Tipperary teenager Alan Tynan was at his accurate best as Young Munster cut Lansdowne’s lead at the top of Ulster Bank League Division 1A to a single point.
Promising outhalf Tynan, who recently made his British & Irish Cup debut for Munster ‘A’, kicked 14 points in the Cookies’ 19-10 win over Lansdowne. The result means Lansdowne boss Mike Ruddock is still searching for his first victory at Tom Clifford Park.
Cian Bohane and Alan Bennie, one of four Ireland Sevens internationals in the visitors’ backline, swapped tries as second-placed Munsters ended a ferociously competitive first half with a 16-10 lead.
Tynan’s fourth successful penalty of the afternoon was the only score after the break, the home pack holding firm to deny Lansdowne a losing bonus point.
Dave Fanagan stepped in at outhalf and scored 12 points for St Mary’s as they ended their four-match losing streak by defeating Old Belvedere 27-18 at Templeville Road.
Clontarf were the only team in the top flight to win both back-to-back fixtures either side of Christmas as they whitewashed Dublin University 29-0 at College Park. Former Leinster winger Mick McGrath starred with four tries, including a second-half hat-trick.
Bottom side Terenure College lifted their spirits with a well-earned 27-17 success at home to Garryowen, scoring all of their points in the second half with a penalty try and a brace from centre Marc Hiney.
A sterling defensive performance in the first half was followed by tries from Stephen Murphy and Leinster ‘A’ captain Peadar Timmins as UCD carved out a terrific 17-3 victory over high-flying Cork Constitution at Belfield.
Winning start
Meanwhile, in Division 1B, new Shannon head coach Tom Hayes enjoyed a winning start as they gained revenge on Galwegians, prevailing 17-14 on Thomond Park’s back pitch.
Young half-backs Fionn McGibney, Jack Stafford and Keith Kavanagh – the latter’s replacement at scrumhalf – all came up trumps for Hayes, with Stafford and Kavanagh scoring a try in each half.
Ulster’s Peter Nelson played for the first time since dislocating his left mid-foot in December 2015 as he made a try-scoring return at full-back in Ballynahinch’s 30-8 bonus point dismissal of Dolphin.
A second-half penalty try helped Ballymena earn a share of the spoils in a 13-all draw with leaders Buccaneers in Athlone, while tries from Cian Aherne and James Ryan saw UL Bohemians claim an 18-9 verdict away to UCC.
Gavin Kennedy’s 75th-minute penalty steered Ashbourne to their first ever Ulster Bank All-Ireland Junior Cup title as they overcame defending champions Enniscorthy 22-20 in Saturday’s pulsating final at Donnybrook.
Ashbourne’s scrum half and captain Kennedy landed four penalty goals in all, adding to tries in each half from tireless backrow duo James Rooney and Jake Wall, in what was a tremendous advertisement for Leinster and Irish junior club rugby.
Peter O’Donnell’s men, including evergreen 46-year-old lock Jeff Mahon, learned their lessons from two previous league defeats to Enniscorthy this season, expertly retaining possession late on while Enniscorthy flanker Greg Jacob was in the sin-bin.
The Co Wexford club, gunning for their third Junior Cup crown in four years, more than played their part in this hugely memorable decider, scoring tries through prop Angelo Todisco and backs Hugh O’Neill and Ivan Jacob.
They led 12-11 at half-time and also 17-11 and 20-19 in the second half. However, Ashbourne – only in their second year in the competition – had the better scrum and crucially, a dead-eye kicker in Kennedy.
