University College Dublin ... 12 Dublin University ... 6UCD got the better of the argument for the seventh year in a row with a gutsy comeback over rivals Dublin University in the 51st Colours at a wet Donnybrook last night.
Following two penalty misses from UCD's Eoghan Hickey and one from Trinity's Simon Mitchell, the latter put his side in front when sustained pressure drew an infringement from UCD loosehead Michael Moynagh in the 38th minute.
The Trinity players must have felt good about themselves at the break. They had resisted the temptation to fracture the rules on three occasions when UCD look like crossing their line. Blindside Peter Raftery was exemplary in his tackling.
They kicked off in the second half with the wind and rain pushing them forward. But, pretty soon, it was the UCD forwards who were driving them backwards for Hickey to hit penalties in the 46th, 50th, 57th and 63rd minutes for a 12-3 turnaround. Mitchell's second penalty set up a grandstand finish. In the excitement, UCD's Neil Coughlan was sin-binned and Trinity ran out of time.
SCORERS: Dublin University: S Mitchell 2 pens. UCD: E Hickey 4 pens.
DUBLIN UNIVERSITY: S Mitchell (Harrow, UK); E Gamble (CBC, Cork), D St George (Eton College, UK), B Hastings (Wesley College), A Murphy (Pres Bray); D Crotty (Belvedere College, capt), M McCluggage (Campbell College); C Sheehy (Belvedere College), K Murphy (Blackrock College), S Brophy (Belvedere College), A Maher (St Joseph's, Galway), P Lennon (Oatlands College), P Raftery (Bedford Modern, UK), H Hogan (High School), J Heaslip (Newbridge College). Replacements: M Garvey (Belvedere) for Hogan 33 mins - temp; A Finlay (Sutton Park) for McCluggage 47 mins - temp; J Waasdrop (California Berekeley, USA) for Brophy, S Magee (Clongowes Wood) for Murphy 58 mins; Garvey for Hogan 70 mins.
UCD: D McKenna (CBC Monkstown); A Cahill (Blackrock College), N Kearns (CBC, Monkstown), S Moore (Belvedere College), S McCarron (Gonzaga College); E Hickey (De La Salle, Churchtown), B O'Riordan (Gonzaga College); M Moynagh (Wellington College, NZ), David Blaney (Terenure College, capt), I Lynam (Glenstal College), N Breslin (CBS Mullingar), P Callanan (Clongowes Wood College), D Blaney (Terenure College), L Burke (St Mary's College), D Dillon (Clongowes Wood College). Replacements: C Davis (Blackrock) for Breslin, N Coughlan (Blackrock) for Burke both half-time; R Sparks (Terenure College) for McCarron 75 mins.
Referee: D Keane (Leinster Branch).
