Munster And Leinster ‘A’ Teams Draw Again After Ten-Try Thriller

IRFU MEN’S ‘A’ INTERPROVINCIAL CHAMPIONSHIP – ROUND 2:

Friday, December 19 –

MUNSTER ‘A’ 33 LEINSTER ‘A’ 33, Rockwell College 4G pitch
Scorers: Munster ‘A’: Tries: Diarmuid Kilgallen 2, Evan O’Connell, Eoghan Smyth, Luke Murphy; Cons: Tony Butler 4
Leinster ‘A’: Tries: Andrew Osborne 2, John McKee, Hugh Cooney, Josh Ericson; Cons: Caspar Gabriel, Paddy Clancy 3
HT: Munster ‘A’ 26 Leinster ‘A’ 7

Munster ‘A’ enjoyed a barnstorming finish to the first half, touching down three times past the half-hour mark – including a superb second try of the game from Diarmuid Kilgallen – to lead 26-7 at half-time.

Late converted efforts from captain Evan O’Connell and Eoghan Smyth had the hosts in control of the scoreboard, with an Andrew Osborne try having drawn Leinster ‘A’ level inside the opening quarter.

Simon Broughton’s charges trailed by 19 points on two separate occasions, with skipper John McKee and Luke Murphy swapping early second-half tries, but the tables were turned from the sides’ October encounter at Ollie Campbell Park.

Back then it was Munster ‘A’ who clawed their way back from a 19-point deficit for a share of the spoils. This time Leinster ‘A’ had the momentum by the finish, as replacement Paddy Clancy converted successive tries from Hugh Cooney, Osborne, and Josh Ericson, who crossed with eight minutes remaining.

Osborne and recent senior debutant Ericson both scored during Seán O’Brien’s sin-binning, but neither team could muster a late match winner. They both remain unbeaten but winless after the opening two rounds of the IRFU Men’s ‘A’ Interprovincial Championship.

O’Connell set the tone for the home side with an early turnover which led to a penalty. Alan Spicer hit back with a turnover of his own as the game opened at quite a pace and with the breakdown fiercely contested.

A sharp backs move from a scrum had Shay McCarthy breaching the opposition 22 for Munster ‘A’. They retained possession through six more phases before Tony Butler used O’Connell’s pullback pass to put Kilgallen haring over in the sixth minute.

Butler’s smashing conversion was quickly followed by the injury-enforced withdrawal of Jake O’Riordan. Caspar Gabriel soon showed his aerial skills with a fine take for Leinster ‘A’, and Ciarán Mangan’s jinking run then drew a high tackle.

The visitors gained good ground with the resulting maul, and Oliver Coffey neatly got his hands free in contact to send Osborne over for a 14th-minute score. Gabriel drew Leinster ‘A’ level with a drop-kicked conversion.

Some impressive continuity from the Munstermen had them poised to strike back on the 20-minute mark, yet Seán Edogbo’s charge to the try-line was called back for a forward pass from Kilgallen.

Liam Molony made sure to get his hands on a Munster ‘A’ lineout that went loose inside their own 22. It led to a strong spell of carrying from the men in blue, until the industrious Michael Foy forced a relieving penalty at the breakdown.

A few minutes later, Ruadhán Quinn gobbled up a Butler kick but his pass to the onrushing Kilgallen was ruled forward. Still, it was a gimpse of how incisive Munster ‘A’ could be in attack, and they were clinical in the minutes leading up to the interval.

Kilgallen completed his brace from a free-flowing first-phase move off a lineout, stepping inside Paidi Farrell to complete a rapid run out wide. He had been set free by Smyth’s arcing pass out to the right and a well-timed assist from McCarthy.

O’Connell then ran hard onto a John Poland pass, breaking the defensive line to score from the edge of the opposition 22. Credit to O’Brien for his carry just before that, and Butler’s conversion widened the margin to 12 points at 19-7.

It got even better for Munster ‘A’ who confidently put together the phases, Poland’s peach of a pass getting Smyth outside Mangan, and the Cork Constitution clubman evaded the clutches of Coffey and crashed over the top of Gabriel to get the grounding.

The Leinster ‘A’ forwards seized the initiative on the resumption, earning scrum and maul penalties. The hosts defended a second maul successfully, but hooker McKee broke off a subsequent drive on the left to power over, leaving two converted scores in it.

UCD pair Conor O’Tighearnaigh and Clancy had come on to good effect at that stage, although when McKee was guilty of tackling Poland without the ball, Munster ‘A’ made the possession and territory count as a great Butler kick put them within range

After their maul had been stopped short, the Reds recycled quickly through the phases and Edogbo fed fellow back rower Murphy to burrow over from a couple of metres out. Butler’s conversion was on target for a 33-12 scoreline.

There were 55 minutes on the clock when Cooney ran in an opportunist third try for Leinster ‘A’ from 40 metres out. The ball went loose after a Farrell burst, but the 21-year-old centre reacted quickest, found a gap in the defence and accelerated clear despite Josh Wycherley’s attempted tackle.

It was nip and tuck either side of the hour mark as the intensity of this entertaining contest at Wilie Duggan Park lifted again. A three-man counter attack had Clancy breaking past halfway, and O’Brien, regrouping in defence, saw yellow for playing the nine at the base of a ruck.

