and gobbling up a lineout that went out the back. Replacement Harry Doherty provided the inspiration for Ulster by winning a penalty at the breakdown.

Leinster out-half Kenny sent a long-range penalty wide, and the battle at the breakdown intensified with Boyle poaching possession before Methodist College’s James Reid, a few phases later, fought hard to gain a relieving penalty inside the Ulster 22.

Nonetheless, the tide was turning in Leinster’s favour. The influential Lynch pinched a lineout, and Donagh was inches away from scoring a breakaway try. A knock-on denied him after Quigley’s well-timed pass had him raiding through from Ulster’s 10-metre line.

Ulster came under further pressure, with Maguire running into space before Woods attacked down the same right wing just moments later. The Wesley College half-back sniped from a ruck and brilliantly sidestepped around Isaac Hatch for a classy solo try which Kenny converted.

Ulster were thwarted by Michael Smyth’s maul defence, and Lynch also got his hand to a subsequent lineout. It led to a pacy 51st-minute breakout from Leinster, who finished clinically to take a 33-10 lead.

Centre Niall Fallon raced past halfway and linked with the newly-introduced James McMahon whose offload back inside bounced up for Clongowes Wood’s Keaney to touch down. Kenny’s conversion was high and accurate from the left.

A couple of penalties, including one for crossing, saw Ulster lose ground before their industrious second row Graham did well to keep out Newbridge College’s Donagh from a short lineout move.

However, much to Ulster’s frustration, Leinster duly punished a crooked throw on the hour mark when a strong 10-metre drive saw the eager Donagh put 30 points between the teams.

Skehan’s table toppers then leaked a couple of penalties, inviting Ulster forward and they capitalised when McClean took a five-metre tap and Nelson managed to burrow over. McMillan converted from straight in front of the posts.

Fittingly though, it was the new champions who had the final say. A penalty took them back towards the left corner, and Donagh dived over from a well-executed maul to make it a seven-try success. Fellow replacement Harrison McMahon also tagged on his second conversion.

TIME LINE: 3 minutes – Leinster U-18 Schools try: Dan McKenna – 5-0; conversion: Michael Kenny – 7-0; 7 mins – Ulster U-18 Schools penalty: James McMillan – 7-3; 15 mins – Ulster U-18 Schools try: Cian McClean – 7-8; conversion: James McMillan – 7-10; 19 mins – Leinster U-18 Schools try: Johnny Woods – 12-10; conversion: Michael Kenny – 14-10; 35+2 mins – Leinster U-18 Schools try: Chris Maguire – 19-10; conversion: missed by Michael Kenny – 19-10; Half-time – Leinster U-18 Schools 19 Ulster U-18 Schools 10; 41 mins – Leinster U-18 Schools penalty: missed by Michael Kenny – 19-10; 46 mins – Leinster U-18 Schools try: Johnny Woods – 24-10; conversion: Michael Kenny – 26-10; 51 mins – Leinster U-18 Schools try: Hugh Keaney – 31-10; conversion: Michael Kenny – 33-10; 60 mins – Leinster U-18 Schools try: Brion Donagh – 38-10; conversion: Harrison McMahon – 40-10; 65 mins – Ulster U-18 Schools try: David Nelson – 40-15; conversion: James McMillan – 40-17; 70 mins – Leinster U-18 Schools try: Brion McDonagh – 45-17; conversion: Harrison McMahon – 47-17; Full-time – Leinster U-18 Schools 47 Ulster U-18 Schools 17

LEINSTER U-18 SCHOOLS: Finn Brennan (Kilkenny College); Chris Maguire (St. Mary’s College), Niall Fallon (Terenure College), Tom Martin (Newbridge College), Tommy Smyth (Terenure College); Michael Kenny (Newbridge College), Johnny Woods (Wesley College); Tom Quigley (St. Mary’s College), Dan McKenna (Terenure College), David Kenny (St. Mary’s College), Eoin Farrell (St. Mary’s College), Phillip Lynch (St. Michael’s College), Hugh Keaney (Clongowes Wood College), Michael Smyth (Terenure College) (capt), Herbie Boyle (St. Michael’s College).

Replacements: Brion Donagh (Newbridge College), Dan O’Donohoe (St. Michael’s College), Rory O’Brien (Terenure College), James Whitty (St. Mary’s College), Senan Gavin (Terenure College), James McMahon (St. Michael’s College), Harrison McMahon (St. Michael’s College), Nic Sheehan (St. Mary’s College).

ULSTER U-18 SCHOOLS: James McMillan (Coleraine Grammar School); Harry Wells (Campbell College), Nathan Hamilton (Royal School Armagh), Connor Patton (RBAI), Dylan Gray (RBAI); 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), James Reid (Methodist College Belfast), Cian McClean (RBAI) (capt), George Gamble (Enniskillen Royal Grammar School).

Replacements: David Nelson (Campbell College), Reuben McIlwrath (RBAI), Jonah Woolley (Antrim Grammar School), Harry Doherty (Methodist College Belfast), Oliver Gartley (Methodist College Belfast), Jack Best (Campbell College), Adam Millar (RBAI), Isaac Hatch (Campbell College).

Referee: John Purcell (IRFU)