UCC survive early scare to experience just a perfect day

The Irish played like the French, running, hitting, passing, full of passion and invention and the French played an Irish pattern game of kick and bullock. And so it was that UCC became European Student Champions at Donnybrook in the second year of the competition, playing the game of their opposition.

It was a match that the Cork students might have let slip and when fullback Fabien Boyet came charging into the line in the dying minutes it appeared as though UCC might have suffered the ultimate blow of being the better side only to lose the plot in a brief lapse.

Thankfully for Irish supporters Grenoble winger Yannick Larguet ignored the call and once again the French attack was swallowed up in a wholly committed UCC defence.

To pick out players from the unit in such a massive team performance would be unfair but scrum half Peter Stringer was majestic; setting the tempo from the base of the scrum for what seemed like an endless stream of outside runners, who only in the early stages doubted their ability to out-manoeuvre rather than out-kick the French.

"It is easy to use superlatives today but the commitment was incredible from 10 points down," said coach Peter Melia. "I was hugely impressed with the team; the way they handled themselves. I felt the turning point was at 10-0 down the French spilled the ball in a maul when it looked as though they might have gone 15-0 ahead. But a few of the lads simply had an immense game."

Stringer aside, both locks, John Fitzgerald and Mick O'Driscoll, excelled in a front five, who matched the more experienced and heavier Grenoble pack pound for pound.

The visitors took two early tries, the first after a quick tap penalty which second row Renaud Cartillier finished after nine minutes, and the second when the French bulldozed over from a line-out on the left with lock David Dussert emerging with the ball.

In that first half hour phase UCC had chances to draw closer but with the conditions sloppy underfoot Colin Healy was having difficulty kicking, taking only one from four to go in at the break 310 down.

But there was a purpose and shape to the Irish game and little doubt that UCC were drawing confidence from their upper-hand.

Niall Kenneally emerged from an Irish pushover following a line out in the right corner before captain Aidan O'Shea dropped a goal for UCC to take an 11-10 lead on the hour.

UCC's back-line was blazing and although Kenneally went off injured, left wing Darragh Hold and fullback Healy cut at the Grenoble defence at various angles.

"I was disappointed with their approach," said Melia. "I was expecting a run feast, them handling the ball. But that's clearly how they decided not to play it."

Brian O'Mahony finally nailed down the win with a 30 metre penalty for 14-10 after the forwards had once again successfully recycled, teasing the French into offside.

The French were left in tears; the Irish jubilant; only the second team to ever win the competition and the first to be presented to a 49,000 crowd at Lansdowne Road at half-time in Ulster's triumphant European Cup win. Just a perfect day really.

Scoring Sequence: 9 mins: R Cartillier try, 0-5; 20: D Dussert try, 0-10; 32: C Healy penalty, 3-10; 49: N Kinneally try, 8-10; 60: A O'Shea drop goal, 11-10; 76: B O'Mahony penalty, 14-10.

UCC: C Healy; N Kenneally, P Barry (capt), A O'Shea, D Holt; B O'Mahony, P Stringer; A McSweeney, G Flannery, M Ross, J Fitzgerald, M O'Driscoll, B Cahill, T Cahill, D Lane. Replacements: A Hickie for B Cahill (45 mins(); L Twoomey for Kinneally (57 mins).

Grenoble: F Boyet; Y Larguet, J Mazille (capt), S Hauw, S Beyret; S Bonnefoy, A Maldera; G Chatel, T Algret, S Vilac, D Dussert, R Cartillier, J E Bahoken, G Ollivier, F Degalabert. Replacements: R Gerbier for Bahoken (65 mins).

Referee: B Campsell (England).