Mixed Weekend For Munster Representative Sides

The Munster Under 20, Under 19 and Under 18 Club side were all in action at the weekend.

Under 20:

Bruff 0 Munster 17;

The Munster U20 squad continued their preparations for the upcoming Under 20 Interprovincial Championship, with their final warm up game against Bruff last Friday night in Kilballyowen Park. In front of an appreciative crowd on an unusually dry and warm evening, both teams provided some committed and competitive open rugby.

Munster opened the scoring in the 6th minute when Bruff were penalised at the breakdown, with Shane O’Leary knocking over the penalty from 30 meters. Munster then had to absorb consistent Bruff pressure for the next 20 minutes and only for some turnovers close to the Munster line, the home side would have scored on at least one occasion. However, Munster’s defensive efforts paid off and on 28 minutes Shane O’Leary touched down after Tom Kiersey had chipped behind the Bruff defence. O'Leary duly obliged with the conversion to leave the score Bruff 0 Munster 10 at half time.

The second half, continued along the same lines as the first, with both teams tiring and guilty of some sloppy passages of play. However, it was Munster who remained on top with a 59th minute try from Darren Sweetnam, again converted by Shane O’Leary.

The Munster U20 commence their Inter Provincial campaign next Friday 7th September in Musgrave Park, against Connacht with a 7.30 kick off.

Munster: Conor Kearns (Dublin University); Darren Sweetnam (BGS), Harry McNulty (Dublin University), Shane O'Leary (Young Munster), Adrian Enright (Abbeyfeale); Tom Kiersey (Waterpark), Ben Nugent (St. Munchin’s); Niall Horan (Crescent College Comprehensive), Max Abbott (PBC), Brian Scott (UCC); Ross McCarthy (UCC), John Madigan (Garryowen); Cronan Gleeson (Shannon), Darren Ryan (Young Munster), John Fitzgerald (PBC). Replacements: Cian O'Donnell (Cashel), Darragh Mulcahy (Bruff), Dave Hartnett (Dolphin), Jamie Kind (Dolphin), Dean Nolan (Cork Con), Brian Haugh (Young Munster), Alex Lynch (Rockwell), Rory Scannell (Dolphin), James McInerney (Garryowen).

Under 19
Munster 16, Connacht 13.
The Under 19’s completed their preparations with a victory over Connacht at Jim Slattery Park on Friday last.
Three penalties by Shane Airey gave Munster a 9-6 interval lead. Cillian Ansbro ran in for a try to increase Munster’s advantage and David Johnston converted. Connacht closed the gap with a converted try in injury time.
Munster: David Johnston (Rockwell College); Cillian Ansbro (Youghal), Dan Goggin (St. Munchin's College), Ned Hodson (Midleton), Ronan McKenna (Ard Scoil Ris); Shane Airey (St. Munchin’s College), Ryan Foley (Christian Brothers College); Charlie Slowey (Christian Brothers College), Ben Burns (Castletroy College), Rory Burke (Christian Brothers College); Patrick Kearns (Ard Scoil Ris), Darragh Moloney (Christian Brothers College); Diarmuid Dee (Crescent College Comprehensive), Sonny Dwyer (Rockwell College), Lee Nicholas (St. Munchin’s College). Replacements: Aaron Atkinson (Garryowen), Greg Barry (Crescent College Comprehensive), Liam Cronin (Castletroy College), Jack Dinneen (Crescent College Comprehensive), Conor Glynn (Ard Scoil Ris), Seamus Keating (Dungarvan), JJ McDonnell (Castletroy College), Cormac O’Donnell (St. Munchin’s College), Killian O’Keeffe (Crosshaven), Oisin O’Meara (Kilfeacle), Tom Ryan (Glenstal Abbey School), Aidan Slattery (Presentation Brothers College), Stephen Dalton (Exiles).

Munster Under 18:

Munster 28, Exiles 31.

The Munster U18 Club side played The Exiles in Thomond Park on Saturday.

The match produced a game of a very high standard that was in keeping with the great venue.

It was a super game of rugby where both sides displayed superb skills and played with great intensity for the full 70 minutes. The game produced 8 thrilling tries and except for some determined defensive tackles by both teams at various times there could have been more for both sides.

The game from a Munster perspective was lost in the last minutes following sustained pressure from the Exiles that resulted in a converted try. Munster had two minutes to recover the game and made a valiant effort attacking down the centre of the park but it was not to be.

Munster can be very happy with their performances both individually and as a team.

Munster now head into the interprovincial championship with confidence following a very successful pre-season.
Munster: Dylan Horgan (Highfield); Eathon Moloney (Nenagh Ormond), Kieran Duggan (Highfield), Mark Dorgan (Highfield), Joe White (Clonakilty); Fionn McGibney (Garryowen), Ronan O’Halloran (Ennis); Brendan Quinlan (Clanwilliam), Stephen Shine (Young Munster), Eoghan Green (Sunday’s Well); Aaron Hogan (Youghal), Conor O’Sullivan (Kanturk); Darragh Power (Waterpark), Connell Dodd (Waterpark), Idris Rqibi (Skibbereen) (Captain). Replacements: Gareth Molloy (Waterpark), Eoin O’Carroll (Tralee), Cian Tierney (Bruff), Philip Poillot (Clonakilty), Eamon Costello (Bruff), Ben Betts (Young Munster), Peter Ryan (Nenagh Ormond), Luke O’Leary (Sunday’s Well).
Irish Exiles: Joe Carolan; Alex Corry, Matthew Killeen, Seaghan Davey, Kieran Joyce; Sean O’Hagan, Jack Cullen; Will Troughton, Kieran Smith, Marc Cook; Kiernan Treadwell, Adam Kelly; Josh Lyons, Charlie Green, Lorcan Dow. Replacements: Alex Watts, Niall Brown, Dan Pym, Joe Doyle, Harry Reilly, Connor Murphy, Declan Williams, Jack Lowbridge.