UCD 39 UCC 28, Belfield Bowl
Scorers: UCD: Tries: Sean McNulty, Ronan Foley, Sam Griffin, Stephen McVeigh, Penalty try; Cons: Conall Doherty 3, Pen try con; Pens: Conall Doherty 2
UCC: Tries: Ryan Murphy, James Taylor, Cian Barry, John Poland; Cons: James Taylor 4
HT: UCD 13 UCC 7
UCD produced a strong second half performance to finally get the better of newly-promoted UCC on a 39-28 scoreline at the Belfield Bowl.
Nine tries were scored in a pulsating Division 1A derby between the student sides, who were also competing to be this season’s first holders of the Dudley Cup in the long-standing University competition’s new Ranfurly Shield-style format.
Adding to the intrigue surrounding this game was Paul Kiernan’s debut in the UCD midfield. A son of former Munster and Ireland legend Michael Kiernan, Paul captained UCC to their historic promotion from Division 1B last season and has since switched colleges to study in Dublin for his Masters degree.
UCC enjoyed a bright start with former Munster centre Cian Bohane and highly-rated out-half James Taylor breaking forward at pace. Handling errors prevented them from building sustained momentum in attack, and some excellent set piece work in the 17th minute saw UCD full-back Conall Dohertyopen the scoring with a well-struck penalty.
Taylor narrowly missed his first two shots at the posts after the Cork side’s powerful pack had secured successive penalties. Their attack clicked soon after as Bohane went close at the end of a lung-bursting surge and the recycled ball was moved left for number 8 Ryan Murphy to touch down.
After Taylor’s superb touchline conversion made it 7-3, UCD turned down a kickable penalty and the ensuing lineout maul sent hooker Sean McNulty over for Doherty to convert. The latter added a 25-metre penalty for a 13-7 half-time lead, but Taylor responded with a classy 49th-minute try, sidestepping a final defender to go in under the posts.
The play began to open up even more, UCD number 8 Ronan Foley showing his engine to make the line for their second try with Doherty again converting. Andy Skehan’s charges then pressed from a 56th-minute lineout, working the ball back infield for prop Sam Griffin to supply the finishing touches to a patient move.
UCC lock Cian Barry used one of their own lineout drives to get on the scoresheet, with Taylor kicking them back into losing bonus point territory at 27-21 down. It was then UCD’s turn to settle the issue, a well-executed maul drawing a penalty try before flanker Stephen McVeigh added try number five, reaching over at the end of a sweeping attack.
Nonetheless, UCC’s hard work was deservedly rewarded with a late try-scoring bonus point – their first point in the top flight – when scrum half John Poland, who was on the Munster ‘A’ bench on Friday night, nipped over at the end of a pacy move out towards the right wing.
UCD: Conall Doherty; Tim Carroll, Andy Marks, Paul Kiernan, Rob Keenan; Matthew Gilsenan, Nick Peters; Sam Griffin, Sean McNulty, Liam Hyland, Emmet MacMahon, Tom Treacy, Stephen McVeigh, Alex Penny (capt), Ronan Foley.
Replacements: Richie Bergin, Evin Coyle, Jonny Guy, Tom Foley, Ian O’Kelly.
UCC: Richard Walsh; Adam O’Connor, Cian Bohane, Peter Sylvester, Murray Linn; James Taylor, John Poland; Cathal Dennehy, Travis Coomey, Bryan O’Connor, Mark Bissessar, Cian Barry, Darragh Moloney, Cian Fitzgerald, Ryan Murphy.
Replacements: Darragh Fitzgerald, Paidi McCarthy, Brian O’Mahony, Daire Feeney, Michael Clune.