Clinical Leinster boys punish Munster

LEINSTER had little trouble beating their southern rivals in this two-legged Section ‘A’ Schools Interprovincial challenge at Donnybrook yesterday.

It could all have been so different had Munster hooker Ben Cross not been held up over the line when a try looked certain in the sixth minute.

From there on, Leinster took charge. Out-half Alex O’Driscoll kept them ticking over by converting penalties and centre Sam Crowe notched their first-half try to cancel out same from Munster captain William O’Morochoe to leave it 13-8 at the interval.

Leinster’s number eight Shane Brennan executed a superb effort from 20 metres out near the end of normal time.

Leinster scorers: S Crowe, S Brennan, O Duignan try each; A O’Driscoll 4 pens, con)

Munster: W O’Morochoe try; D Sweatnam pen.

LEINSTER ‘A’ SCHOOLS: F Howley (Newpark); J Buckett (Mount Temple), S Crowe (Newpark Comp), A Douglas (Wilson’s Hospital), O Duignan (Newpark); A O’Driscoll (St Fintan’s, Sutton), M Higgins (Wicklow CBS); A Marshall (Newpark Comp), J Byrne (Wicklow CBS), D Bawle (Kilkenny CBS), M Dunne (St Kieran’s, Kilkenny), R Garland (Newpark Comp), J Pickersgill (St Columba’s, capt), S Kealon, (St Patrick’s, Navan), S Brennan (St Kieran’s, Kilkenny).

Replacements: K Adimbole (Ardscoil na Tríonóide) for Bawle, S Byrne (St Paul’s) for Kealon both ht; A Martin (St Columba’s) for Higgins 44 mins; J Gibbons (Mount Temple) for Byrne, J Wheatley (Newpark) for Garland, A Gibbons (St Fintan’s) for Crowe, A Moran (St Patrick’s, Navan) for Howley all 65 mins.

MUNSTER A SCHOOLS: R Hunt (Villiers); C Moloney (Bandon), N Hodson (Midleton), A Walsh, S Scallan (both Newtown); D Sweatnam (Bandon), A Atkins (Villiers); N Willoughby (Bandon), B Cross (Newtown), P Marks (St Clements), S O’Sullivan (Midleton), E Fitzgerald (St Clement’s), W O’Morochoe (Newtown, capt), S Hunter, P Deane (both Bandon).

Replacements: K Ryan (St Nessan’s) for Cross, R Meaney (Gaelscoil, Limerick) for Hunter both 48 mins; D James (Midleton) for Atkins 50 mins; E Bedford (Salesians, Pallaskenry) for Marks, D O’Donnell (Abbey) for O’Sullivan both 66 mins.

Referee: S Gallagher, IRFU.