Butler comes off the bench to score a try in Leinster’s title winning game

MUNSTER U/19s 18 

LEINSTER U/19s 52 

LEINSTER U/19 side put in a stunning second half display in Virgin Media Park on Sunday to see off the Munster challenge and claim this season’s interprovincial title. Leinster always looked the better of the two but the home side were still very much in the contest at half time.

However, in the second half Leinster turned on the after-burners to race to a convincing and deserving win.

It was very special day for Portlaoise RFC’s Cian Butler who came off the bench and scored one of Leinster’s eight tries.

The game was a winner takes all meeting as both sides came into the meeting with two wins apiece.

Leinster knew that having home advantage Munster would put on pressure from the kick-off. Instead it was the lads in blue who took the initiative in just the fifth minute when hooker Harry O’Neill crashed over for a try.

But Munster being Munster, they did not panic and were back in the game when Rory Forde converted a penalty. Soon after they were ahead. Centre Michael Kennedy intercepted and sent winger Sean Roche cross the line points and give the hosts a one-point lead.

In a turn of events, Leinster centre Matthew Brennan intercepted, passed to wing Ronan Kelly to go the length of the field and James Curry’ conversion made it a four-point game.

Forde was a steadying influence for Munster, nailing a penalty to narrow the gap to 12-11 at the interval.

With the clock just short of half time, hooker O’Neill was to score again, this time from a tap-and-go, with Curry converting.

And things got even better when Athur Ashmore benefitted when a maul rolled over the Munster line for another try, which Curry converted.

Munster were struck a hammer blow when they lost Solomon Delea to a red card making it all the more difficult to find a way out of the 15-point deficit. But credit to the young men in red they went toe-to-toe in with the Leinster and were rewarded with a try from hooker Zach Piper, Forde adding the extras.

Kelly completed his double in the 55th minute with Cory O’Connor landing a magnificent touchline conversion to make it 33-18.

There was no way back from there but Leinster were still on the prowl. Great work from centre Alvaro Swords placed Cian Butler for his try and again Curry converted.

Leinster kept the best until last to score the best try of the game. A sweeping movement involving O’Connor, left wing Zach Mulligan and centre Daniel Norval, ended with Mulligan slicing through for a seventh try.

Second row Max Egan scored the last try in a second half that yielded no less than six tries.

MUNSTER 15. James Brugger (Kinsale RFC) 14. Keelan Dunne (Cistercian College Roscrea) 13. Michael Kennedy (Bandon Grammar) 12. Rory Forde (Kinsale RFC) 11. Sean Roche (Glenstal Abbey) 10. Daniel Coughlan (Bandon RFC) 9. Aaron Moloney (Cistercian College Roscrea) CO-CAPTAIN 1. Richie Whelan (Dungarvan RFC) 2. Zach Piper (Bandon Grammar) 3. Solomon Delea (Cobh Pirates RFC) 4. David MacCoitir (CBC) 5. Tom Shanahan (Crescent College Comprehensive) 6. Kedagh Broderick (Nenagh Ormond RFC) CO-CAPTAIN 7. Evan Welham (Cobh Pirates RFC) 8. Cillian McNamara (Castletroy College) Replacements:

16. Oscar Doody (Cistercian College Roscrea) 17. Tomás Crotty (Dungarvan RFC) 18. David Geoghegan (St Munchin’s College) 19. Olan Dillon (PBC) 20. Jack O’Callaghan (CBC) 21. Frankie Óg Sheahan (PBC) 22. Charlie Callanan (Bandon RFC) 23. Sam Murphy (Garryowen FC) LEINSTER 15. James Curry (Wicklow RFC) 14. Ryan Ovenden (Greystones RFC) 13. Alvaro Swords (Terenure College) 12. Matthew Brennan (Castleknock College) 11. Ronan Kelly (St Gerard’s School) 10. Cory O’Connor (Castleknock College) CAPTAIN 9. Sean McDonald (Presentation College, Bray) 1. Conor Canniffe (St Michael’s College) 2. Harry O’Neill (Blackrock College) 3. Henry Maher (Cistercian College, Roscrea) 4. Michael Bolger (Suttonians RFC) 5. Max Egan (St Mary’s College) 6. Shane McGuigan (Longford RFC) 7. Arthur Ashmore (Clongowes Wood College) 8. Ben O’Toole (Castleknock College) Replacements:

16. Joe Christle (St Mary’s College) 17. Lorcan Golden (Blackrock College) 18. Conor Quinn (Belvedere College) 19. Cian Butler (Portlaoise RFC) 20. Josh Mulligan (Gonzaga College) 21. Serge Broughton (St Andrew’s College) 22. Daniel Norval (Wexford Wanderers RFC) 23. Zach Mulligan (Gonzaga College) A Of all three provincial competitions, this one dangled the most uncertain outcome as Leinster and Munster entered into the arena with two wins apiece. In the end, Harry O’Neill and Ronan Kelly celebrated doubles with Arthur Ashmore, Cian Butler, Zach Mulligan and Max Egan completing the haul of eight tries.