Ulster Juniors got the defence of their Interprovincial title off to a winning start with an impressive victory away to Munster on Saturday afternoon.
Junior Interprovincial Series Round 1:
Munster Juniors 0 Ulster Juniors 24
Ulster Juniors travelled to Muskerry RFC, where a large crowd were in attendance for the opening of the new pitch and facilities, including the former Ireland scrum-half Peter Stringer. The Ulster squad, led by Captain Andrew McKeen, had a fresh look to it this year with twelve new caps involved in the match day squad, from fourteen different clubs from across the province.
The first half was played in dreadful conditions, as heavy rain and hail showers made it incredibly testing for both sides. A well worked rolling maul got Ulster got off to a great start, with a try in the second minute by hooker Alan Whitley. This was successfully converted by Lee Steenson from the left hand touchline.
Munster dominated possession for large periods in the first quarter but the Ulster defence held firm. Excellent pressure and discipline led to numerous handling errors from the Munster side and allowed Ulster to gain vital momentum and play in the opponent’s half.
After two unsuccessful long range penalty attempts for Munster, the Ulster pack worked hard to get the visiting team on the front foot. Ulster looked the more threatening side going forward, really stretching the Munster defence on several occasions but failed to add to their try tally. Second row Olly Miller then made a fantastic break and with the Ulster pack showing excellent composure and patience, a penalty was awarded and converted by Lee Steenson to stretch the lead to ten points.
Ulster continued to heap pressure on their southern counterparts but a few lapses in concentration at the set piece, allowed Munster off the hook. The pack again exerted some pressure, earning a penalty via an infringement at the breakdown. This gave Lee Steenson an opportunity to extend the lead but he pushed his effort just wide to leave the score 10-0 to Ulster at the interval.
The second half brought better weather conditions as the wind, rain and hail eased off, allowing both teams to expand their game. Munster came out of the blocks with an increased tempo and intensity. However, the well organised Ulster defence held firm as Bokkie Carstens and then Oliver Miller put in two outstanding tackles on their own line, to prevent tries at key moments in the match.
Ulster showed great discipline in the second half and controlled territory for large spells with an effective kicking game and low penalty count. Ulster added to their tally following another dynamic maul which led to a try for Sam Mackey. Steenson again converted from the left hand touchline to make the score 17-0.
Ulster continued to press throughout the half and notched a well-deserved third try with the last play of the game. Young lock Bradley Luney used great footwork to evade two tackles close to the line and score underneath the posts. Martin Connolly this time converted to make the final score 24-0 to Ulster and a complete comprehensive win away from home.
Ulster Head Coach Richard Boyd was happy with the result, “We are really pleased to get a win and even more delighted to keep a clean sheet against a big and physical Munster side. I thought we adapted to the poor conditions really well and our pack laid the foundations for the result today. We pride ourselves on our defence and discipline, and I think we had the edge in both areas today. The squad are looking forward to next weekend and we know Connacht will provide another tough test so we cannot afford to relax and must step up our performance again and build upon this momentum.”
Ulster Juniors take on Connacht at Ards RFC next Saturday 5th May and will be aiming to make it two wins from two. All support would be greatly appreciated by the team and coaching staff. It promises to be a cracking game of rugby.
Ulster Juniors Squad v Munster:
1 D McKeen
2 A Whitley
3 P Greenaway
4 O Millar
5 B Luney
6 S Dickey
7 A McKeen (Capt)
8 D Clarke
9 L Steenson
10 B Carstens
11 B McClearn
12 M Connolly
13 P Cartmill
14 T Hunter
15 M Orr
Replacements:
16 S Smyth, 17 A Kilpatrick, 18 D Jones, 19 R Bingham, 20 S Mackey, 21 J Gilliland,
22 R Garrett, 23 M Wylie.
Junior Interprovincial Series Fixtures:
Munster 0-24 Ulster
Saturday 28th April 2018, Muskerry RFC, 2.30pm
Photos courtesy of Robert Boyd.
