Ulster Under 19’s lost out to a much more clinical Leinster side in an entertaining tussle at Energia Park on Sunday afternoon with the home team running in six-tries to Ulster’s two in a 33-17 victory.
In a frantic opening period, Josh McCaughey’s penalty handed Ulster the early initiative. The Helter-skelter nature of the game continued before Leinster grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck in the second quarter.
Ulster’s lead was wiped out in the 24th minute when Chris Maguire managed to get over in the corner for the game’s first try.
Maguire extended Leinster’s lead shortly after the half-hour mark after the winger was picked out by Harrison McMahon’s inch-perfect cross field kick.
Backed by those two Maguire tries, Leinster on the hunt for another score and it duly arrived on the stroke of half-time through centre Niall Fallon, with McMahon adding the extras to hand his team a commanding 14-point advantage at the break.
Half-time: Leinster 17-3 Ulster
McMahon was on hand to convert his own try in the opening minutes of the second half as the home side threatened to run away with the tie.
But Ulster responded when winger Jack Coulter finished expertly in the corner. McCaughey converted from the touchline to hand Ulster a glimmer of hope.
Feeding off the energy that Coulter’s try brought, Ulster closed the gap to a single score when hooker Charlie Reaney powered over for another try. Again, McCaughey was on the money from the conversion, and going into the final quarter, it was all to play for with Leading 24-17.
With the game very much in the balance, the next score would be crucial in deciding who would leave with the victory, and unfortunately for the Ulster men, it was Leinster winger Tadg Young who got the next score.
The momentum had now swung back in Leinster’s favour, and with the final play of the game a sixth try arrived through hooker Juwon Adeoye.
Out-half McMahon rounded off the afternoons proceeding with his third conversion to seal an opening day win for his side.
Full-time: Leinster 36-17 Ulster
Scorers:
Leinster:
Tries: Maguire (2), McMahon, Fallon, Young, Adeoye.
Cons: McMahon (3).
Ulster:
Tries: Coulter, Reaney.
Cons: McCaughey (2).
Pens: McCaughey.
Teams:
Leinster: 15. Max Roche, 14. Chris Maguire, 13. Niall Fallon, 12. Tom Martin, 11. Johnny Martin, 10. Harrison McMahon, 9. Jack Fogarty, 1. Ryan Grant, 2. Seamus Whelan, 3. Rory O’Brien, 4. Eoin Farrell, 5. James Gissing, 6. Harry O’Neill, 7. Eoghan Brady, 8. Thibault Campbell.
Replacements: 16: Juwon Adeoye, 17. Aiden McGovern, 18. Tadhg Halfpenny, 19. Alan Higgins, 20. Cillian O’Donovan, 21. Charles Dowse, 22. Michael Kenny, 23. Tadg Young.
Ulster: 15. James McMillan, 14. Aaron Lowey, 13. Paul Henry, 12. Isaac Hatch, 11. Jack Coulter, 10, Josh McCaughey, 9. Sam Harper, 1. Elias Agbonkpolar, 2. Josh McColgan, 3. Reuben McIlwarth, 4. Charlie Best, 5. Archie Graham, 6. Theo Scott, 7. Jayden Irwin, 8. Cian Irwin.
Replacements: 16. Charlie Reaney, 17. Reuben Edmondson, 18. Noah Carson, 19. Austin Adair, 20. James Lennon, 21. James Wells, 22. Ollie Worth, 23. Ryan Hamilton.