Young Munster fall to champions St Mary's despite second half comeback
The defeat leaves ‘The Cookies’ in eighth place in the top division of the All-Ireland League
AN IMPRESSIVE second-half display was not quite enough for Young Munster against champions Saint Mary's College in Round Six of Division 1A of the Energia All-Ireland League at Templeville Road as they fell to a 35-22 loss.
Having found themselves 28-0 down after half an hour, the Cookies will be pleased to take a try bonus point away from this game, although they will be concerned with their performance in the first half.
The result means that Young Munster remain in eighth place going into a two-week break, after which they will host Clontarf at Tom Clifford Park.
The first chance of the game came for the home side, as out half Conor Dean’s cross-field kick was gathered by Leandro Ramirez just short of the Young Munster line.
However, Cookies’ tighthead Mike Lynch came up with an excellent steal and Munster scrum half Jake O’Riordan cleared the danger.
Nonetheless, all the early pressure was coming from Mary’s, and Young Munster paid the price in the sixth minute, as hooker Jack Nelson-Murray scored off a strong lineout maul. Mick O’Gara added the extras to make it 7-0.
Mary’s had another try ten minutes later, as Dean again found his winger Ramirez with a cross-field kick, this time leading to a try in the corner, once again converted by O’Gara.
By the nineteenth minute, Mary's had their third score. Despite a superb try-saving tackle from O’Riordan in the previous phase, Braemar Murray exploited a gap in the Young Munster defence to touch down under the posts.
It went from bad to worse for the Cookies before half-time. A Mary’s maul rolled all the way from the young Munster ‘22 to the try line, with Nelson-Murray notching his second and making it 28-0 to the reigning champions.
The visitors were able to strike back just before half time, Munster academy back-row Oisin Minogue scoring off the back of a line out after sustained Young Munster pressure. Kelvin Langan kicked an excellent conversion to make it 28-7 going into the break.
That score gave Young Munster a lift and they nearly had a second try early in the second half, but their line out maul was just held up by Murray just short of the tryline.
The momentum had clearly changed, though, and the Cookies had their second try in the 55th minute as another brilliant cross kick, this time from Langan, led to a Ben Whatley try, making the score 28-12.
Suddenly, it was the Cookies who were making all the line breaks. A sensational sweeping attack from a quick tap penalty led to a Liam McMahon try, bringing the score to 28-17.
Mary’s are champions for a reason, though. They managed the game excellently in the final quarter, as Young Munster coughed up possession a couple of times in key areas.
The home side sealed the points with five minutes remaining, as centre O’ Gara scored and converted his own try to make it 35-17.
The Cookies did manage to claim a well-earned try bonus point. Munster Academy men Christian Foley, Rob Carney and Minogue combined brilliantly on the counter attack to put Whatley over for his second try.
ST MARYS: Conor Hayes; Aaron O’Sullivan, Myles Carey, Mick O’Gara, Leandro Ramirez; Conor Dean, Richie Fahy; Oisin Michel, Jack Nelson-Murray, Andrew Sparrow; Daniel Leane, Braemar Murray; Ronan Watters, Michael Icely, Dan Goggin.
Replacements: Stephen McLaughlin, Thomas O'Reilly, Mick McCormack, Mark Hernan, Rob Gilsenan, Paul Neary.
YOUNG MUNSTER: Benn Dalle Cort; Ben Whatley, Rob Carney, Ihechi Ojo, Orin Burke, Kelvin Langan, Jake O’Riordan; Christian Foley, Liam McMahon, Mike Lynch; Jamie Walsh, Fionn O’Meara; Alan Kennedy, Bobby Doherty, Oisin Minogue.
Replacements: Aaron Roulston, Paul Allen, Johnny Byrne, Jeff Williams, Brock Gallagher, Josh Costelloe.
Referee: George Clancy (IRFU).