Weekend Rugby Roundup

It was a good day for the Munster clubs in the opening round of the Men’s All Ireland Munster Junior Cup, with Mallow and Kinsale taking silverware in provincial competitions at Musgrave Park.

Six penalties from Ben Ridgeway was not enough for Bandon who lost at home to Cooke 22-18 in the All Ireland Junior Cup. Toby Mannus scored Cooke’s try and Andrew McMurray kicked a conversion and five penalties.

Newcastle West defeated Connemara 15-11 with tries from Alan O’Riordan and Sean Murphy. Sean Herlihy kicked a penalty and Shane Airey added a conversion.

Former winners Kilfeacle caused a surprise with a 29-21 win over Seapoint at Killiney. Darren Lowry scored three tries for the winners and James Ryan one. Luke Heuston kicked three conversions and a penalty.

Trailing 18-5 at halftime at Westport, Thomond staged a second half comeback to win 29-28. Conor Radcliffe scored two tries for Thomond and Callum Walters and Dom Fitzpatrick got one each. Ryan Hogg kicked three conversions and a penalty.

Mallow bridged a fifty-four year gap to win the County Cup with a 9-3 win over Clonakilty at Musgrave Park. Eoin Downey gave Clon’ a 3-0 interval lead with a penalty, but three penalties from Dave Cogan saw the trophy head to north Cork for the first time since 1969.

Kinsale defeated holders Ballincollig 35-17 in the final of the O’Neill Cup at Musgrave Park. Billy O’Riordan scored two tries for the winners, and James O’Donovan and Callum Fennell got one each. Dylan Lacey kicked three conversions and three penalties. Ballincollig replied with tries from Matt Bourke and Liam McGarry, with McGarry converting both and also adding a penalty.

In the Women’s league Conference A Kerry defeated Skibbereen 37-27 in a thrilling contest that saw the lead change hands on several occasions. Ashlea Sheehy scored two tries for the Kerry side, and Laoise O’Driscoll, Megan O’Mahony and Christine Arthurs also added tries, with O’Driscoll kicking three conversions and two penalties. Skibbereen replied with two tries from Michelle Crowley and Michelle O’Driscoll, Jasmine Kiely and Caitlin Heffernan got one each. Crowley added one conversion.

In Conference B Waterpark defeated Thurles 38-29 at the Tipperary venue. Jade Shanahan scored three tries for the winners, and Emma Hannon, Lana Hogan Dowling, and Hannah Roche got one each. Chloe Beukes kicked four conversions. Kaitlyn Callanan replied with two tries for Thurles, and Eimear Ryan, Colleen Nevin and Holly O’Dwyer got one each. Megan Callanan kicked two conversions.

Read the Men’s All Ireland League round up here.