Successful Weekend For Young Munster RFC

It was a great weekend for Young Munster on the playing front with four league victories recorded for our senior teams – with our Firsts getting the better of Old Belvedere, our Seconds beating UL Bohs, our Thirds securing a win at Old Crescent, and our Women’s side opening their league with a victory over Thurles.

Johnny Brennan was at Tom Clifford Park on Saturday: “At a wet and dreary Clifford Park on Saturday last, our senior XV recorded a vital win in our opening AIL league fixture over last year's champions Old Belvedere.
We took the lead after 15 minutes with a drop goal from Willie Staunton. Another three penalties from Staunton, and four Old Belvedere penalties ensured the sides went in at the break on level terms.

After the restart the tempo was upped as both sets of forwards refused to give an inch. With a brace of penalties from Willie Staunton we held a 6-point advantage entering the final quarter. However, our lead was short lived as a converted Belvedere try has us trailing by the minimum of margins entering the final few minutes. After good good work by Mike Prendergast, fullback Ray Moloney pounced on a loose ball to scamper in at the corner making the final score 23-19 in our favour. Overall this was a great result, and with 5 players to come back into the panel after injury we can look forward with confidence to a good league campaign.”

Team: Ray Moloney, Mark Doyle, Matt Costelloe, Lucas Kunz, Darragh O'Neill, Willie Staunton, Mike Prendergast, Donal Murphy, Ger Slattery (Capt.), Hugh McGrath, Sean Duggan, John Moroney, Shane Hassett, Mark Rowley, James O'Neill. Replacements used: Ger Bourke, Alan Cotter, Darren Gallagher, Andrew Bourke.

That same afternoon our Thirds were facing Old Crescent in the Gleeson League at Rosbrien. The opening try of the game came from our winger Conor O'Brien, while Derek McMahon and Kevin Moloney added to the tally of the tries with O'Brien converting the last try to make the final score 17-10.

The following day our Women's team kicked off their league campaign taking on Thurles at home in Tom Clifford Park. The girls went ahead early thanks to a penalty by Sam McCarthy which was followed by a try from the No8 Sarah Quin. Winger Katie Montgomery ran in the second try late into the second half which was converted by McCarthy to make the final score 15-0 to the Young Munster Women.

Shorlty afterwards, our Seconds recorded a good victory out in Annacotty with the assistance of a couple of the senior panel who were not involved on Saturday knocking up a 24-3 scoreline over UL Bohemians. Andrew Burke opened with an early penalty, the only score of the opening half. Young Munster really lifted their game in the final half hour and scored three tries in the closing 15 minutes through Andrew Carey, Eamonn Carr and Declan Brown with all conversions on target by Burke. Great to see Brian Haugh, Cillian McDonagh, Eoghan Rowley and Shane O’Leary getting their first taste of senior rugby and all made a great contribution to this good win.

We would also like to welcome Sasha Slijepcevic to our club and on his performance last Sunday shows what a great asset he will be to us this year.