AIL wrap: UCD defy expectations with rip-roaring win over Lansdowne

Just when it looks as if the wheat was being sorted out from the chaff and one thinks Division 1A the form lines are possibly becoming set in Division 1A, along comes a weekend threat shreds such notions.

The tone of round 8 had been set on Friday night when UCD defied form and expectations with a rip-roaring 43-38 win over Lansdowne on the Aviva Stadium back pitch, and that surprising tone rippled into Lakelands Park on Saturday when Young Munster stormed into a 29-0 lead against Terenure College before withstanding a late comeback for an overdue second win of the season.

UCD had lost a week previously by 36-12 in Old Belvedere and after their summer exodus again fielded a team with no player older than 23. But they roared into a 28-17 interval lead after Max Doyle opened the scoring, Daniel Hurley struck twice, and Thomas Quinn added a crucial first-half stoppage-time try for the students before they capitalised on another hanging restart by Paddy Clancy for Evan Moynihan to score at the start of the second half.

Even so, Lansdowne stayed in contention through tries by Bobby Sheehan, Jack Matthews, Greg McGrath and Harry Van Eaden before James Kenny’s score put them 38-36 ahead inside the last ten minutes. Whereupon, UCD’s Under-20 hooker Matthew Furlong, on debut, gathered an overthrow and followed up his own long punt with a tap tackle in the lead up to centre Ben Brownlee scoring under the posts.

The Counter Ruck: the rugby newsletter from The Irish Times

Lowe set for Leinster return but Snyman and Ringrose could miss Leicester trip

A tale of two provinces: Leinster ‘up and running’ but Munster given harsh reality check

Caelan Doris looks to draw on hurt as Leinster set about banishing Champions Cup demons

“I’m very proud of the fight shown by the boys after a week when we showed a great reaction to what had been a poor performance,” said head coach Emmet MacMahon. “It was a wild game but we managed to score different types of tries, which is always very pleasing.”

In many respects, Young Munster were due a significant win after so many near misses. Terenure won the toss and elected to play into the wind, as Munsters would have done, but the home side were pinned in their own half as the Cookies built a 22-0 lead and had their fifth attacking bonus point by the interval through tries by Shay McCarthy (two), Luke McCready and the prolific Sligo winger Hubert Gilvarry – his ninth try in eight games.

A penalty try after the break put them 29-0 lead, and two tries from Aran Egan and another from Caspar Gabriel, who converted twice, was not enough for ‘Nure to extract anything from the game, as Lansdowne’s two bonus points ultimately moved them up to third.

“We definitely deserved to win and it was our most complete performance of the season,” said a relieved and happy Munsters head coach Ger Slattery.

St Mary’s stayed top with a 14-0 win in Ballynahinch, Ronan Watters scoring in each half; Cork Constitution moved to fifth with a 21-15 win at Old Belvedere, Danny Sheahan scoring twice early and David Good adding a decisive 62nd minute try; while Clontarf made it seven wins in a row with a 28-12 victory at Nenagh Ormond through Alex O’Grady, Alex Usanov, Sam Owens and a penalty try.