Young Munster Claim 8th Bank of Ireland Senior Cup Title
28th August 2021 By Olan Allen
Young Munster celebrate winning the Bank of Ireland Munster Senior Challenge Cup Final.
The first piece of silverware was decided at Rosbrien, when Young Munster claimed the Bank of Ireland Munster Senior Challenge Cup for the eight time with a 26-14 victory over Shannon in the delayed 2020/21 final.
This was the first time that “The Cookies” had put one over on their great rivals in a Cup final and over the eighty minutes they were the better side.
The opening quarter was very even with Evan Cusack putting Munster’s ahead with penalties in the 2nd and 12th minute, but John O’Sullivan replied to level on each occasion with successful penalty kicks on 9 and 19 minutes.
Munster’s put on the pressure and two tries in a three-minute spell just before half time by Luke Fitzgerald and Harry Fleming, one of which Cusack converted gave the Cookies an 18-6 interval lead.
Shannon came more into the game in the third quarter but could not breach a solid Young Munster defence and their only reward was a third penalty from O’Sullivan on 58 minutes.
Shane O’Brien restored Munster’s twelve-point advantage with a penalty eleven minutes from time.
In typical Shannon tradition, they battled back and reduced the margin to seven when John O’Sullivan crashed over in the corner to leave the score 21-14.
Munster’s put paid to any hope of a Shannon comeback and ensured victory when Craig O’Hanlon scored in the corner following great work by both backs and forwards to leave the final score Young Munster 26, Shannon 14.
Shannon RFC: Ben Daly, David Smith, Killian Dineen, Jack O’Donnell, Darren Gavin, John O’Sullivan, Ian Leonard; Conor Glynn, Jordan Prenderville, Luke Rigney, Ronan Coffey, Sean McCarthy, Odhran Ring, Kelvin Brown, Lee Nicholas (c).
Replacements: Alex Long, Evan Kelly, Colm Heffernan, Charlie Carmody, Aran Hehir, Ben Sargent, Paul Curtis.
Young Munster RFC: Craig O’Hanlon, Jack Harrington, Harry Fleming, Evan O’Gorman, Luke Fitzgerald, Evan Cusack, Donnacha O’Callaghan; Conor Bartley, Aaron Hennessy, Colm Skehan, Craig Hannon, Sean Rigney, Alan Kennedy (c), John Foley, Fintan Coleman.
Replacements: Mark O’Mara, David Begley, Tom Goggin, Aidan Quinlivan, Shane O’Brien, Jack Lyons, Paul Allen.
Referee: Eddie Hogan-O’Connell (MAR).
