There was a somewhat disappointing start to the Under-20 Interprovincial series at Donnybrook on Saturday, yet there were enough elements to Leinster's game to suggest a bright future.
Leo Cullen, their distinctive number eight, despite his problems early on, emerged from the match with his reputation intact while wing forward Barry Gibney proved an inspiration down the flanks.
Holders Ulster rarely troubled the hosts and led just once in this curtain raiser which attracted a substantial crowd. Leinster centre Brian O'Driscoll kicked his side into an early lead with penalties on 18 and 24 minutes before a clever chip through by Rory Wallace allowed the Ulster wing, Jonathan Parke, to race into the corner for a try.
Mark Maguire's conversion on the half hour allowed Ulster a slender one-point advantage at the break but Leinster then surged ahead with Niall O'Donovan showing an adeptness with the boot when sending over a splendid drop goal eight minutes after the interval.
Leinster had threatened all afternoon to unhinge Ulster with some promising moves and it finally came right with just eight minutes to go when a lovely looped pass from scrum-half Ian Murphy took out the Ulster cover and there, perfectly positioned, was O'Donovan who darted under the posts.
Replacement full-back Mark McHugh converted and although his opposite number Gareth Mc Cullough gave the visitors a small glimmer of hope with a penalty, Leinster then killed off the game with David Quinlan the benefactor of a well worked move, touched down in the left-hand corner.
Leinster Under-20s: T Keating (Blackrock); S Horgan (Lansdowne), D Quinlan (Blackrock), B O'Driscoll (UCD), D Johnston (Blackrock); I Murphy (Lansdowne), A O'Brien (UCD); D Blayney (UCD), M Fearon (Blackrock), B McDonald (Old Belvedere), G Quinn (Lansdowne), R Woods (Blackrock), B Gibney (Blackrock), L Cullen (Blackrock). Replacements: M McHugh (Dublin University) for Keating (46 mins), K Coleman (Terenure) for O' Brien (47 mins), P Shanley (UCD) for Woods (68 mins).
Ulster: G McCullough (Newcastle): J Parke (Malone), J Wells (Ballymena), R Wal- lace (Trinity College), J Reynolds (Instonians); M Maguire (Dungannon), I Knox (Instonians); S McConnell (Currie), P Shields (Instonians), S Best (Newcastle), M McAnally (Instonians), D O'Kane (Ballymena), P Hunter (Malone), J Goodrich (Queens), C McCarey (Ballymena). Replacement: J Shanks (Ballanahinch) for Goodrich (50 mins).
Referee: G Bennett (MRA).
