Munster Make Winning Start To Schools Campaign

Munster started their Schools Under 18 Inter Provincial campaign with a hard earned victory over Connacht at Musgrave Park.

Munster 23, Connacht 15.
This was a poor game with both sides guilty of numerous handling errors on an ideal day for rugby and also both sides were being penalised numerous times at the lineout.
Gearoid Lyons opened the scoring for Munster with a penalty in the second minute, but this was cancelled out five minutes later when Dwayne Corcoran equalised for the visitors.
The home side continued to have Connacht on the back foot and two minutes later a Lyons’ penalty attempt from the visitors’ ten-metre line drifted narrowly wide of the target.
Munster regained the lead entering the second quarter when the ball was spread out to full back Stephen Fitzgerald following a five-metre lineout for a try in the opposite corner. Lyons added the two points from a difficult angle.
Lyons increased the home side’s lead to 13-6 before a brace of penalties by Corcoran left four points between the sides at the break.
The visitors upped the ante after the interval and two minutes after the restart Corcoran reduced the deficit to a single point with his fourth penalty.
Entering the final quarter Stephen McMahon embarked on a run from his own ten-metre line after intercepting a Connacht pass to crash over under the posts and Lyons followed it up with the simple conversion.
Corcoran and Lyons traded penalties in the closing stages.
Munster will have to show a big improvement for next Wednesday’s meeting with Leinster at Thomond Park which has a 3.00 p.m. kick-off. Munster: Stephen Fitzgerald (Ard Scoil Ris); Robbie Deegan (Ard Scoil Ris), Stephen McMahon (Rockwell College), JJ O’Neill (Castletroy College), Greg O’Shea (Crescent College) capt; Gearoid Lyons (Crescent College), Ben Riley (Rockwell College); Liam O’Connor (Christian Brothers College), Luke O’Halloran (St. Munchin’s College), Liam McMahon (Crescent College); Dylan Lane (PBC), Mike O’Donnell (Crescent Comprehensive); Morgan Carey (PBC), David St Ledger (PBC), Cormac Blake (Crescent College).
Replacements: Stephen McCarthy (PBC) for McMahon (25), Sean McNulty (Rockwell College) for St. Ledger (44), Jack Boland (Glenstal Abbey) for McNulty(51), Denis O'Connell (Rockwell College) for O'Halloran (55), Frank Bradshaw Ryan (Ard Scoil Ris) and Edward O'Keeffee (St. Nessan's) for Lane and Fitzgerald (both 60), Ed Barry (Crescent Comprehensive) for Riley (69).
Connacht: Cathal Evans (St Joseph's Patrician College, Galway); Finn Stoneman (Coláiste Éinde, Galway), Conor Lowndes (Coláiste Iognáid, Galway), Dwayne Corcoran (Rice College, Westport), Paddy Glavey (Glenstal Abbey); Sean Tobin (Rice College, Westport), Jason Mitchell (St Joseph's Patrician College, Galway); Conor Kyne (Coláiste Chroí Mhuire. Spiddal), Pat O'Toole (Sancta Maria College, Louisburgh), Craig Hansbury (Calasanctius College, Oranmore); Aaron Broderick (St Joseph's Patrician College, Galway), Peter Claffey (Portumna Community School); Evan Galvin (Marist College, Athlone), Kevin Hastings (Scoil Muire agus Padraig, Swinford), Jack Codyre (Garbally College, Ballinasloe).
Replacemnts: Cathal Laheen (Holy Rosary College, Mountbellew) for Galvin (29-30 temp), Mark Kelly (Cistercian College Roscrea), Harry Hughes (Marist College, Athlone) for Claffey & Stoneman (both 44), Ciaran Gavin (Cistercian College Roscrea) for O’Toole (49), Sean Doyle (Moate Community School) for Evans (54), Rory Murphy (Ballinrobe Community School) for Hastings (57), Colin Keane (Presentation College, Headford) for Tobin (60).

Referee: N Connell (IRFU).