Leinster edge extra-time cup thriller
LEINSTER ‘A’……………………………………………. 22
PONTYPRIDD…………………………………………… 22
(after extra-time)
By Daire Walsh
British & Irish Cup semi-final
It was a tense semi-final encounter at Sardis Road on Saturday, but Leinster A ultimately dug deep against Pontypridd to ensure that their back-to-back British & Irish Cup aspirations remain alive.
An injury-time try by replacement Andrew Boyle forced the game into extra-time, and although neither side could add to their tally, the Blues progressed on the try countback, which they edged three to one.
LEINSTER A: D Hudson; B Macken, C O’Shea, N Reid, S Coghlan-Murray; C Marsh, L McGrath; E Byrne, J Tracy, T Furlong; T Denton, Q Roux; B Marshall, D Ryan, J Conan.
Replacements: J O’Connell for Byrne (56), B Byrne for Tracy (62), J Cooney for McGrath, L Auva’a for Marshall (73), A Boyle for Coghlan-Murray (76), R Molony for Roux (80).
PONTYPRIDD: G Walsh; L Williams, A Thomas, D Lockyer, O Jenkins; S Humberstone, J Raikes; J Howe, L Belcher, K Jenkins; C Locke, C Dicomidis; W O’Connor, R Shellard, D Godfrey.
Replacements: L Williams for Raikes, J Sieniawski for Dicomidis (both 72), C Phillips for Jenkins (78), A Morris for Belcher (86), O Sheppeard for O’Connor (90).
Referee: C Maxwell-Keys (RFU).