O’Loughlin and Busby touch down to hand students win

CENTRE Rory O’Loughlin and replacement wing David Busby finished off well-worked moves for the Ireland Schools to outgun the Ireland Clubs in this Age-Grade International at Merrion Road yesterday.

Sat, 31 Dec, 2011 - 00:00

Ireland Schools 15 Ireland Clubs 5 Des Berry

Schools’ centre Stephen O’Neill kicked a 10th minute penalty which was followed by a superb try from O’Loughlin.

The match-defining breakthrough arrived in the 52nd minute when Busby fizzed down the right touchline at the end of a fine series of passes, sparked by fly-half Bobby Holland. Another replacement Gearoid Lyons converted from the touchline for a 15-0 lead.

The Clubs reacted p and after concerted pressure, the ball was flashed left for replacement wing Adrian Enright to finish another well-crafted try.

IRELAND SCHOOLS: C O’Donnell (St Munchin’s); I Fitzpatrick (King’s Hospital), R O’Loughlin (St Michael’s), S O’Neill (Terenure), G O’Shea (Crescent); B Holland (St Michael’s), R Foley (CBC Cork); C Slowey (CBC Cork), M Abbot (Pres Cork), S Meunargia (Marist, Athlone), R Molony (St Michael’s), S O’Brien (Roscrea), D Leavy (St Michael’s, capt), J O’Neill (Castleknock), P Timmins (Clongowes Wood).

Replacements: D Busby (Portadown) for O’Shea, B Dardis (Terenure) for O’Donnell both ht; E McKeever (CBC Monkstown) for Meunargia 37 mins; S Delahunt (Kilkenny) for Slowey 39 mins; S Boyle (Sligo Grammar) for O’Brien 45 mins; H Brewer (Terenure) for O’Neill 47 mins; G Lyons (Crescent) for O’Neill 48 mins; D McGagh (Rockwell) for Foley, S Dwyer (Rockwell) for Leavy, B Alexander (RBAI) for Timmins, all 57 mins; D Donnellan (Clongowes Wood) for Abbot 59 mins.

IRELAND CUBS: A Webb (The Exiles); J O’Sullivan (The Exiles), A Byrne (UCD), S Keating (Dungarvan), J White (Enniscorthy); F Cleary (Navan), C Blade (Monivea); P Dooley (Birr), P O’Donnell (Galwegians), J Walshe (Ballinasloe), J Madigan (Charleville), R Blair (Ballymoney), F Taggart (The Exiles), J Bercis (The Exiles), J O’Donoghue (Waterpark).

Replacements: S O’Hagan (The Exiles) for Keating, S Dalton (The Exiles) for Walshe, both 29 mins; A Enright (Abbeyfeale) for White, S Flannagan (Buccaneers) for O’Donnell, R Pepper-Hobbs (Westport) for Webb, all ht; K Sweeney (Malahide) for Bercis 46 mins; K O’Keeffe (Crosshaven) for Blade 51 mins; B Cunningham (Navan) for Dooley 61 mins.

Referee: D Blake, IRFU.