Ulster Rugby’s under 18 clubs side fell to a disappointing 33-5 opening day defeat to Leinster at Energia Park on Sunday afternoon.
Leinster laid the founds for a comfortable win with three tries in the opening quarter.
A Jacob Ennis-McManus try did give Ulster some hope, but Leinster were able to regroup at half-time and go on to record a comfortable win.
Leinster took the lead as early as the 7th minute through Joe Costello. The loose-head prop finishing off following a Leinster driving maul.
Try number two arrived eight minutes later through hooker Denis Phelan. Scrumhalf Conor Martin converted both touchdowns to hand his team a 14-0 lead.
It was Martin who claimed Leinster’s third try in the 20th minute.
The Navan youngster finishing in the corner before dusting himself off and successful conversion from the sideline.
Ulster rallied before the break, and they were rewarded for their efforts when Rainey’s Ennis-McManus finished in the corner after good approach play from Matthew Laird.
Half-time Leinster 21-5 Ulster
Any hopes of an Ulster fightback were quickly dispelled when Aidan Tamming went over for Leinster’s fourth try in the 44th minute.
Centre Byron O’Hara rounded off the scoring on the hour mark to seal a convincing win.
Ulster refused to give up the fight. But despite their best efforts, they were unable to add to their solitary first-half score.
Full-time Leinster 33-5 Ulster
Scorers:
Leinster:
Tries: Costello, Phelan, Martin, Tamming, O’Hara.
Cons: Martin (4).
Ulster:
Tries: Ennis-McManus
Leinster: 15. Leon Regan, 14. Michael Redmond, 13. Harry Ward, 12. Byron O’Hara, 11. Rocco Quigley, 10. Scott O’Shea, 9. Conor Martin, 1. Joe Costello, 2. Dennis Phelan, 3. Excell Ekenhenreehkian, 4. Ciaran Dunne, 5. Joe Codd, 6. Aidan Tamming (C), 7. Jed Conroy, 8. Jimmy Shorten.
Replacements:
16, CJ Jones, 17. Eoghan Saunders, 18. Olly Quinn, 19. Cian McDonald, 20, Jed Conroy, 21. Tadhg Tuckey, 22. Sirio Scalabrino Noone, 23. Iarla Sheahan, 24. Enda Waldron.
Ulster: 15. Luke McMillan, 14. JJ McVeigh, 13. Issac Neil, 12. Ayrton Piennar, 11. Jacob Ennis-McManus, 10. Joel Clarke, 9. Freddy Harris, 1. Joe Baillie, 2. Corbin Marsden, 3. Ben Ledie, 4. Ewan Morrison, 5. James Fullerton, 6. Matthew Laird, 7. Logan Clarke, 8. Joe Rice D’Cruze.
Replacements: 16. Joel Marrion, 17. Aydan Byrne, 18. Ryan Mitchell, 19. Alexander Courtney, 20. Joey Carson, 21. Jed Poutney, 22. Reuben Nicholl, 23. Evan Prior.