Win For Munster U18 Clubs

Two minutes is all it took for winger Brian Fanning to cross the line for his province with Paul O’Keeffe adding the extras to give Munster an early lead against Connacht today at Waterpark RFC.

Munster 22 Connacht 17

A quick response from Connacht’s skipper and No. 8 Matthew Cosgrove on the fifth minute narrowed the gap for his side with out-half Simon Keller converting to bring the scoreline 7-7 a-piece.

In an exciting opening ten minutes full-back Joe White again crossed the line for the home side giving them to a 12-7 lead. O’Keeffe’s attempt to convert was agonisingly denied when the ball ricocheted off the post.

On the twenty fifth minute Keller failed an attempt to close the gap for Connacht with an awarded penalty however this was not to be for O’Keeffe who added three points to his side’s lead five minutes later giving Munster a 15-7 advantage at the half time mark.

Connacht’s Paddy Daly took the first score of the second half by crossing the line on the 50th minute which saw Keller add the extras to bring the score to a narrow one point advantage to the southerners.

Fanning, in what was a superb performance from the Bruff RFC man, took his second try of the match in on the 65th minute, converted by Keller bringing the final score to Munster 22, Connacht 17.

Munster U18 Clubs: Joe White (Clonakilty RFC); Paul O’Keeffe (Kanturk RFC), Tim Cronin (Bantry Bay RFC), Mike Mullaly (Tralee RFC), Brian Fanning (Bruff RFC); Hugh O’Brien Cunningham (Young Munster RFC), Ryan Minihan (Young Munster RFC); Philip Poillot (Clonakilty RFC), Dylan Power (Waterpark RFC), Ben Betts (Young Munster RFC); Seán O’Leary (Capt.) (Midleton RFC), Josh Barnes (Tralee RFC); Karl Madden (Young Munster RFC), Robert Walsh (Waterpark RFC), David Pierce (Waterpark RFC). Replacements: Philip Daly (Abbeyfeale (RFC), Paddy Butler (Highfield RFC), Luke Cantwell (Waterpark RFC), Michael Casey (Bantry Bay RFC), Aaron Dunne (Thomond RFC), Isaac Mansfield Daly (Waterpark RFC), Robert Smith (Clonakilty RFC), James O’Connor (Tralee RFC).

Referee: Oisin Quinn