PWC UNDER-18 SCHOOLS INTERPROVINCIAL CHAMPIONSHIP - ROUND 1:
Wednesday, August 12 -
MUNSTER U-18 SCHOOLS 12 LEINSTER U-18 SCHOOLS 33, Virgin Media Park
Scorers: Munster: Tries: Adam Bennett, Leo Carman; Con: Mathew McCarthy
Leinster: Tries: Myles Carroll, Adam Smyth, Matias Quaglia, Saul Brewster, Victor Chauvire; Cons: Matt McKenna 4
HT: Munster 5 Leinster 7
Seán Skehan's defending champions found their rhythm in the second half to break clear of a resilient Munster, scoring five tries in all with Matt McKenna landing four conversions.
The opening 35 minutes at Virgin Media Park ended with Leinster leading 7-5, despite the hosts having most of the play and going close to adding to Adam Bennett's 17th-minute try.
Myles Carroll had hit back for a slow-starting Leinster, who had Phillip Kenny yellow carded, and the two-point gap remained after early second-half scores from Adam Smyth and Leo Carman.
Munster were hoping to bounce back from last Saturday's 33-26 defeat to Ulster, but Skehan's charges seized control of the scoreboard, with Matias Quaglia, Saul Brewster, and Victor Chauvire showing their finishing skills during the last 20 minutes.
With that game in Belfast under their belt, Aiden McNulty's young Reds made some early inroads, while their defence also stood up well as Leinster were first to get within reach of the try-line.
The Leinster forwards were denied at close range, and then Ronan O'Brien and Munster captain Jack Hayes combined to force a knock-on from Adam Smyth, just a few metres out.
Seán Ryan's maul turnover, coupled with a well-judged 50:22 kick from CBC Cork scrum half Tiernan Murphy, had the home side back on the front foot until their lineout misfired in a promising position.
Leinster scrambled back to thwart a Hayes break, and Belvedere College's Ronan McCann also stole a lineout, but there was no denying Bennett, midway through the first half.
The Crescent College Comprehensive winger showed a terrific turn of pace to score from 40 metres out, evading two tackles close to the touchline. Mathew McCarthy's conversion attempt curled wide.
Munster had opportunities to extend their lead beyond five points, yet Murphy, following up on an initial Bennett kick, could not get a clean grasp on a bouncing ball just 12 metres out.
Carroll and Adam Smyth combined to hold up Ronan Dillon, as the Leinster defence stood firm, and McKenna's superb try-saving tackle prevented Hayes from scoring in the left corner, following a dinked kick from Murphy.
Tommy Smyth's jinking run to the side of a scrum got the Leinster attack going, on the half-hour mark. Kenny sucked in defenders, and his offload found its way to Carroll who nimbly broke free to score from 30 metres out.
McKenna's first successful conversion of the contest split the teams, but Kenny was soon sin-binned as his attempted kick made contact with Munster full-back Hugh Downey who was first to a loose ball.
Despite being down to 14 men, the title holders started the second half in better stead. A McCann lineout steal allowed them to build for their second converted try.
Number 8 Lucas Hill carried with great intent from a close-in scrum, drawing the Munster line within reach, and St. Mary's College centre Smyth was fed for a strong finish.
McNulty's side responded within five minutes, getting in range thanks to a scrum penalty. Hooker Carman broke off a maul for his second five-pointer of the tournament, with McCarthy's conversion closing the gap to 14-12.
However, Leinster's bench began to become a factor. From a scrum on the right, Chauvire launched a neat line of passes that sent Kilkenny College flyer Quaglia racing over to score in a similar fashion to Bennett.
Following McKenna's only missed converson, Leinster continued to enjoy the better field position, aided by a Murphy kick that went out on the full, and a bustling run from Ronan O'Neill.
A spell of powerful carrying from the Leinster forwards ended with Newbridge College's Brewster barging in under the posts for a well-taken try, following up on his captain Hugh Keaney's clever initial pick.
