Leinster U19s 25 Worcester 14 – Morgan Lennon’s young men were physically tested to the limit in what was an injury-strewn encounter against Worcester at Templeville Road on Wednesday afternoon.
They had as many as seven injuries to deal with as they went about building a 25-0 lead through graft and skill against a far heavier set of forwards.
Leinster had beaten Worcester 36-7 across the water last week and the English club took this to heart, making six or seven significant selection changes.
It wasn’t too apparent early on as former Ireland schools wing Jordan Larmour, operating in the centre, burst through for two tries, full-back James McGowan converting one and adding two penalties for 18-0 as Worcester’s indiscipline got the worst of them.
Leinster were coasting on the scoreboard, but losing players left, right and centre with captain Paul Boyle the first to drop in the tenth minute.
It wasn’t long before openside Matty Keane and tight-head Jack Aungier followed Boyle to the sideline, while Leinster maintained their patterns of play given the circumstances.
Full-back McGowan showed he wasn’t just here to kick points when supplying the third try and converting to make it 25-0 in the third quarter.
The physical wear and tear did start to have an influence as Worcester came more into it. Eventually, they were able to pull back the deficit with two converted tries.
But, it was too little, too late as coach Lennon tended to his wounded troops with the Interprovincial Series just around the corner next week.
LEINSTER U19s.
15 James McGowan (Blackrock)
14 Gavan Mullen (Blackrock) / Barry Goulding (Gonzaga) for Mullen 40 mins
13 Jordan Larmour (St Andrew’s) / Steven Kilgallon (Blackrock) 53 mins
12 Tim Foley (Cistercian, Roscrea) / Michael McDermott (Clongowes Wood) 51 mins
11 Derry O’Connor (St Mary’s) / Peter Howard (Cill Dara RFC) 51 mins
10 Ciaran Frawley (Skerries RFC)
9 Dave Duggan (St Michael’s) / Rob Jordan (CBC Monkstown 9 ht
1 Rory Mulvihill (St Michael’s) / Eoin Corcoran (Longford RFC) for Mulvihill 40 mins
2 Tadgh McElroy (Dundalk RFC) / Conor Johnson (Newbridge) 40 mins
3 Jack Aungier (Suttonians RFC) / Michael McCormack (St Mary’s) 26 mins
4 Jack Regan (Birr RFC)
5 Oisin Dowling (St Michael’s)
6 Joe Carley (Enniscorthy RFC)
7 Matty Keane (Cistercian, Roscrea) / Roghan McMahon (Blackrock) 25 mins
8 Paul Boyle (Gorey RFC, Capt) / Conor Farrell (Navan RFC) 10 mins