From an initial maul set-up, Coffey and Mangan whipped the ball infield for winger Osborne to dart over for the bonus point try, just to the left of the posts. Teenage out-half Clancy drilled over the extras to reduce the arrears to 33-26.

Ericson’s levelling score was all about a terrific run from Osborne after receiving a kick. The Naas native burst through from halfway, evading three tackles, and Ericson was up in support to collect replacement Tadhg Brophy’s offload to touch down. Clancy’s right boot made it all-square.

Knock-ons thwarted both provinces during a helter-skelter final 10 minutes. Leinster ‘A’ had the best opportunity following a scrum penalty, yet Smyth’s crunching, ball-dislodging tackle on Clancy ensured that the Munster ‘A’ defence held firm.

Leinster ‘A’ are back in action on Saturday week (January 3) when they host Connacht Eagles at the UCD Bowl (kick-off 2pm). Nenagh Ormond RFC will be the venue for the Munster ‘A’ team’s next outing, with Ulster ‘A’ their opponents on Friday, February 13 (kick-off 3pm).

TIME LINE: 6 minutes – Munster ‘A’ try: Diarmuid Kilgallen – 5-0; conversion: Tony Butler – 7-0; 14 mins – Leinster ‘A’ try: Andrew Osborne – 7-5; conversion: Caspar Gabriel – 7-7; 33 mins – Munster ‘A’ try: Diarmuid Kilgallen – 12-7; conversion: missed by Tony Butler – 12-7; 37 mins – Munster ‘A’ try: Evan O’Connell – 17-7; conversion: Tony Butler – 19-7; 40+1 mins – Munster ‘A’ try: Eoghan Smyth: 24-7; conversion: Tony Butler – 26-7; Half-time – Munster ‘A’ 26 Leinster ‘A’ 7; 49 mins – Leinster ‘A’ try: John McKee – 26-12; conversion: missed by Paddy Clancy – 26-12; 52 mins – Munster ‘A’ try: Luke Murphy – 31-12; conversion: Tony Butler – 33-12; 55 mins – Leinster ‘A’ try: Hugh Cooney – 33-17; conversion: Paddy Clancy – 33-19; 64 mins – Munster ‘A’ yellow card: Seán O’Brien; 66 mins – Leinster ‘A’ try: Andrew Osborne – 33-24; conversion: Paddy Clancy – 33-26; 72 mins – Leinster ‘A’ try: Josh Ericson – 33-31; conversion: Paddy Clancy – 33-33; Full-time – Munster ‘A’ 33 Leinster ‘A’ 33

MUNSTER ‘A’: Shay McCarthy; Diarmuid Kilgallen, Seán O’Brien, Eoghan Smyth, Fionn Gibbons; Tony Butler, Jake O’Riordan; Josh Wycherley, Max Clein, Ronan Foxe, Michael Foy, Evan O’Connell (capt), Seán Edogbo, Ruadhán Quinn, Luke Murphy.

Replacements: Danny Sheahan, George Hadden, Kieran Ryan, Rory Woods, Alex Lautsou, Billy Hayes, John Poland, Tom Wood, Gene O’Leary Kareem, Dylan Hicks.

LEINSTER ‘A’: Charlie Molony; Páidí Farrell, Hugh Cooney, Ciarán Mangan, Andrew Osborne; Caspar Gabriel, Oliver Coffey; Alex Usanov, John McKee (capt), Niall Smyth, Alan Spicer, Billy Corrigan, Josh Ericson, Liam Molony, Diarmuid Mangan.

Replacements: Rian Handley, Jerry Cahir, Andrew Sparrow, Mahon Ronan, Conor O’Tighearnaigh, Dylan McNeice, Tadhg Brophy, Paddy Clancy, Ethan Black, Harry Waters.

Referee: Keane Davison (IRFU)

IRFU MEN’S ‘A’ INTERPROVINCIAL CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS/FIXTURES –

Round 1:

Saturday, October 18 – Leinster ‘A’ 26 Munster ‘A’ 26, Ollie Campbell Park, Old Belvedere RFC
Friday, November 21 – Ulster ‘A’ 28 Connacht Eagles 22, Palace Grounds, City of Armagh RFC

Round 2:

Friday, December 19 – Connacht Eagles v Ulster ‘A’, Dexcom Stadium (match postponed – fixture details to be confirmed)
Friday, December 19 – Munster ‘A’ 33 Leinster ‘A’ 33, Rockwell College 4G pitch

Round 3:

Saturday, January 3 – Leinster ‘A’ v Connacht Eagles, UCD Bowl, UCD RFC, 2pm
Friday, February 13 – Munster ‘A’ v Ulster ‘A’, New Ormond Park, Nenagh Ormond RFC, 3pm

Round 4:

Friday, February 13 – Connacht Eagles v Leinster ‘A’, Dexcom Stadium, 2pm
Friday, February 20 – Ulster ‘A’ v Munster ‘A’, Affidea Stadium, 3pm

Round 5:

Friday May, 1 – Connacht Eagles v Munster ‘A’, Dexcom Stadium, 2pm
Friday May, 1 – Leinster ‘A’ v Ulster ‘A’, venue & kick-off tbc

Round 6:

Friday, May 8 – Munster ‘A’ v Connacht Eagles, venue & kick-off tbc
Saturday, May 9 – Ulster ‘A’ v Leinster ‘A’, Ballymacarn Park, Ballynahinch RFC, 1pm