It was a game that had been anticipated for some time. The battle of the top two teams in the JP Flanagan Leinster U20 League with the result having a major bearing on where the league title would go. Corinthians and Dublin University were the teams coming into this battle, and after eighty minutes of sublime rugby from both sides, it was Corinthians who came out on top by just a single point.
The win was significant for Corinthians because it extended the Galway team’s lead at the top of the Division to nine points with just four games remaining against Buccaneers, St Mary’s College, Greystones and UCD.
No Connacht team has ever won this competition. If they do, it will have been built on the hard work of the players, the coaching staff and the support that has come from the club.
It must also be said that any possible celebration will be the furthest thing from the minds of Anthony Leifi and the coaching staff. Played on the 4G surface in Skerries, Corinthians knew they were in a game on Saturday and when going eight points down to a try from Tin Hayden and a penalty from out half Jonathan Lynch after just twelve minutes. It was clear that Corinthians were going to have to improve on any prior performance.
A Penalty from Jack Conway narrowed the gap slightly, but their opponents were determined and they extended their lead again with a try that started in their own 22’ and was finished by Daniel Dillon in the corner.
With 20 minutes gone Corinthians had to raise their game and they did in devastating fashion. First a brilliant try from Eoghan O’Rourke in the corner following a sharp move from right to left, then Harry Sheridan following a tap penalty from Hernando Calleja Besada and finally Emanuel Oifoh who drove over following a line out and maul. Oifoh's try was particularly impressive as the prop carried three Dublin Uni backs with him as he touched down. Another Conway penalty had Corinthians leading 21-13 at the break.
When Killian Brennan went over for Corinthians fourth try eight minutes into the second half after a brilliant scrum from the visitors, their supporters could have been forgiven for thinking that it was game over. That was not the case. Dublin University hit back with two tries of their own in the space of six minutes. The first was from Charlie Naughton who sneaked in from a difficult angle. Then hooker Jonny Hammond dotted down after a driving maul. Incredibly, two conversion attempts were missed following these tries, the first from a very kickable position and while it closed the gap, Corinthians were still leading but in equal measure having to defend stoutly for long periods of the second half.
There was more drama to come, a move that involved nearly the entire team saw Charlie Leonard touch down with Conway’s conversion a thing of beauty. However, there were still seventeen minutes remaining and again Dublin University came back. A tap and go penalty on the Corinthians line was finished by Naughton and then eight minutes later, Larry Kirkham went over following a Naughton pass.
This put Dublin University two points up with just three minutes to go and it would take a moment of kicking brilliance from Conway to decide the game and give Corinthians a hard earned win. The out half showed great poise under pressure to make the kick in the final moments to give Corinthians a win and now a real shot at history.
Head Coach Anthony Leifi was understandably proud of his team’s performance. “We put in a lot of work to prepare for this game. Dublin University have been hot on our tails in second place all season so we knew it was going to be a big battle, and that it was!”
“Our lads, all 22 of them, showed serious composure. They faced challenges during the game but their heads never dropped and we are grateful to come out on top after 80 minutes.”
While the win is important and also keeps Corinthians' unbeaten record going, they know that next weekend is a potentially slippery one as they host Buccaneers in Corinthian Park on Sunday.
The teams have met twice already with Buccaneers winning their Connacht League meeting last October but Corinthians won their meeting in the JP Fanagan League a month later. A win in this game might not be a league clincher but it will go a long way towards it.
Corinthians: O Burke, C Grant, H Sheridan, T Waters, E O’Rourke, J Conway, H Calleja Besada. E Oifoh, C Leonard, A Burke, R Gaughan, B Butler, J Tunney-Ware, L Walsh, P Flannery.
Replacements: B McGuckian, D Kilrane, John Hughes, Matthew Goodwin, Finlay Gough, Killian Brennan, Adam Newell
Dublin University: D Dillon, S Dunne, W Doherty, C Naughton, L Kirkham, J Lynch, P McConkey. G Kopplin, J Hammond, Aran Lowry, Alastair Hill, C Collins, M McMahon, R Matebalavu, T Hayden.
Replacements: P Foley, S O'Dwyer, H Bingham, D Kelly, J Larkin, M Buckley, Ciaran Woodcock.
Referee: R Deacon
