Bank Of Ireland Munster Clubs Boys Cup Finals Round-Up

It was an action packed day in Musgrave Park with the Bank of Ireland Munster Clubs Boys U18 and U16 Cup finals taking place.

In the day’s early game, Kanturk beat Youghal in the U18 Bowl final before the U16 and U18 Cup finals took place.

It was Bandon against Bruff in the U16 Cup final and Bandon led throughout as they emerged 27-8 winners.

Carrigaline-Dolphin and Bantry Bay was a much closer affair with a try at the death for Bantry Bay sealing the win in a dramatic finish.

Find match reports of both Cup finals below.

Bandon 27 – 8 Bruff | U16 Cup Final

Bandon took the lead in the opening few minutes of the game with a penalty from Daniel Coughlan.

Bruff dominated possession and territory for the next 10 minutes and they were awarded a penalty but Matthew Daly’s attempt from about 25m out drifted to the right of the posts.

Bandon then went down the other end of the pitch where they kicked a penalty into the corner. From the resulting maul, hooker Brian Galvin peeled off the back and crossed in the corner for the game’s opening try. Coughlan’s difficult conversion attempt didn’t have the distance as Bandon took an 8-0 lead.

Bruff responded well before half-time when the Limerick club displayed some good handling skills to send Gavin Hartnett over in the corner. Daly struck his conversion attempt well but the ball dropped short of the posts.

Bruff’s Gavin Hartnett celebrates scoring a try with Jamie Walsh
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Bandon responded immediately as Bruff didn’t clear their lines from the kick-off which allowed Cillian O’Flynn to gather a kick and cross for his side’s second try of the game. Coughlan’s conversion went wide with Bandon now holding a 13-5 lead.

It was a quiet opening 10 minutes to the second half and it was Bruff who did put points on the board first when Daly kicked three points for his side to reduce the deficit to 13-8.

Bruff couldn’t get that next important score and instead it was Bandon number eight Alan O’Regan who powered over. Coughlan landed the conversion to give his side a 20-8 lead.

Bandon then went in for another score just before full-time as Harvey Smyth McCormick crossed next to the posts to seal the U16 Cup for his side.

Bandon captain Noah O’Sullivan celebrates with the trophy
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Bandon: Gavin O’Shea, Tadhg O’Riordan, Cillian O’Flynn, Conor Nash, Harvey Smyth McCormick, Daniel Coughlan, Noah O’Sullivan (c); Jyles Brennan, Brian Galvin, Louis O’Sullivan, Shane Galwey, Brian O’Regan, Mark Slattery, Eoghan Galgey, Alan O’Regan.

Replacements: Adam Barry, Jamie Aruste-Desmond, Eddie O’Sullivan, Daithi Courtney, Oran Coughlan, Andrew Lane, Denis O’Mahony, Jack Twomey.

Bandon Squad: Gavin O’Shea, Tadhg O’Riordan, Cillian O’Flynn, Conor Nash, Harvey Smyth McCormick, Daniel Coughlan, Noah O’Sullivan (c); Jyles Brennan, Brian Galvin, Louis O’Sullivan, Shane Galwey, Brian O’Regan, Eddie O’Sullivan, Eoghan Galgey, Alan O’Regan, Adam Barry, Jamie Aruste-Desmond, Glen De Búrca, Daithi Courtney, Oran Coughlan, Andrew Lane, Denis O’Mahony, Jack Twomey, Mark Slattery, Scott Brady, Matthew Power, Nick Burke, Liam O’Driscoll, Charlie Callanan.

Bruff: Adam Gleeson, Gavin Hartnett, Harry Lillis, Paddy Kavanagh, Jack Moore, Matthew Daly, Ollie Broderick; Jack Ahern, Tomás O’Riordan, Nathan Graham, Ben Sheahan, Evan Daly, Noah Brennan, Callum Ellevsen, Jamie Walsh.

Replacements: Jack Taylor, Shane Keogh, Cormac McCarthy, Jake Ryan, Shane O’Neill, Donnagh Diggins, Oisin Rabbitt, David Meehan.

Bruff Squad: Jack Ahern, Paul Bray, Noah Brennan, Ollie Broderick, Tom Casey, Conor Clancy, Evan Daly, Mattew Daly, Donnagh Diggins, Callum Ellevsen, Ciallann Feely, James Gallagher, Adam Gleeson, Nathan Graham, Gavin Hartnett , Paddy Kavanagh, Shane Keogh, Harry Lillis, Cormac McCarthy, David Meehan, Jack Moore, Tomas O Riordan, Shane O Neill, Ronan Power, Oisin Rabbitt, Jake Ryan , Ben Sheahan, Harry Stokes, Jack Taylor, Jamie Walsh.

Carrigaline-Dolphin 17 – 19 Bantry Bay | U18 Cup Final

Bantry Bay had the first opportunity to register points but a long-range penalty attempt from Dylan Hicks was wide of the posts.

