Tipperary star Alan Tynan passes the test as Young Munster win crucial battle
Noted as a remarkably talented sportsman from his youngest days in Roscrea, Tynan starred for Tipperary in their memorable efforts to win both the minor hurling and football All-Ireland titles in 2015 and even though they came up just short, Tynan had the considerable consolation of helping Cistercian College, Roscrea, to win the Leinster Schools Senior Rugby Cup for the first time in their history.
Munster Rugby were keeping tabs on the versatile youngster and he is now part of the provincial set-up and showing every sign of becoming the latest Tipperary man to wear the red jersey. He seems to have all the skills and uses his educated left leg with the kind of style and effectiveness that puts many in mind of Munster’s Rory Scannell.
Saturday’s AIL head to head with table toppers Lansdowne was certain to be a good test of Tynan’s mental and physical resources.
He knocked over two penalties to give “Munsters” the ideal start and then converted a try by Cian Bohane before landing another penalty on the stroke of half-time. Lansdowne were very much in touch at that stage after a superbly taken individual try by nippy scrum-half Alan Bennie and a penalty and conversion by Scott Deasy leaving the home side 16-10 ahead at the break.
The pace of the game dropped off a little on the turnover but if anything the forward exchanges were contested with ever increasing intensity. The pressure gradually told on Lansdowne with the usually reliable Scott Deasy fluffing an easy penalty chance but when Tynan was offered an opportunity from close range on 50 metres, he found the target with a superb kick, much to the delight of a large and typically enthusiastic home crowd.
“I am immensely proud of this performance”, rejoiced Young Munster head coach Gearoid Prendergast. “It was full of heart and desire. Of course I was thrilled with Alan Tynan. It is little wonder that the Tipperary County Board would like to have him back. He is a natural – but then we also had our captain Sean Duggan playing his first league game of the season and the likes of Cian Bohane and Dan Goggin in great form in the centre. In fact, the entire 20 strong squad were terrific.”
S Airey; C O’Hanlon, D Goggin, C Bohane, J Harrington; A Tynan, R Guerin; G Ryan, G Slattery, C Skehan, A Ross, S Duggan capt, A Kennedy, D Walsh, D Ryan.
S Fenton, D Begley, B Kilkenny, A Griesel, T Goggin.
E Mills; D McEvoy, M Roche, J Walsh, J O’Donnell; S Deasy, A Bennie; P Dooley, T Moran, I Prenderville capt, J O’Rourke, S Gardiner, W Earle, C Butterworth, M Deegan.
J J Earle, N Mpiko, B Fitzpatrick, M D’Arcy, C McMickan.
D Phillips (IRFU).
