Under 20 Win Opening Inter Pro Game

Munster started their Under 20 Interprovincial campaign with a hard earned win over a gallant Connacht side at Musgrave Park.

Munster 21, Connacht 14.
Munster had to show their battling qualities when they lost a fourteen point interval lead, before striking back with a try to win.

Indiscipline in the opening twelve minutes allowed Munster scrum half Brian Haugh kick three penalties for a 9-0 lead.
Connacht full back Alex O’Meara was proving elusive with some dangerous runs and Connacht had Munster on the back foot for long periods, but their pack opted to take the ball on instead of spreading it wide when in scoring positions. Their out half Darragh Leader was off target with a penalty effort on twenty five minutes.
Five minutes before the interval Munster scored a well worked try which involved forwards and backs with hooker Will Foley linking up with full back Darren Sweetnam, whose determination saw him reach the try line to score for a 14-0 interval lead.

Connacht came out a determined side after the break and after sustained pressure in the Munster Twenty Two, Leader burst through the home defence to touch down under the posts and he also added the extras to leave seven points between the sides after forty five minutes.
Play swung from end to end and on sixty three minutes Leader made a darting run through the Munster defence to touch down again under the posts and his conversion tied the scores.
Fearing the game slipping from them Munster rallied and four minutes later they were back in front when winger Rob Jermyn got in for a try after good work by Rory Scannell and Tom Kiersey and Haugh converted for a 21-14 lead.
Skipper John Fitzgerald inspired his side with some fine bursts in the final quarter and a dangerous break by O’Meara came close to a third try for Connacht but good covering by Munster prevented a try.

Munster: Darren Sweetnam (Bandon Grammar); Rob Jermyn (Midleton), Harry McNulty (Dub University), Rory Scannell (Dolphin), Adrian Enright (Abbeyfeale); Tom Kiersey (Waterpark), Brian Haugh (Young Munster); Niall Horan (Crescent Comp), Will Foley (Dolphin), Brian Scott (UCC); Sean McCarthy (Shannon), John Madigan (Charleville); Jack O'Donoghue (U.L. Bohemian), Darren Ryan (Young Munster), John Fitzgerald (PBC) Capt.
Replacements: Jamie Kind (Dolphin) for O’Donoghue, Dave O’Connell (U.C.C.) for Madigan (both 61), Dave Hartnett (PBC) for Horan 73, James McInerney (Garryowen) for Jermyn (74), Shane O’Leary (young Munster) for Scannell (Dolphin).

Connacht: Alex O’Meara; Conor Fitzgibbon (Buccaneers), Mark Roche (Lansdowne), Ryan Casey (Naas), Phil O’Neill (UCD); Darragh Leader (Galwegians), Barry Digby (Buccaneers); Adam Boland (Lansdowne), Jason Connolly (Monivea), Jamie Dever (Corinthians); Sean O’Brien (Galwegians), Ultan Dillane (Corinthians); Aidan Connaughton (Buccaneers), Paul Maxwell (Buccaneers), James Connolly (IT Carlow).
Replacements: Brian Teape (Buccaneers) for Dever (45), Cathal Murtagh for Connaughton (50), ), John Conroy (IT Carlow) for Connolly (54), Mick Mannion (IT Carlow) for Dillane (58), Conor Joyce for O’Neill (71), Luke Satchwell (Buccaneers) for Digby (77), Niall Fitzgerald |Shannon) for Maxwell (79).

Referee: R Kerr (IRFU).