UNIVERSITY COLLEGE DUBLIN 25 BUCCANEERS 15
BUCCANEERS U-20s lacked the composure that could have earned them a win in their J.P.Fanagan Leinster League Premier 2B Division game away to University College, Dublin, on Sunday. Having scored two early tries they allowed the Students back into the contest and then did not stick to what had been effective for them as they endeavoured to retrieve matters, going down 25-15 at Thornfield, Dublin.
Buccs made two changes for this college test with Eoin Murtagh and Lorcan McCormack replacing the injured Patrick Egan and unavailable Tom Bourke respectively. They made a bright start with Donnacha Connolly scoring a 4th minute try and Sean Rohan added a second after 22 minutes. In between UCD opened their account with a penalty. Just before half-time, College blocked a clearance to snatch a try which they converted to leave the teams level 10-10 at the interval.
In the third quarter, UCD added a penalty and a try to edge 18-10 ahead when Buccs incurred yellow cards to Oisin O’Donoghue and Dylan Duffy. They stretched that advantage to 25-10 following a converted try just after the hour mark. Buccs responded well and Niall Tallon scored their third unconverted try on 67 minutes.
The Athlone side’s scrum was superior, yet the referee kept resetting rather than penalising the hosts. Buccs pinned the Students back for the closing ten minutes but, instead of keeping the ball in tight where they dominated, they kept trying to run it to no avail. Hopefully lessons will have been learned that with greater accuracy and smarter IQ the Pirates could have prevailed or, at the very least, picked up a vital point or two.
Abu Saka continues to blossom and was Buccaneers man of the match. Rohan, Tallon, Tom Sheehan and Tom Cotton also played well as did substitutes Bobby Foxe and Sean Doyle.
UNIVERSITY COLLEGE DUBLIN:- S.Phelan; C.Foley, J.Mason (captain), L.Kirkham, R.Besse; G.Foley, J.Powell; J.Deegan, F.Deveraux, D.McCormack; R.Tobin, S.Tracey; T.Byrnes, C.Laskurain and E.O’Reilly. Replacements:- D.McKevitt, F.O’Neil, M.Campbell, F.Spain, S.Shortt and L.Leahy.
BUCCANEERS:- D.Duffy; C.Kelly, T.Cotton, T.Sheehan, L.McCormack; C.O’Carroll, D.Connolly; O.Donoghue, S.Rohan, A.Oates; A.Saka, C.Sheehan (captain); N.Botes, E.Murtagh and N.Tallon. Replacements:- J.Dillon (for Murtagh, B.Foxe (for Oates), S.Doyle (for O’Donoghue), G.Racca (for Dillon), E.McMickan, L.Cassidy and D.Martin.
Referee:- Paul Manning.
U-20s HOME TO SEAPOINT
Buccaneers U-20’s are home to Seapoint in a rearranged J.P.Fanagan Leinster Premier League 2B fixture at Dubarry Park on Sunday with the action kicking off at 2.30 p.m.
