PWC UNDER-18 SCHOOLS INTERPROVINCIAL CHAMPIONSHIP - ROUND 2:
Sunday, August 16 -
LEINSTER U-18 SCHOOLS 24 ULSTER U-18 SCHOOLS 24, Energia Park
Scorers: Leinster: Tries: Rónán O'Neill, Saul Brewster, Matias Quaglia, Penalty try; Cons: Matt McKenna, Pen try con
Ulster: Tries: David Nelson, Zach Thompson 2; Cons: Jonnie Kennedy 3; Pen: Jonnie Kennedy
HT: Leinster 12 Ulster 21
In the first of their back-to-back away trips, Ulster lost their grip on a hard-earned 12-point lead, as a 67th-minute penalty try gave Seán Skehan's Leinster team a share of the spoils.
Indeed, with a four-try haul on the day, the defending champions picked up three points to stay at the top of the standings, while the Ulster youngsters took home two points.
Rónán O'Neill and Saul Brewster had cancelled out David Nelson's opening third-minute try, before Zach Thompson crossed twice for Ulster during Leinster captain Hugh Keaney's sin-binning.
Jonnie Kennedy, the visitors' skipper, impressed from the tee, ensuring a 21-12 half-time lead for Daryl Maxwell's charges, which he extended with a penalty.
However, an unconverted Matias Quaglia effort, and that penalty try, had Leinster back level, and Kennedy missed two late long-range penalties in a tense finale.
The Championship continues next Saturday with Ulster visiting Cork to play Munster, whom they defeated 33-26 in the opening round. Their rematch with Leinster is at Banbridge RFC on Wednesday week (August 26).
Ulster seized the initiative in Donnybrook with a try inside three minutes, the opportunity created by Kennedy's 50:22 kick and a subsequent maul penalty conceded by the hosts.
From a second well-controlled drive, Campbell College hooker Nelson plunged over for his second score of the competition, with Kennedy's right boot making it a full seven points.
Nonetheless, Leinster were just as clinical from their first scoring chance. Matt McKenna found a brilliant touch from a penalty, and Cistercian College Roscrea's O'Neill crashed over from a strong maul to make it a two-point game.
The home pack had a similar set-up on the opposite side of the pitch, a few minutes later, following some deft work from Adam Smyth to turn a botched move into a fleet-footed break.
Thompson's terrific try-saving tackle denied Myles Carroll, but a short period of pressure from the forwards ended with Leinster taking a 12-7 lead thanks to Newbridge College's Brewster barging over from his own tap penalty.
The tit-for-tat exchanges continued, as Ulster got back on the front foot to press for their second try. They were thwarted by Keaney's impressive maul defence.
However, Ulster centre Will Rogers was well positioned to win a turnover penalty shortly afterwards, keeping Leinster pinned back, and they then lost Keaney in the 26th minute for infringing close to their try-line.
Despite Brewster coming up with turnover ball, the northern province swiftly regained possession, breaking to the blindside from a scrum where Dylan Gray's skip pass sent Thompson over in the corner.
It turned out to be a quick-fire brace for the Campbell College back, who profited from fellow winger Zac Topping's snappy break and pass to touch down again on the stand side.
Kennedy increased his influence with two expertly-struck conversions from out wide, leaving nine points in it, and his lone penalty goal of the day rewarded some smart handling and angles of running by the Ulster backs.
Leinster had been first to threaten in the second half, a short lineout move seeing them bring the right corner within reach until number 8 Brewster was bundled into touch.
A tap tackle from the newly-introduced Victor Chauvire halted Thompson's progress down Leinster's right wing, with fellow replacement Quaglia gaining back those metres off the resulting scrum.
Things were beginning to click more in attack for the Blues, though, with O'Neill and Keaney both lurking out wide, and their maul gained a penalty before Quaglia moved the scoreboard for them in the 54th minute.
Leinster created numbers on the right, and Mark McNally's pinpoint pass sent the Kilkenny College winger over from five metres out. The scoreline remained 24-17 with McKenna's conversion falling wide.
