Ulster have won the Junior Inter-Provincial series for the second time in three years with an impressive win away to Leinster on Saturday afternoon.
Junior Inter-Provincial Series Round 3:
Leinster Juniors 15-34 Ulster Juniors
As in their previous two games, Ulster played into a very stiff wind in the first half. The Ulster forwards demonstrated early in the game that they had complete control in the set piece, with the front row of Nash, Whitley and Beattie totally dominant in every scrum. The Ulster forwards were also well on top at the lineout, picking off a number of Leinster throws and retaining their own possession.
On 17 minutes Leinster were awarded a penalty just inside their own half which was kicked into the Ulster 22, giving Leinster a great position to launch an attack. Their lineout was under severe pressure but they won scrappy possession and managed to rampage towards the Ulster line. That drive was stopped but second row Ronan Costello was on hand to pick and go, bashing his way over the line for the opening score, which went unconverted.
Ulster responded straight away, putting huge pressure on the restart to regain the ball. Ulster went through a series of plays, moving the ball around well, eventually getting it to right wing Neil Brown who had some space to run into. The ball was recycled and the big men smashed it up the middle and produced some quick ball for the backs to attack wide down the left. The ball went through the hands and Neil Brown appeared yet again to make the extra man and take the scoring pass, running the ball home from outside the 22 and scoring in the corner. A tough conversion into the wind was unsuccessful, 5-5.
Ulster then seized the initiative on 31 minutes. Leinster were happy to go through the phases rather than utilise the wind to gain field possession and Ulster were patient in defence. A huge hit by Ulster in the midfield, just inside the Leinster half saw the ball spill forward and into the hands of fly-half Bokkie Carstens. As he gathered and accelerated, he left the Leinster defence scrambling and made it all the way under the posts, leaving McCluggage with a simple conversion to make the score 12-5. Leinster pressed again in the closing stages of the first half but the Ulster defence was strong enough to withstand anything that Leinster threw at them, turning round at 12-5.
Ulster got off to the perfect start in the second half, with Brian Hughes soaring high to gather the ball from Cartens’ restart. Ulster held onto the ball, going through the phases before the ball made its way to Phil Cartmill down the left hand side. Cartmill spotted a Leinster prop in front of him and went for the outside break. He went clean through and with support on either side of him, he had the speed to go all the way and finish in the corner. McCluggage converted to make the score 19-5.
Leinster then benefitted from a series of penalties, allowing them to work they way up the pitch into the breeze. They worked a lineout well and from the resulting drive up the middle, created an overlap on Ulster’s right hand side for Liam Caddy to touch down for Leinster and keep them in touch at 19-10.
McCluggage then took an opportunity to add 3 points for Ulster as Leinster again tried to play their way out of their own 22 from the restart and were penalised for holding on in the ruck, 22-10.
Leinster rallied again, scoring a try on 60 minutes through left wing Johnny Williams to make it a one-score game at 22-15 with 20 minutes to play. Coach, Richard Boyd then looked to his bench to freshen things up and this had the desired effect.
Leinster struggled to get out of their own 22 into the breeze and with a clearing kick finding Ulster left wing Mitchell McComb, rather than touch. The back three of Ulster were in perfect harmony as he moved the ball early to Phil Cartmill who then shifted it all the way over to Neil Brown, who was in devastating form. Having touched down in the first half, Brown weaved his way past a number of covering Leinster defenders, none of whom could stop him as he finished a brilliant solo run. McCluggage couldn’t add the extras this time but it put Ulster firmly in control of the match at 27-15 with 15 minutes to go.
Ulster then put the game and the championship to bed in the closing stages as Leinster threw even more caution to the wind in search of quick points. A misdirected pass from Leinster just inside the Ulster half broke to Ulster centre Mikey Poskitt. He had the awareness and crucially the pace, to beat the first man, leaving the rest of the covering defence in his wake and go all the way and score close to the Leinster posts. He converted his own try to make the final score 34-15, giving Ulster their third win and a clean sweep to claim the 2017 Inter Provincial title.
