PWC UNDER-18 SCHOOLS INTERPROVINCIAL CHAMPIONSHIP - ROUND 1:
Saturday, August 8 -
ULSTER U-18 SCHOOLS 33 MUNSTER U-18 SCHOOLS 26, Affidea Stadium
Scorers: Ulster: Tries: James Reid, David Nelson, Will Downey, Lucas McKeown, Dylan Gray; Cons: Jonnie Kennedy 4
Munster: Tries: Leo Carman, Adam Bennett, Jack Hayes, William Powell; Cons: Mathew McCarthy 3
HT: Ulster 21 Munster 7
Daryl Maxwell's Ulster team registered five tries at Affidea Stadium - with all bar one converted by captain Jonnie Kennedy - but had to stave off a stirring second half fight-back from Munster.
Despite the visitors taking an early lead through Leo Carman, Ulster were in control at half-time, leading 21-7 following scores from James Reid, David Nelson, and Will Downey.
Munster, who lost Ronan Dillon to the sin bin, fell 19 points behind when Lucas McKeown crossed, yet they fired back with three tries in a momentum-shifting 10-minute spell.
Adam Bennett, Jack Hayes, and William Powell all made it over, drawing their side level, only for Ulster full-back Gray to grab the ninth and final try of this entertaining first round encounter.
While Ulster have gone straight to the top of the table, Munster still pocketed two bonus points from their trip north. They host defending champions Leinster at Virgin Media Park on Wednesday (kick-off 2pm).
Coached by Aiden McNulty, Munster made sure they had points to show for a strong start. An overlap was shut down by Ulster centre McKeown, but the visitors' maul delivered the goods in the fourth minute.
A barnstorming drive from 16 metres out saw Ardscoil Rís hooker Carman crash over. Mathew McCarthy also sent over a fine conversion from the right, establishing an early seven-point advantage.
Second row Mark Whelton blocked down a Kennedy kick, helping Munster to keep their opponents pinned back, but it was Gray who soon ignited the home attack with a terrific, sidestepping burst downfield.
The RBAI full-back made it up close to the Munster 22, and a couple of phases later, a neat passing move had Jack Thompson threatening before he passed infield for Reid to score.
Following Kennedy's levelling converson, back-to-back penalties led to hooker Nelson touching down in the 19th minute after he had broken off the back of a maul.
Having warned Munster about the number of penalties they were conceding, referee Ruaidhrí O'Hanlon yellow-carded number 8 Dillon for being slow to roll away in the 26th minute.
The young Reds managed to deal with Ulster's resulting lineout drive, yet RBAI lock Downey picked his moment to strike from a close-in ruck, rewarding his team-mates' patient build-up play.
With the extras added by Kennedy, Munster soon came under further pressure but their defence stood up to the task, with skipper Robert Carrigan winning an important turnover.
Trailing by 14 points, McNulty's youngsters began the second half hoping to muster a quick-fire response, but Ulster got on the front foot and duly notched their bonus point try.
Whelton did really well to hold up James Flannagan after he had sniped through from a ruck, before Rocco Steen's looping pass sent McKeown over to the left of the posts.
However, replacement Jos Keating immediately lifted Munster, charging down Steen's attempted clearance kick from the restart, and Bennett gobbled up the loose ball to make it 26-14.
That was the start of a brilliant period for the visitors, with Roscrea College centre Hayes becoming more prominent, combining with Hugh Downey in a pacy attack, and following up with a 50:22 kick just minutes later.
Munster turned the territory into seven more points, Hayes getting the grounding in the 49th minute from a quick Tiernan Murphy pass after Carman had gone close via a maul.
Seeking to break up Munster's sudden momentum, Issac Crawford's turnover penalty gave Ulster a maul opportunity, only for a knock-on - as they built through the phases - to halt their progess.
Instead, it was McNulty's charges who were next to score. A quick-witted move saw replacement Gearóid Hickey make the initial break, and Murphy and McCarthy linked up deftly before prop Powell used the centre's offload to score from five metres out.
That squared things up at 26 points apiece, with McCarthy narrowly missing the conversion just to the left of the posts. Crucially, Ulster answered back within four minutes.
Winger Harry Wells' well-weighted kick allowed the hosts to apply pressure at the lineout, forcing a knock-on. They attacked hard off the scrum, and Gray finished well from a short Kennedy pass.
Kennedy's right boot restored the seven-point gap, and Ulster held firm to take a hard-fought verdict. Munster's lineout let them down late on, with Bobby Meagher's dummy throw blowing a maul chance.
The home side made it back downfield for the final few minutes, and almost created a sixth try. Alex Turkington's kick exposed Munster in the back-field before Matthew Watkins knocked on as he attempted to gather the ball.
TIME LINE: 4 minutes - Munster try: Leo Carman - 0-5; conversion: Mathew McCarthy - 0-7; 15 mins - Ulster try: James Reid - 5-7; conversion: Jonnie Kennedy - 7-7; 19 mins - Ulster try: David Nelson - 12-7; conversion: Jonnie Kennedy - 14-7; 26 mins - Munster yellow card: Ronan Dillon; 27 mins - Ulster try: Will Downey - 19-7; conversion: Jonnie Kennedy - 21-7; Half-time - Ulster 21 Munster 7; 43 mins - Ulster try: Lucas McKeown - 26-7; conversion: missed by Jonnie Kennedy - 26-7; 45 mins - Munster try: Adam Bennett - 26-12; conversion: Mathew McCarthy - 26-14; 49 mins - Munster try: Jack Hayes - 26-19; conversion: Mathew McCarthy - 26-21; 55 mins - Munster try: William Powell - 26-26; conversion: missed by Mathew McCarthy - 26-26; 59 mins - Ulster try: Dylan Gray - 31-26; conversion: Jonnie Kennedy - 33-26; Full-time - Ulster 33 Munster 26
ULSTER U-18 SCHOOLS: Dylan Gray (Royal Belfast Academical Institution); Harry Wells (Campbell College Belfast), Lucas McKeown (Sullivan Upper School), Will Rogers (Wallace High School), Jack Thompson (Campbell College Belfast); Jonnie Kennedy (Larne Grammar School) (capt), Rocco Steen (Royal Belfast Academical Institution); 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), Alex Turkington (Methodist College Belfast), Jack Best (Campbell College Belfast), Zach Thompson (Campbell College Belfast).
MUNSTER U-18 SCHOOLS: Hugh Downey (CBC Cork); Alex Bramoulle (Bandon Grammar School), Mathew McCarthy (PBC Cork), Jack Hayes (Roscrea College), Adam Bennett (Crescent College Comprehensive); Conal Rowen (Glenstal Abbey School), Tiernan Murphy (CBC Cork); William Powell (Roscrea College), Leo Carman (Ardscoil Rís Limerick), Kyle Yoxall (St. Munchin's College), David Fitzpatrick (Crescent College Comprehensive), Mark Whelton (Bandon Grammar School), Seán Ryan (Crescent College Comprehensive), Robert Carrigan (Rockwell College) (capt), Ronan Dillon (PBC Cork).
Replacements: Oisín Gleeson (St. Munchin’s College), Jay Walsh (Crescent College Comprehensive), Bobby Meagher (St. Munchin's College), Jacob Sweetnam (Bandon Grammar School), Connor Ryan (Castletroy College), Oliver Cantrell (Crescent College Comprehensive), Jos Keating (Bandon Grammar School), Gearóid Hickey (Crescent College Comprehensive).
Referee: Ruaidhrí O'Hanlon (IRFU)