Philip Kenny led a breakout from the hosts' 22 a few minutes later, and with Ulster conceding back-to-back penalties, Leinster splintered their defence with a surging maul that was rewarded with a penalty try.
With Ulster replacement prop Matthew Watkins also sent to the sin bin, Skehan's side attacked the wide channels to very good effect. Keaney agonisingly dropped Sam Dunne's attempted offload, with the try-line coming into range.
Rocco Stein's kick chase applied enough pressure to force a penalty for Ulster, back inside Leinster territory. From far out, five metres in from the left touchline, Kennedy's effort missed the target.
The Larne Grammar School out-half had another crack in the final play, from just inside the Ulster half. His kick dropped short, leaving this absorbing contest to finish in a stalemate.
TIME LINE: 3 minutes - Ulster try: David Nelson - 0-5; conversion: Jonnie Kennedy - 0-7; 6 mins - Leinster try: Rónán O'Neill - 5-7; conversion: missed by Matt McKenna - 5-7; 12 mins - Leinster try: Saul Brewster - 10-7; conversion: Matt McKenna - 12-7; 26 mins - Leinster yellow card: Hugh Keaney; 29 mins - Ulster try: Zach Thompson - 12-12; conversion: Jonnie Kennedy - 12-14; 33 mins - Ulster try: Zach Thompson - 12-19; conversion: Jonnie Kennedy - 12-21; Half-time - Leinster 12 Ulster 21; 43 mins - Ulster penalty: Jonnie Kennedy - 12-24; 54 mins - Leinster try: Matias Quaglia - 17-24; conversion: missed by Matt McKenna - 17-24; 61 mins - Leinster penalty try & conversion - 24-24; Ulster yellow card: Matthew Watkins; 67 mins - Ulster penalty: missed by Jonnie Kennedy - 24-24; 70+1 mins - Ulster penalty: missed by Jonnie Kennedy - 24-24; Full-time - Leinster 24 Ulster 24
LEINSTER U-18 SCHOOLS: Myles Carroll (St. Michael's College); Hugo Doyle (St. Andrew's College), Sam Dunne (St. Michael's College), Adam Smyth (St. Mary's College), Mark McNally (St. Michael's College); Matt McKenna (St. Michael's College), Tommy Smyth (Terenure College); Hugo Ivers McCormack (Clongowes Wood College), Rónán O'Neill (Cistercian College Roscrea), Eoghan Rowlands (Blackrock College), Hugh Keaney (Clongowes Wood College) (capt), Phillip Kenny (Clongowes Wood College), Ronan McCann (Belvedere College), Rob Flaherty (St. Mary's College), Saul Brewster (Newbridge College).
Replacements: Rowan Balamash (Terenure College), Borja Salto Galdon (Gonzaga College), Aodhan Carroll (Cistercian College Roscrea), Josh Leeson (Kilkenny College), George Eggers (Blackrock College), Victor Chauvire (Clongowes Wood College), Naoise Hillery Nolan (Gonzaga College), Matias Quaglia (Kilkenny College).
ULSTER U-18 SCHOOLS: Dylan Gray (Royal Belfast Academical Institution); Zac Topping (Ballymena Academy), Harry Wells (Campbell College Belfast), Will Rogers (Wallace High School), Zach Thompson (Campbell College Belfast); Jonnie Kennedy (Larne Grammar School) (capt), Alex Turkington (Methodist College Belfast); Adam Crone (Wallace High School), David Nelson (Campbell College Belfast), Conor McKinney (Campbell College Belfast), Will Downey (Royal Belfast Academical Institution), Oscar Eddis (Ballymena Academy), Elliot Magowan (Royal Belfast Academical Institution), James Flannagan (Royal School Armagh), James Reid (Methodist College Belfast).
Replacements: Issac Crawford (Omagh Academy), Matthew Watkins (Royal Belfast Academical Institution), Reuben Gibson (Royal Belfast Academical Institution), Elijah Fitzpatrick (Ballymena Academy), Ben Ellis (Wallace High School), Rocco Steen (Royal Belfast Academical Institution), Jack Best (Campbell College Belfast), Jack Thompson (Campbell College Belfast).
Referee: Cillian Pegley (IRFU)
