Good Start To The Weekend

A hectic weekend of international rugby got off to the perfect start with wins for the Ireland U20s, All Ireland League side and Irish Colleges.

The Under 20s took a huge stride towards capturing the Grand Slam with a 13-6 win over England at Dubarry Park last night in front of a 4000 strong crowd.

Eric Elwood’s charges led 7-3 at half-time thanks to a Shane Monaghan try converted by out-half Ian Keatley and although England reduced the deficit with a second penalty, Keatley landed two more to secure a deserved win.

Ireland: F Jones (Seapoint/Leinster); S Monahan (Dublin Uni/Leinster), D Cave (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster), A Wynne (Buccaneers/Connacht), K Earls (Thomond/Munster); I Keatley (UCD/Leinster), P O’Donohoe (UCD/Leinster); C Healy (Clontarf/Leinster), R Sweeney (St Mary’s/Leinster), J Hagan (Greystones/Leinster), C McInerney (UCD/Leinster), A Browne (Galwegians/Connacht), T Anderson (Dungannon/Ulster), D Pollock (Queen’s/Ulster) (capt), S O’Brien (UCD/Leinster). Subs: T O’Donnell (UL Bohs/Munster) for O’Brien (inj 31 mins); R Murphy (Lansdowne/Leinster) for Hagan 80 mins; N Keogh (UCC/Munster) for McInerney, 82

England: D Doherty (Wasps); O Dodge (Leicester), T Youngs (Leicester), A Powell (Saracens), S Kuadey (Sale); S Jewell (Harlequins), D Care (Harlequins) (capt); C Beech (Northampton), M Mullan (Worcester), D Cole (Leicester), D Attwood (Bristol), P Hoy (Northampton), A Shaw (Leicester), C Pennycook (Bristol), D Tait (Sale). Subs: M Cox (Worcester) for Attwood (inj, 39), Neale (Saracens) for Jewell (inj, 40), H Ellis (Wasps) for Tait (48), J Turner-Hall (Harlequins) for Neale (inj, 50), T Standfield (London Irish) for Mullan (80), Mullan for Cole (84)

Referee:  N Ballard (Wales)

In Donnybrook last night the AIB League International side had a narrow 13-6 win over an English Counties side. The home side started well and were in front after just six minutes with a try from Matt Crockett before the visitors replied with a penalty from full-back Neil Hallett.

Andrew Thompson extended the Irish lead a penalty just before half time and the Shannon stalwart was again on traget six minutes after the restart.  Four minutes later later Ireland scored their second try through winger Niall O’Brien and Thompson added the conversion.

The English responded with a try from Chris Malherbe and then one from Mark Bedworth with a minute of normal time remaining.

Ireland AIB  Select:  R McCarter (Dungannon); N O’Brien (Clontarf), K Hartigan (Garryowen), G Telford (Dungannon), C Healy (Cork Con); A Thompson (Shannon), F O’Loughlin (Clontarf); D O’Connell (Galwegians), M Crockett (Dublin University), S Shawe (Ballymena); M O’Connell (Cork Con), A Maher (Lansdowne); Peter Malone (Garryowen), Connor Hartigan (Buccaneers), D Quinlan (Shannon, capt). Subs: A Finn (Shannon) for Hartigan 22; B Keeshan (Dolphin) for Thompson 72; M Bruce (Buccaneers 72); S Nolan (Terenure) for D O’Connell 62; K Corrigan (Lansdowne) for Crockett 56; S Crawford (Clontarf) for M O’Connell 62; F Cogan for Hartigan 62.

England: N Hallett; A Bressington, C Malherbe, M Bedworth, M Sweeney (B Armitage 62); M Leek (T Roberts 77), G Barr (C Aikman 78); D Cormack, L Wordley (T Doran 68), W Reed (J Tideswell 58); R Snowball, J Winterbottom; M Blakeburn, N Spence (D Allen 56), T Hayman (M Owen 80)

REF – N Paterson (Scotland)

Across town in Suttonians RFC, a last minute try from man of the match Sean Carey helped the Irish Colleges to a 34-17 win over the UK Combined Services U23s.

Scorers: Irish Colleges (G Coleman two tries, S Carey try, drop goal, B Collins 4 pens, 2 cons) UK Combined Services (U-23s) (J Mills try, J Drauniniu try, P Thomas 1 pen, 2 cons).