The final weekend of PwC Age-Grade Interprovincial Championship action kicked off in Belfast where the Ulster U-19s came out on top in a tight tussle with Connacht.
Charlie Reaney's rapid maul try after just 93 seconds set Ricky Andrew's side on their way, before Campbell College centre Paul Henry powered over on the quarter hour mark.
Connacht were hoping to bounce back to winning ways, with four points separating them from table-toppers Leinster coming into the decisive third round, but they were held scoreless during the first half.
A terrific turnover penalty won by Archie Graham helped Ulster to stay 14 points in front, until Sligo's Cathal Moffatt scored with a pick-and-go effort, early on the resumption.
It was all to play for entering the last quarter, as a yellow card for Graham was followed by a well-taken converted try from Connacht captain Ruben Flynn, who closed the gap to 14-12.
Boosted by a three-pointer from Josh McCaughey, Ulster showed impressive composure at a key stage. They used their maul again to very good effect for Ballyclare High School's Josh McColgan to touch down.
The conversion from McCaughey made it a double-scores lead and gave Andrew's youngsters enough of a cushion to see out their first victory, despite a late Tom Walsh try.
The Leinster U-19s, who have registered back-to-back bonus point wins, can retain the Barney McGonigle Trophy by beating Munster in Sunday's showdown at Energia Park (kick-off 5pm).
Coached by former Munster and Ireland back rower Tommy O'Donnell, the young Reds can still mathematically win the title, having beaten Ulster 41-21 to sit on six points.
PWC UNDER-18 CLUBS INTERPROVINCIAL CHAMPIONSHIP - ROUND 3:
Saturday, August 29 -
ULSTER U-18 CLUBS 29 CONNACHT U-18 32, Affidea Stadium
Scorers: Ulster: Tries: Corbin Marsden 2, Joe Baillie, Niall Kelly; Cons: Joel Clarke 3; Pen: Joel Clarke
Connacht: Tries: Rory Burns, Daragh Murray, Eoin Gannon 2, Eoin Healy, Ríon Gill; Con: Josh Keane
HT: Ulster 12 Connacht 15
ULSTER U-18 CLUBS: Reuben Nicholl (Coleraine Grammar School/Coleraine RFC); Niall Kelly (Foyle College/Rainey RFC), Isaac Neil (Royal School Dungannon/Dungannon RFC), Ayrton Pienaar (Virginia RFC), Jacob Ennis-McManus (Rainey Endowed School/Rainey RFC); Joel Clarke (Royal School Dungannon/Dungannon RFC), Freddy Harris (Down High School/Ballynahinch RFC); Joe Baillie (Down High School/Ballynahinch RFC), Corbin Marsden (Larne Grammar School/Carrickfergus RFC) (capt), Ben Ledlie (Larne Grammar School/Larne RFC), Ewan Morrison (Belfast High School/Belfast High School Former Pupils RFC), James Fullerton (Rainey Endowed School/Rainey RFC), Matthew Laird (Limavady Grammar School/Limavady RFC), Logan Cooke (Omagh Academy/Strabane RFC), Joe Rice D'Cruze (Friends' School Lisburn/Lisburn RFC).
Replacements: Joel Marrion (Dungannon RFC), Aydan Byrne (Dungannon RFC), Ryan Mitchell (Omagh Academy/Omagh Academicals RFC), Alexander Courtney (Dungannon RFC), Alfie Lucy (Enniskillen Royal Grammar School/Enniskillen RFC), Jed Poutney (Regent House School/Bangor RFC), Rhys Johnston (Carrickfergus RFC), Evan Prior (Belfast High School/Belfast High School Former Pupils RFC).
CONNACHT U-18: Cian Silke (Westport RFC/Rice College Westport); Mirran Saman (Dunmore RFC/Dunmore Community School), Eoin Gannon (Galway Corinthians RFC/Coláiste Cholmcille, Inverin), David Walsh (Galway Corinthians RFC/Coláiste Éinde, Salthill), Tom Smyth (Claremorris RFC/St. Louis Community School, Kiltimagh); Daragh Murray (Buccaneers RFC/Marist College, Athlone), Liam Gillard (Galway Corinthians RFC/Calasanctius College, Oranmore); Rory Burns (Dunmore RFC/Dunmore Community School), Jude Kennedy (Carrick-on-Shannon RFC/Carrick-on-Shannon Community School), Aengus Langan (Galway Corinthians RFC/Presentation College Headford) (capt), Joseph McSharry (Creggs RFC/Marist College Athlone), Seán O'Hara (Buccaneers RFC/Coláiste Chiaráin, Athlone), Aron Martin (Sligo Rugby, Sligo Grammar School), Oisín O'Connor (Sligo Rugby/Summerhill College, Sligo), Krystian Kopczynski (Carrick-on-Shannon RFC/Carrick-on-Shannon Community School).
