Try: Andy Marks; Con: Matthew Gilsenan; Pens: Matthew Gilsenan 2
Tries: Mark Fogarty, Kevin Sheahan, Cathal O’Flaherty; Cons: Sean Kearns 2
Tom Fletcher; Rob Keenan, Jamie Glynn (capt), Stephen Murphy, Andy Marks; Matthew Gilsenan, Nick Peters; Mikey Moynihan, Gordon Frayne, Stephen McGivern, Emmet MacMahon, Jack Dwan, Jonny Guy, Alex Penny, Greg Jones.
Replacements: David Canny, Rory Mulvihill, Brian Cawley, Tim Foley, Harry McNulty.
David Fanagan; Zach O’Hagan, Paddy Lavelle, Ryan O’Loughlin, Mark Fogarty; Sean Kearns, Paddy O’Driscoll; Tom O’Reilly, Hugo Kean, Brian McGovern (capt), Caelan Doris, Cathal O’Flaherty, Nick McCarthy, David Aspil, Kevin Sheahan.
Replacements: Richard Halpin, Emmet Ferron, Peter Starrett, Jack Dilger, Conor Dean.
Both sides were aiming to bounce back from defeats in their most recent Division 1A encounters, with the hosts suffering a 31-24 reversal against Terenure College last Saturday – a day after St. Mary’s lost 31-19 to Dublin University.
UCD were without a host of first team regulars due to the Leinster ‘A’ v Ulster ‘A’ match taking place that night at nearby Donnybrook, while the visitors were also missing backs Terry Kennedy and Jordan Larmour for the same reason.
A Mary’s try did arrive just two minutes later with their dominant scrum providing the scoring platform. Number 8 Kevin Sheahan broke off the base and quick ball saw Kearns instigate a move that ended with pacy winger Mark Fogarty diving over in the left corner.
5-3 is how it remained up to half-time, UCD losing flanker Alex Penny to the sin-bin in the 34th minute and Gilsenan missing a late penalty attempt from inside the 22-metre line.
In a tense finale, UCD’s task grew more difficult as loosehead Mikey Moynihan was sin-binned with eight minutes to go, and then Mary’s replacement prop Emmet Ferron followed him. The energetic students pressed for a match-winning seven-pointer, but Mary’s held on for a hard-fought and well-merited win.
Referee: Nigel Correll (IRFU)