Energia All-Ireland League Division 1A: Round 2 Review
TERENURE COLLEGE 30 YOUNG MUNSTER 23, Lakelands Park
Scorers: Terenure College: Tries: Robbie Deegan, Tim Schmidt, Jamie Glynn, Sam Dardis; Cons: Mark O’Neill 2; Pens: Mark O’Neill 2
Young Munster: Tries: Jordan Stewart, Alan Kennedy; Cons: Evan Cusack 2; Pens: Evan Cusack 2, Charlie O’Doherty
HT: Terenure College 22 Young Munster 7
Joe Schmidt’s 23-year-old son Tim got among the tries as Terenure College withstood a spirited second half performance from Young Munster to secure a 30-23 bonus point win in a compelling Division 1A clash.
Continuing where they left off against newly-promoted Ballynahinch last week, Terenure had scores from Robbie Deegan, Schmidt, Jamie Glynn and replacement Sam Dardis. A late Charlie O’Doherty penalty saw Munsters emerge with a losing bonus point for the second game running.
‘Nure broke the deadlock in the fourth minute when centre Deegan cut through in fine style from the right flank. Schmidt, who has been deployed as a full-back of late, sidestepped his way over in the 17th minute, making it 12-0.
Out-half Mark O’Neill extended the lead with a penalty during the second quarter, and the Cookies fell further adrift near the half hour mark. The hosts worked the ball towards the right wing again where scrum half Glynn bagged the third try of the game.
The introduction of Paul Allen and his robust approach helped to galvanise Young Munster’s challenge. They pressed from a series of five-metre scrums close to the posts, leading to the sin-binning of Terenure tighthead Liam Hyland.
The visitors’ persistence finally paid off when number 8 Jordan Stewart peeled off the back of a scrum for a converted score. The gap was down to 22-7 at half-time, and with Munsters increasing the tempo on the restart, an Evan Cusack penalty made it a 12-point contest.
An O’Neill close-range kick cancelled that out, but a ‘Nure clearance was charged down straight into the arms of Munsters captain Alan Kennedy who sprinted over for a clinically-taken try. Cusack’s conversion reduced the arrears to eight points with half-an-hour remaining.
The Limerick men bombarded the ‘Nure line with a succession of driving mauls, the hosts holding firm until second row Mike Murphy was sin-binned. Cusack landed a 71st-minute penalty to set up a grandstand finish.
To Terenure’s credit, they wrestled back control with replacement Dardis touching down in the left corner. James Thornton’s missed conversion left the door open for Munsters to take a point back home, though, with scrum half O’Doherty knocking over a cracking penalty from the 10-metre line.
TERENURE COLLEGE: Tim Schmidt; Matthew Byrne, Robbie Deegan, Stephen O’Neill, Jake Swaine; Mark O’Neill, Jamie Glynn; Campbell Classen, Robbie Smyth, Liam Hyland, Mike Murphy, Michael Melia, Niall O’Sullivan, Paddy Thornton (capt), Eoin Joyce.
Replacements: Dewald Bernard, Tiernan Creagh, Niall Lalor, James Thornton, Sam Dardis.
YOUNG MUNSTER: Jason Kiely; Derek Corcoran, Harry Fleming, Luke Fitzgerald, Nicky Irwin; Evan Cusack, Charlie O’Doherty; Eoin O’Neill, Mark O’Mara, Conor Bartley, Alan Kennedy (capt), John Foley, Fintan Coleman, Darren Ryan, Jordan Stewart.
Replacements: Ger Slattery, Paul Allen, Mike Madden, Evan O’Gorman, Keelan Stephenson.