Replacements: Ríon Gill (Galway Corinthians RFC/Cistercian College Roscrea), Peter Daniel Sunny (Buccaneers RFC/Marist College, Athlone), Julien Flynn (Galway Corinthians RFC/Cistercian College Roscrea), Theo Gately (Carrick-on-Shannon RFC/Sligo Grammar School), Eoin Healy (Galway Corinthians RFC/Calasanctius College, Oranmore), Liam Cadden (Westport RFC/Rice College Westport), Darragh Kelly (Oughterard RFC/St. Joseph's Patrician College), Josh Keane (Galway Corinthians RFC/Presentation College Headford).
PWC UNDER-19 INTERPROVINCIAL CHAMPIONSHIP - ROUND 3:
Saturday, August 29 -
ULSTER U-19 24 CONNACHT U-19 19, Affidea Stadium
Scorers: Ulster: Tries: Charlie Reaney, Paul Henry, Josh McColgan; Cons: Josh McCaughey 3; Pen: Josh McCaughey
Connacht: Tries: Cathal Moffatt, Ruben Flynn, Tom Walsh; Cons: Dylan Curran, Kaylum Curran
HT: Ulster 14 Connacht 0
ULSTER U-19: Alfie Clarke (Dromore High School); Aaron Lowey (Campbell College Belfast), Paul Henry (Campbell College Belfast), Isaac Hatch (Campbell College Belfast), Ryan Hamilton (Royal School Armagh); Josh McCaughey (Down High School), Sam Harper (Omagh Academy); Elias Agbonkpolar (Belfast Royal Academy), Charlie Reaney (Royal School Armagh), Noah Carson (Ballymena RFC), Charlie Best (Campbell College Belfast), Archie Graham Dalriada School), Theo Scott (Campbell College Belfast, Jayden Irwin (Belfast Royal Academy) (capt), Cian McClean (Royal Belfast Academical Institution).
Replacements: Josh McColgan (Ballyclare High School), Reuben Edmondson (Royal Belfast Academic Institution), Dylan Byrne (Dungannon RFC), James Lennon (Virginia RFC), Jacob McKeown (Sullivan Upper School), Ollie Larkin (Campbell College Belfast), Ollie Worth (Clongowes Wood College), James McMillan (Ballymena Academy).
CONNACHT U-19: Cian Hynes (Tuam RFC/St. Jarlath's College, Tuam); Brian McCulloch (Clongowes Wood College), Oisin O'Donoghue (Buccaneers RFC/Marist College, Athlone), John Brendan McDonnell (Galway Bay Rugby/St. Joseph's Patrician College), Daniel Kelly (Creggs RFC/Coláiste Mhuire, Ballygar); Dylan Curran (Galway Bay Rugby/Coláiste Chroí Mhuire, Spiddal), Luke Molloy (Galway Corinthians RFC/Presentation College Athenry); Reuben Galvan (Sligo Rugby/Sligo Grammar School), Hugh Óg Arnold (Sligo Rugby/Summerhill College, Sligo), Emmanuel Albert (Ballinasloe RFC/Clonfert College, Ballinasloe), JJ Phillips (Galwegians RFC/Coláiste Iognáid, Galway), Barry Gavin (Galwegians RFC/Coláiste Iognáid, Galway), Alastair Hewson (Carrick-on-Shannon RFC/Sligo Grammar School), Ruben Flynn (Galway Corinthians RFC/Cistercian College Roscrea) (capt).
Replacements: Felix Zeray (Westport RFC/Rice College Westport), James Siva (Galway Bay Rugby/St. Joseph's Patrician College), Cathal Moffatt (Sligo Rugby/Sligo Grammar School), Leo Anic (Buccaneers RFC/Galwegians RFC/CBS Roscommon), Micheál Walsh (Galwegians RFC/Coláiste Iognáid, Galway), Tom Walsh (Buccaneers RFC), Kaylum Curran (Creggs RFC/CBS Roscommon), Shane Lally (Monivea RFC/Presentation College Athenry).