That took care of the visitors' bonus point, and try as they might, the industrious Munster outfit were unable to hit back. There was more defending to fo after a scrum penalty, and a Rowan Balamash turnover.
The home side kept out the likes of Brewster, who put in a couple of big hand-offs, and countered impressively through goal-kicking centre McCarthy out wide.
Munster had one of their best attacks in final couple of minutes, as a deft pass from McCarthy had replacement Conor Ryan breaking from deep. He connected with Gearóid Hickey whose kick infield almost set up a try for Ryan.
Instead, Leinster's Naoise Nolan dashed back to claim possession close to the visitors' try-line, and Chauvire spotted his chance, slipping through a gap to the side of the ruck, and backing his footwork and pace to take him away from McCarthy and Downey. There was no catching him once he got past the visitors' 10-metre line.
Out-half McKenna completed his eight-point haul from the tee, closing out the scoring as Leinster, buoyed by this successful trip to Cork, quickly turn their attention to Sunday's clash with Ulster at Energia Park (kick-off 1pm).
TIME LINE: 17 minutes - Munster try: Adam Bennett - 5-0; conversion: missed by Mathew McCarthy 5-0; 32 mins - Leinster try: Myles Carroll - 5-5; conversion: Matt McKenna - 5-7; 34 mins - Leinster yellow card: Phillip Kenny; Half-time - Munster 5 Leinster 7; 42 mins - Leinster try: Adam Smyth - 5-12; conversion: Matt McKenna - 5-14; 47 mins - Munster try: Leo Carman - 10-14; conversion: Mathew McCarthy - 12-14; 50 mins - Leinster try: Matias Quaglia - 12-19; conversion: missed by Matt McKenna - 12-19; 56 mins - Leinster try: Saul Brewster - 12-24; conversion: Matt McKenna - 12-26; 69 mins - Leinster try: Victor Chauvire - 12-31; conversion: Matt McKenna - 12-33; Full-time - Munster 12 Leinster 33
MUNSTER U-18 SCHOOLS: Hugh Downey (CBC Cork); Gearóid Hickey (Crescent College Comprehensive), Mathew McCarthy (PBC Cork), Jack Hayes (Cistercian College Roscrea) (capt), Adam Bennett (Crescent College Comprehensive); Harry Quinlan (CBC Cork), Tiernan Murphy (CBC Cork); William Powell (Cistercian College Roscrea), Leo Carman (Ardscoil Rís Limerick), Bobby Meagher (St. Munchin's College), Andrew O'Connor (Castletroy College), Mark Whelton (Bandon Grammar School), Seán Ryan (Crescent College Comprehensive), Ronan O'Brien (St. Munchin's College); Ronan Dillon (PBC Cork).
Replacements: Kyle Yoxall (St. Munchin's College), Jacob Sweetnam (Bandon Grammar School), Oisín Gleeson (St. Munchin's College), Jay Walsh (Crescent College Comprehensive), Dylan L'Estrange (Bandon Grammar School), Conor Ryan (Castletroy College), Jos Keating (Bandon Grammar School), Alex Bramoulle (Bandon Grammar School).
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), Matias Quaglia (Kilkenny College); Matt McKenna (St. Michael's College), Tommy Smyth (Terenure College); Hugo Ivers McCormack (Clongowes Wood College), Ronan O'Neill (Cistercian College Roscrea), Eoghan Rowlands (Blackrock College), Hugh Keaney (Clongowes Wood College) (capt), Phillip Kenny (Clongowes Wood College), Ronan McCann (Belvedere College), George Eggers (Blackrock College), Lucas Hill (Blackrock College).
Replacements: Rowan Balamash (Terenure College), Borja Salto Galdon (Gonzaga College), Paddy White (Newbridge College), Sam Kennedy (St. Michael's College), Saul Brewster (Newbridge College), Victor Chauvire (Clongowes Wood College), Naoise Nolan (Gonzaga College), Bruce Ryan (Belvedere College).
Referee: Fergal Brislane (IRFU)
