Narrow Defeat For Munster U19s

Munster’s Under 19 side, sponsored by Bank of Ireland, were narrowly defeated by Leinster 13-12 with a late penalty in their opening game in the Interprovincial Series at the CIT Grounds.

The decisive score came when Munster were leading 12-10. They were penalised around a scrum deep inside their own 22 and David Ryan converted with the last kick of the game.

Munster opened the scoring in the fourth minute when Jake Flannery slotted over a penalty from a difficult angle inside the visitor’s 22.

The home side continued to have Leinster pinned back for most of the opening quarter, but Josh Wycherley had a try disallowed for a handling error short of the line.

Sean French doubled Munster’s lead with a long range penalty in the second quarter before the visitors began to turn the screw after Munster had a second try disallowed. Cormac Foley opened Leinster’s account with a try following the restart, which was converted by Ryan.

Ryan slotted over a second penalty for the visitors approaching the break, before Flannery missed a penalty to leave Leinster leading 10-6 at the break.

Munster upped the ante after the interval and Flannery brought them within touching distance of the visitors as he converted his second penalty from outside the Leinster 22.

In the final quarter, French had two penalty kicks and he put his side back in the driving seat with the latter after the first shot rebounded off the upright.

Munster: James McCarthy (Irish Exile); Conor Phillips (Crescent College), Sean French (PBC), Kieran Dunne (Irish Exiles), Jonathan Wrenn (PBC); Jake Flannery (Rockwell College), Craig Casey (Ardscoil Ri­s); Josh Wycherley (Roscrea Community College), John Hodnett (Clonakilty RFC), Luke Masters (CBC); Luke Clohessy (Ard Scoil Ris), Paddy Kelly (St Munchin’s College); David Hyland (PBC), Daniel Feasy (Crescent College), Colin Deane (Bandon Grammar).

Replacements: Billy Scannell (PBC), Travis Coomey (Bandon Grammar), Ashley Deane (Bandon Grammar), Roy Whelan (Ard Scoil Ri­s), Cian Hurley (CBC), Colin Sisk, (CBC), Harry Byrne (Garryowen FC), Ikem Ugwueru (Ennis RFC).

Leinster: Robert Russell (St Michael’s College); Jeff O’Loughlin (St Michael’s College), Liam Turner (Blackrock College), David Ryan (St Michael’s College), Ruairi Shields (St Mary’s College); David Hawkshaw (Belvedere College), Cormac Foley (St Gerards School); Niall McEniff (St Mary’s College), Richard Bergin (St Mary’s College), Michael Milne (Cistercian College Roscrea); Adam Melia (Terenure College), Ryan Baird (St Michael’s College);Reuben Pim (Kilkenny College), Scott Penny (St Michael’s College), Ruadhan Byron (Belvedere College).

Replacements: Declan Adamson (St Fintan’s High School), Abdel-Aziz Naser (St Fintan’s High School), Conan Dunne (Kilkenny RFC), Ronan Watters (St Mary’s College), Dan O’Donovan (St Michael’s College), Hugo Lennox (Skerries RFC), Conor Kelly (Cistercian College Roscrea), Brian O’Donnell (Gonzaga College).

Referee: Dan Carson (IRFU).