University of Limerick (UL) 1-23
University College Dublin (UCD) 2-9
BRIAN LOHAN’S UNIVERSITY of Limerick produced a powerful display to crush University College Dublin by eleven points in this afternoon’s Irish Daily Mail Fitzgibbon Cup Group B clash.
Clare’s 1995 and 1997 All-Ireland SHC medallist witnessed a polished display from his side as UL put themselves in pole position for a place in the quarter-finals right from the start.
Lohan’s fellow Banner County native Podge Collins was in impish form for UL against a disappointing UCD outfit.
Collins clipped over three points from play on a day when Tipperary star Jason Forde top scored for the hosts with seven points, including five from frees.
Another Tipp man, Nenagh’s Tommy Heffernan, bagged 1-2 on a day when UL had scoring contributions from ten players.
UCD, in contrast, were reliant on the free-taking of Wexford star Jack Guiney, who notched all but two points of his 1-6 haul from placed balls.
Thankfully the rain stayed away and it was UL who led by 1-11 to 1-4 at half-time, thanks in main to a run of 1-6 without reply after the four-time winners had fallen 0-1 to 0-3 behind early on.
Heffernan netted in the 15th minute but UCD rallied when Galway’s Cathal Keane raised a green flag seven minutes before half-time.
Guiney scored UCD’s second goal from a 20m free six minutes after the break but UL were always in control of this pivotal opening round clash between two of the traditional competition heavyweights.
Scorers for UL: Jason Forde 0-7 (5f), Tommy Heffernan 1-2, Podge Collins & Cathal Malone 0-3 each, Brian Stapleton & Johnny Glynn 0-2 each, Thomas Ryan, Conor Ryan, Padraic Walsh & Tommy O’Brien 0-1 each.
Scorers for UCD: Jack Guiney 1-6 (1-4f), Cathal Keane 1-1, Paddy Murphy 0-2.
UL: Shane Hassett (Tipperary); Paul Flanagan (Clare), Jack Sheehan (Cork), Jack Browne (Clare); Thomas Ryan (Limerick), Dan Morrissey (Limerick), Conor Ryan (Clare); Bill Maher (Tipperary), Padraic Walsh (Kilkenny); Cathal Malone (Clare), Podge Collins (Clare), Brian Stapleton (Tipperary); Jason Forde (Tipperary), Johnny Glynn (Galway), Tommy Heffernan (Tipperary).Subs: Seadna Morey (Clare) for Sheehan (38), Tommy O’Brien (Limerick) for Heffernan (49), Mikey O’Neill (Clare) for Stapleton (50), Martin Boran (Kilkenny) for Maher (55), Daire Quinn (Tipperary) for Flanagan (58).
UCD: Billy Leydon (Kilkenny); Bill O’Carroll (Dublin), William Phelan (Kilkenny), James Gannon (Kilkenny); Barry Coughlan (Waterford), Matthew O’Hanlon (Wexford), William Egan (Cork); Conor O’Shea (Galway), Cillian Buckley (Kilkenny); Paddy Murphy (Tipperary), Domhnal Fox (Galway), Garrett Sinnott (Wexford); Cathal Keane (Galway), Jack Guiney (Wexford), Walter Walsh (Kilkenny).Subs: Conor O’Shea (Kilkenny) for Conor O’Shea (Galway, h/t), David Higgins (Westmeath) for Fox (45), Jack McDowell (Kilkenny) for O’Carroll (45), Sean Murphy (Wexford) for Coughlan (49), Michael Brennan (Kilkenny) for Keane (58).
Referee: Fergal Horgan (Tipperary).
Cooney was a bit part player when he joined Ulster now look at him.
@Drew Walsh: He’s won more European Cups than Best
@JoeO: Allan Clarke won the HCup playing hooker at Ulster, doesn’t make him a better hooker in Ulsters history. Rugby is a team sport so trophies cannot be used to measure individual players.
@Drew Walsh: He was the backup 9 behind Marmion for the Pro 12 champions when he signed, hardly bit part.
I genuinely think eric o suillivan can start ahead of him if eric really pushes himself
@Eoin Murphy: his scrummaging will need to come on to do that. Leinster got 3 points of the back of a scrum pen on his side. They also got out of the corner when Stockdale dropped the ball with a scrum pen on his side. Not knocking the kid he can do it, but he has work ons
@RabidHorizon: to be fair he was up against argubly the best TH in the world but you have a good point
Sad to see him go, quality player when fit but he just wasnt moving healy. His form has dipped since the lions tour and was behind Ed byrne in the pecking order in recent weeks.
But there’s some serious prospects at Leinster coming through that can develop their game like Thomas clarkson & Michael Milne. It’ll be between Byrne, Dooley & Bent fighting it out for a bench spot behind healy. Imo Byrnes better than Dooley. Bent will probably retire or move on next season
@Harry O’Callaghan: Can’t see Bent going anywhere yet. He’ll be too important next season with Furlong and Porter gone for long periods. And Porter hasn’t shown himself up to being a solid starter at TH if Furlong was to go down with an injury they’d struggle.