Junior Interprovincial Series Round 1:
Munster Juniors 0 Ulster Juniors 24
Ulster Juniors travelled to Muskerry RFC, where a large crowd were in attendance for the opening of the new pitch and facilities, including the former Ireland scrum-half Peter Stringer. The Ulster squad, led by Captain Andrew McKeen, had a fresh look to it this year with twelve new caps involved in the match day squad, from fourteen different clubs from across the province.
The first half was played in dreadful conditions, as heavy rain and hail showers made it incredibly testing for both sides. A well worked rolling maul got Ulster got off to a great start, with a try in the second minute by hooker Alan Whitley. This was successfully converted by Lee Steenson from the left hand touchline.
Munster dominated possession for large periods in the first quarter but the Ulster defence held firm. Excellent pressure and discipline led to numerous handling errors from the Munster side and allowed Ulster to gain vital momentum and play in the opponent’s half.
After two unsuccessful long range penalty attempts for Munster, the Ulster pack worked hard to get the visiting team on the front foot. Ulster looked the more threatening side going forward, really stretching the Munster defence on several occasions but failed to add to their try tally. Second row Olly Miller then made a fantastic break and with the Ulster pack showing excellent composure and patience, a penalty was awarded and converted by Lee Steenson to stretch the lead to ten points.
Ulster continued to heap pressure on their southern counterparts but a few lapses in concentration at the set piece, allowed Munster off the hook. The pack again exerted some pressure, earning a penalty via an infringement at the breakdown. This gave Lee Steenson an opportunity to extend the lead but he pushed his effort just wide to leave the score 10-0 to Ulster at the interval.
The second half brought better weather conditions as the wind, rain and hail eased off, allowing both teams to expand their game. Munster came out of the blocks with an increased tempo and intensity. However, the well organised Ulster defence held firm as Bokkie Carstens and then Oliver Miller put in two outstanding tackles on their own line, to prevent tries at key moments in the match.
Ulster showed great discipline in the second half and controlled territory for large spells with an effective kicking game and low penalty count. Ulster added to their tally following another dynamic maul which led to a try for Sam Mackey. Steenson again converted from the left hand touchline to make the score 17-0.
Ulster continued to press throughout the half and notched a well-deserved third try with the last play of the game. Young lock Bradley Luney used great footwork to evade two tackles close to the line and score underneath the posts. Martin Connolly this time converted to make the final score 24-0 to Ulster and a complete comprehensive win away from home.
Ulster Head Coach Richard Boyd was happy with the result, “We are really pleased to get a win and even more delighted to keep a clean sheet against a big and physical Munster side. I thought we adapted to the poor conditions really well and our pack laid the foundations for the result today. We pride ourselves on our defence and discipline, and I think we had the edge in both areas today. The squad are looking forward to next weekend and we know Connacht will provide another tough test so we cannot afford to relax and must step up our performance again and build upon this momentum.”
Ulster Juniors take on Connacht at Ards RFC next Saturday 5th May and will be aiming to make it two wins from two. All support would be greatly appreciated by the team and coaching staff. It promises to be a cracking game of rugby.
Ulster Juniors Squad v Munster:
1 D McKeen
2 A Whitley
3 P Greenaway
4 O Millar
5 B Luney
6 S Dickey
7 A McKeen (Capt)
8 D Clarke
9 L Steenson
10 B Carstens
11 B McClearn
12 M Connolly
13 P Cartmill
14 T Hunter
15 M Orr
Replacements:
16 S Smyth, 17 A Kilpatrick, 18 D Jones, 19 R Bingham, 20 S Mackey, 21 J Gilliland,
22 R Garrett, 23 M Wylie.
Junior Interprovincial Series Fixtures:
Munster 0-24 Ulster
Saturday 28th April 2018, Muskerry RFC, 2.30pm
Ulster v Connacht
Saturday 5th May, Ards RFC, 2.30pm
Ulster v Leinster
Saturday 12th May, UUC RFC, 2.30pm
Photos courtesy of Robert Boyd.