Rugby B & I Cup
Marsh the standout as Leinster cruise
LEINSTER A…………………………………. 49
EALING TRAILFINDERS………………… 08
Cathal Marsh was the stand-out performer in Donnybrook on Saturday afternoon, as his 19-point haul helped Leinster ‘A’ to make a perfect start to their defence of the British and Irish Cup against Ealing Trailfinders.
Girvan Dempsey’s charges had made a blistering start courtesy of tries inside the opening 10 minutes from Tom Farrell and Sam Coghlan-Murray, and a third converted Leinster score by captain Conor Gilsenan gave them a 21-3 cushion during the interval.
Leinster ‘A’ secure a much-welcomed bonus point when Leo Auva’a crossed the whitewash on 51 minutes.
Tadhg Beirne then got on the score sheet just three minutes later, before the St Mary’s College outhalf registered a seven-point salvo inside the final quarter and they had the final say with a seventh try from Heineken Cup winner John Cooney.
LEINSTER A: D Hudson; S Coghlan-Murray, T Farrell, T Daly, D Fanning; C Marsh, J Cooney; J O’Connell, J Tracy, R Burke-Flynn; T Beirne, B Marshall; D Leavy, C Gilsenan, L Auva’a.
Replacements: A Boyle for Coghlan-Murray (53), S Crosbie for Hudson (57), G Thornbury for Auva’a (59), M Kelly for Burke-Flynn (61), R Molony for Gilsenan (62), B Byrne for Tracy (73), Tracy for Marshall (74), L McGrath for Cooney (78).