Corinthians 40 St Mary’s 21
GALWAY Corinthians RFC are now top of the JP Fanagan Leinster U20 League following their nineteen point win over St Mary’s at Corinthian Park on Sunday afternoon.
The significance of this win will not be lost on the club or its supporters as it now puts them four points clear at the top of the table following crucial results against St Mary’s, Buccaneers and DLSP in their last three games.
However, with Greystones to come away from home on Sunday next, Anthony Leifi, Morgan Conneely and the rest of the coaching staff will be all too aware that the coming weekend’s opponents are also gunning for that top spot making next Sunday’s game one of the most important of the season so far.
The opening half was a tight one. St Mary’s hit first with a try that was converted but Corinthians were unphased and a line out was driven forward with Charlie Leonard getting the try. Again, the boot of Jack Conway was true and it levelled matters before Mary’s again went over for their second try of the afternoon.
Again, Corinthians bounced back and with the pack in great form, their second try would come from a brilliant push that happened on their opponent’s scrum. Luke Walsh picked up the ball and ran through for the try with Conway converting again.
It was now turning into a real battle and it was here that the home side took control. A line out was collected and driven on with Leonard again taking possession. St Mary’s were not watching and there was a bizarre moment of four Corinthians players driving towards the line with no opposition facing them. Leonard going over for his second of the day.
The bonus point would be secured before Half Time. Caden Grant touched down following a scrum that went through the hands of Joey Tierney who sent a flying pass to Orin Burke who in turn drew the tackle before feeding Grant for the try. The pack again doing an excellent job with Emmanuel Oifoh putting in a man of the match performance at loose head alongside Leonard and tight head Alex Burke. Jack Conway’s conversion from the touchline was one of the best of the entire day.
With the lead now secure and St Mary’s beginning to wilt, Corinthians pushed on in the second half. Orin Burke had put in an excellent shift at full back and he would get on the scoresheet with a try that started from a scrum. Patrick Flannery found Tierney who sent a skip pass to Tom Waters who showed quick hands to find Jack Conway who provided the assist for Burke to dot down under the posts. Pure poetry at this stage from the Corinthians team and the game, and result, were now almost a formality.
St Mary’s, to their credit, never gave up the game and they would get in for what would be their final try of the day but Corinthians were not finished and would get one more try that was more to the patience of the team than anything else. A scrum was fed out to the right with Tom Waters stopped just short and with James Duffy and Johnny Hughes involved and the hands of Shay Philips, it was Brendan McGuckian who would go over for the try and complete a good afternoon for the Corinthians U20’s.
Corinthians: O Burke, F MacCearra, C Grant, T Waters, E O’Rourke, J Conway, J Tierney. E Oifoh, C Leonard, A Burke (Capt ), R Gaughan, D Kilcommins, D Fitzpatrick, L Walsh, P Flannery,
Replacements: B McGuckian, J Duffy, J Hughes, S Philips, A Madden, K Brennan, R King.