Carrigaline-Dolphin went back up the other end of the pitch quickly and got the first try of the game from their number nine Chris Callinan after he sniped over from the base of a ruck. Daire O’Callaghan’s conversion went wide as Carrigaline-Dolphin took an early 5-0 lead.

On Bantry’s next possession, Hicks produced a 50:22 to give his side some good field position.

Carrigaline-Dolphin’s Chris Callinan celebrates scoring a try with Richie Heaslip
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From that lineout possession, Bantry worked the ball to the right before coming back to left side of the pitch where Joey O’Sullivan broke through the Carrigaline-Dolphin defence to cross for a try. Hicks’ conversion sailed through the posts as Bantry Bay took a 7-5 lead.

The next 10 minutes saw both sides generate good chances but it was the West Cork side who struck next. Some quick thinking from Michael O’Donovan saw the centre take a quick-tap 5m out and cross for his side’s second try. Hicks landed the conversion to give Bantry a 14-5 lead.

A nice display of skill from Hicks saw him collect his own chip over the Carrigaline-Dolphin defence but a forward pass was produced soon after to put a stop to a promising move.

At the start of the second-half, Carrigaline-Dolphin got back into the game when a long pass was collected by Ciarán O’Dubhgáin who crossed in the corner. O’Callaghan’s conversion went wide with Bantry’s lead now reduced to 14-10.

Carrigaline-Dolphin were in the ascendancy and Bantry had to repel multiple attacks for much of the second half.

The pressure finally told when with just over five minutes remaining in the game, O’Callaghan crossed for a try which he converted himself. Those seven points put Carrigaline-Dolphin 17-14 in front with just minutes remaining.

There was to be one more twist in this hugely entertaining game as with the clock in the red, Bantry edged their way up the pitch through a series of penalties. With the West Cork club just metres from the line, Hicks spread the ball wide to replacement prop Dean Cotter who crossed for the match wining try to seal the U18 Cup and a 19-17 win.

Dean Cotter celebrates scoring the match winning try for Bantry Bay.

Carrigaline-Dolphin: Daire O’Callaghan, Ciarán Ó’Dubhgáin, Fionn Herlihy, Luke Lenehan, Ben Cashman, Darragh Buckley, Chris Callinan; Darragh O’Regan, Charlie Whitford, Thomas O’Donovan, Daniel Coleman, David Curtin, Dylan Callaghan, Conor O’Suilleabhain, Richie Heaslip (c).

Replacements: Ben O’Meara, Michael Collins-Powell, Oran O’Mahony, Jack Kelleher, Oscar O’Suilleabhain, Shane O’Neill, Barry Kelliher, Conor O’Farrell.

Carrigaline-Dolphin Squad: Daire O’Callaghan, Ciarán Ó’Dubhgáin, Fionn Herlihy, Luke Lenehan, Ben Cashman, Darragh Buckley, Chris Callinan; Darragh O’Regan, Charlie Whitford, Thomas O’Donovan, Daniel Coleman, David Curtin, Dylan Callaghan, Conor O’Suilleabhain, Richie Heaslip (c), Ben O’Meara, Michael Collins-Powell, Oran O’Mahony, Jack Kelleher, Oscar O’Suilleabhain, Shane O’Neill, Barry Kelliher, Conor O’Farrell, Cian Ring, Joe Blake, Shan Kelleher Martin, Darragh Hickey, Aaron Conroy, Rian Coleman, Adam Hughes.

Bantry Bay: Oran Wiseman, Eli Reynolds, Joey O’Sullivan, Michael O’Donovan, Darragh O’Brien, Dylan Hicks, Stephen O’Donovan; Padraig O’Sullivan, Ben Clancy, Bryan Tooher, Tadgh O’Sullivan, Ciarán O’Sullivan, Stephen O’Donoghue, Cameron Murnane, Fionn Barry.

Replacements: Odhran Somers, Jerome O’Shea, Dean Cotter, Sean O’Shea, Finbarr O’Driscoll, Jimmy O’Sullivan, Conor Bignell, Alex Nel.

Bantry Bay Squad: Kaleb Wiggan, Ben Clancy, John Joe Nicholas, Padraig O’Sullivan, Brian Tooher, Fionn Barry, Ciaran O’Sullivan, Stephen O’Donoghue, Jimmy O’Sullivan, Conor Bignell, Joey O’Sullivan, Michael O’Donovan, Cameron Murnane, Daniel Coughlan, Stephen O’Donovan, Tadgh O’Sullivan, Finbarr O’Driscoll, Eli Reynolds, Oran Wiseman, Alex Nel, Jerome O’Shea, Timmy Kelleher, Odhran Somers, Dean Cotter, Dylan Hicks, Sean O’Shea, Daire Kingston, Darragh O’Brien, Marc O’Shea, Joe Egan.