Leinster Schools seal quickfire double over Gloucestershire

Leinster Schools14 Gloucestershire Schools12

Indeed, it looked as though it would be just as emphatic the second time around as Leinster shot to a 14-0 lead inside 17 minutes.

First, right wing Michael Kavanagh was held up short of the line in the 14th minute until the cavalry arrived in the shape of centre Jonathan Harris-Wright, whose immediate pick and drive for the line was too much for the visitors.

Then, Leinster’s fluid movement and fast ruck ball exhausted Gloucestershire enough for Harris-Wright to knife through a wide-open defence. Out-half Killian Lett converted for the second time.

Gloucestershire replaced their entire front row at the break which did weaken the domination of the home side’s forward eight in the tight.

In the space of three minutes, Gloucestershire’s impressive replacement Jack Adams and his centre partner Ollie Mansbridge, both burst over for tries and George Hughes converted the latter to make Leinster work for their win.

LEINSTER SCHOOLS: F Kearney (St Michael's College); M Kavanagh (Blackrock College), C Donoghue (King's Hospital), J Harris-Wright (Pres Bray), B Tolan (St Michael's); K Lett (King's Hospital), Rudy Vij (Terenure College); T O'Kane (St Gerard's College), C Culleton (Blackrock), E Weigel (Belvedere College), C Doyle (Newbridge College), R Dever (Templeogue College), D Keane (Belvedere), Z Desmond (St Gerard's), L Mantle (Pres Bray). Replacements: H Mahon (Belvedere) for Weigel 48 mins; B Kennedy (Belvedere) for Dever 57 mins; G Moran (King's Hospital) for O'Kane, S Dempsey (Pres Bray) for Lett both 60 mins.

GLOUCESTERSHIRE SCHOOLS: N Abendanon; J Stevenson, G Hughes, O Mansbridge, L Burford; S Crowley, S Ward; M Randall, C Lilley, C Brooker, D Lear, P Farr, R Bignell, D Hall, R Pennycook. Replacements: J Adams for Ward 34 mins; B Flexman for Lilley, K Davis for Randall, D Howick for Brooker all h.t.

Referee: K Beggs, Leinster Branch.