Colleges Rugby News

COLLEGES RUGBY Leinster 8 Munster 10

Munster finally reached their Holy Grail when they captured the LGM Ireland Colleges Interprovincial title for the first time. Following a thrilling game, the defending champions Leinster led by 8 points to three with two minutes on the clock. Then following some spirited rucking and great handling, the ball crossed the full width of the pitch and Alan O Boyle crept over the line with three tacklers holding on to him. This left the game tied at 8pts all, but the large crowd were then treated to a bit of kicking genius as John Lillis, captain on the day, and the most capped Munster player ever at this level, swept over an outstanding kick which bent beautifully in the wind. The large Munster support went crazy and two minutes later, referee John Carvill, blew the whistle to mark an historic sporting occasion.

Scorers on the day for Leinster were Phil De Barra (pen) and John Phelan (try).

The game was played at Railway Union RFC, just off Sydney Parade, at 3pm on Friday Team Squads: MUNSTER Forwards James Clifford; Limerick Inst of Technology, Batt Duggan; Cork Inst of Technology, Mark Adams; University of Limerick, Jim Mackessy; Cork Inst of Technology, Martin Fitzgerald; University of Limerick, Darren Murphy; Limerick Inst of Technology, Niall O driscoll; University of Limerick, Michael O Hea; Limerick Inst of Technology, Cian O Connor; Waterford Inst of Technology, Trevor O Sullivan; Cork College of Commerce James O Neill; University of limerick Backs Killian O ‘ Boyle; Univeristy of Limerick, Paul O’Connor; University of Limerick, , John Lillis ; Waterford Inst of Technology, Andrew O Brien; Waterford Inst Of Technology, Alan O Boyle; University Of Limerick, Gerry Martin; Limerick Inst of Technology, Pat O’Connor; Waterford Inst of Technology, Lorcan Burke; Limerick inst Of Technology, Maurice Power; Cork inst of Technology, Paul Dillon; University of Limerick, Alex Ryan; Cork College of Commerce, MANAGER : DONAL DUGGAN, COACHES : MAT TE PAU, RAY MACDONALD LEINSTER Forwards Gareth Fitzgerald( DIT/Blackrock), Colm Murphy (DIT/Blackrock), Oliver McCormack (ITT/St.Marys), Conor Bourke (DIT), Gary Fogarty (Garda/Suttonians), Shane Cusack (ITT/St.Marys), Alan Turneer , DCU/Clontarf), Conor Power (DIT/DLSP), John Phelan (WIT/Waterpark), James French (WIT/Waterpark), Stuart Abbott (ITT/Blackrock), Andrew Gill (DIT/Portlaoise) Backs Tomas Campbell (DKIT/Dundalk), Steven Jenkinson ( NCI/Terenure), Philip De Barra (ITT/DLSP), Francis Cooney (DIT/DLSP), Ivor Scully(Garda/Tullamore), John Bollard (DIT/Terenure), Robbie Devlin (ITT/Terenure), Kevin Barden (Portobello/Old Belvedere), Rob McCarthy(Griffith/Lansdowne), Mark Quinn( ITT/Lansdowne), Ian Flynn( NCI/Old Belvedere), Gary Conway (WIT/Waterpark), MANAGER; EOIN HOGAN, COACH: STUART GORE