Junior Inter-Provincial Series Round 3:
Leinster Juniors 15-34 Ulster Juniors
As in their previous two games, Ulster played into a very stiff wind in the first half. The Ulster forwards demonstrated early in the game that they had complete control in the set piece, with the front row of Nash, Whitley and Beattie totally dominant in every scrum. The Ulster forwards were also well on top at the lineout, picking off a number of Leinster throws and retaining their own possession.
On 17 minutes Leinster were awarded a penalty just inside their own half which was kicked into the Ulster 22, giving Leinster a great position to launch an attack. Their lineout was under severe pressure but they won scrappy possession and managed to rampage towards the Ulster line. That drive was stopped but second row Ronan Costello was on hand to pick and go, bashing his way over the line for the opening score, which went unconverted.
Ulster responded straight away, putting huge pressure on the restart to regain the ball. Ulster went through a series of plays, moving the ball around well, eventually getting it to right wing Neil Brown who had some space to run into. The ball was recycled and the big men smashed it up the middle and produced some quick ball for the backs to attack wide down the left. The ball went through the hands and Neil Brown appeared yet again to make the extra man and take the scoring pass, running the ball home from outside the 22 and scoring in the corner. A tough conversion into the wind was unsuccessful, 5-5.
Ulster then seized the initiative on 31 minutes. Leinster were happy to go through the phases rather than utilise the wind to gain field possession and Ulster were patient in defence. A huge hit by Ulster in the midfield, just inside the Leinster half saw the ball spill forward and into the hands of fly-half Bokkie Carstens. As he gathered and accelerated, he left the Leinster defence scrambling and made it all the way under the posts, leaving McCluggage with a simple conversion to make the score 12-5. Leinster pressed again in the closing stages of the first half but the Ulster defence was strong enough to withstand anything that Leinster threw at them, turning round at 12-5.
Ulster got off to the perfect start in the second half, with Brian Hughes soaring high to gather the ball from Cartens’ restart. Ulster held onto the ball, going through the phases before the ball made its way to Phil Cartmill down the left hand side. Cartmill spotted a Leinster prop in front of him and went for the outside break. He went clean through and with support on either side of him, he had the speed to go all the way and finish in the corner. McCluggage converted to make the score 19-5.
Leinster then benefitted from a series of penalties, allowing them to work they way up the pitch into the breeze. They worked a lineout well and from the resulting drive up the middle, created an overlap on Ulster’s right hand side for Liam Caddy to touch down for Leinster and keep them in touch at 19-10.
McCluggage then took an opportunity to add 3 points for Ulster as Leinster again tried to play their way out of their own 22 from the restart and were penalised for holding on in the ruck, 22-10.
Leinster rallied again, scoring a try on 60 minutes through left wing Johnny Williams to make it a one-score game at 22-15 with 20 minutes to play. Coach, Richard Boyd then looked to his bench to freshen things up and this had the desired effect.
Leinster struggled to get out of their own 22 into the breeze and with a clearing kick finding Ulster left wing Mitchell McComb, rather than touch. The back three of Ulster were in perfect harmony as he moved the ball early to Phil Cartmill who then shifted it all the way over to Neil Brown, who was in devastating form. Having touched down in the first half, Brown weaved his way past a number of covering Leinster defenders, none of whom could stop him as he finished a brilliant solo run. McCluggage couldn’t add the extras this time but it put Ulster firmly in control of the match at 27-15 with 15 minutes to go.
Ulster then put the game and the championship to bed in the closing stages as Leinster threw even more caution to the wind in search of quick points. A misdirected pass from Leinster just inside the Ulster half broke to Ulster centre Mikey Poskitt. He had the awareness and crucially the pace, to beat the first man, leaving the rest of the covering defence in his wake and go all the way and score close to the Leinster posts. He converted his own try to make the final score 34-15, giving Ulster their third win and a clean sweep to claim the 2017 Inter Provincial title.