@Eddie Hekenui: Porter is more than capable of holding his own. He’s still relatively new to tighthead, but even already at such a young age he’s leapfrogged John Ryan to be Irelands 2nd choice tighthead. They also have Vakh Abaladze & Jack Aungier coming through, so hopefully they’ll get more game time this year
@Harry O’Callaghan: Porter is a fine option off the bench and had a great performance against Wales last year in the Six Nations but the amount of starts he’s got for Leinster in the last 2 seasons would point to them not being quite sure he’s ready to start big games just yet. And while Abdaladze and Aungier are very talented players Leinster aren’t going to start the season with just the two of them available while Furlong and Porter are at the WC.
And it’s debatable if Porter has leapfrogged Ryan as Ireland’s 2nd choice TH. They’ve split appearances this season so it’d seem that they’re pretty neck and neck.
@Harry O’Callaghan: Porter is a fine option off the bench and had a great performance against Wales last year in the Six Nations but the amount of starts he’s got for Leinster in the last 2 seasons would point to them not being quite sure he’s ready to start big games just yet. And while Abdaladze and Aungier are very talented players Leinster aren’t going to start the season with just the two of them available while Furlong and Porter are at the WC.
And it’s debatable if Porter has leapfrogged Ryan as Ireland’s 2nd choice TH. They’ve split appearances this season so it’d seem that they’re pretty neck and neck.
@Eddie Hekenui: He’s hardly going to be starting while Furlongs fit though? But whenever he has started, he’s been brilliant. He’s so new to tighthead, but even already look where he is at. He’s just naturally talented. And o my going to get better, will Ryan get better…I doubt it. He’ll be 31 in August. Abaladze has already gotten some game time for the senior team this year which is a huge plus.
@Harry O’Callaghan: And what of the 6 games this season that he’s been on the bench while Bent started to go with 5 last season. Porter’s starts this season have come against the Dragon’s x2, Zebre and Ulster which aren’t exactly the most dangerous of scrums. I don’t doubt his natural talent or how good he could be but we’re talking about the here and now. If the Heineken Cup final is tomorrow and Furlong is injured who do you think starts at TH? For me it’s Bent.
And anyway my original point was Bent will be at Leinster next season which he undoubtedly will unless you think they’re going to start the season with two TH’s with a combined 90 minutes of professional rugby under their belts. Do you think they’ll do that?
@Harry O’Callaghan: And what of the 6 games this season that he’s been on the bench while Bent started to go with 5 last season. Porter’s starts this season have come against the Dragon’s x2, Zebre and Ulster which aren’t exactly the most dangerous of scrums. I don’t doubt his natural talent or how good he could be but we’re talking about the here and now. If the Heineken Cup final is tomorrow and Furlong is injured who do you think starts at TH? For me it’s Bent.
And anyway my original point was Bent will be at Leinster next season which he undoubtedly will unless you think they’re going to start the season with two TH’s with a combined 90 minutes of professional rugby under their belts. Do you think they’ll do that?
@Eddie Hekenui: Why isn’t Bent in the national side then if you rate him more highly than Porter? He probably will be there next season, considering the lack of game time the other two have.
@Harry O’Callaghan: Well for one thing try as I might my opinion doesn’t count for anything when it comes to the national squad selection. And even then I wouldn’t have him in the squad ahead of Porter who’s a fantastic option off the bench. But if there was a important match to start I’d go for Ryan who, while not being a better player than Porter, is a far superior scrummager at the moment.
@Eddie Hekenui: Is that why he was picked for only 2 games, and Porter was picked for 3 games. Arguably Ireland’s toughest tests…England, Wales & Scotland?
@Harry O’Callaghan: Again Porter is a fantastic TH to have of the bench because of how dynamic he is but there is a difference between being the bench TH and 2nd choice TH. World Cup tomorrow who starts for Ireland if Furlong is injured? I reckon it’s Ryan. When Furlong was rested in Australia who got the start? Ryan
@Eddie Hekenui:
Disagree with that it will be Porter who will be number 2 under TF :: Ryan works hard but will always be a bench player where Porter will take over from TF when needed…………….
The vibes are good for the future.
No more sand kicked in the faces of our front row.
Four quality props
@Mark Smith: He is a great player and a superb addition to Ulster. I love the way Best referred to Jack McGrath as a “British Lion” above :)
@grandslamkbo: Best should know better and I’m sure McGrath wouldn’t be too pleased to be called a British lion.
Charles Piutau was no bit player but he just didn’t fit, seems to be more about finding someone who fits.
@Peter Brophy: he means the ones that had to be cleared out recently like Ah You, Herron, Herbst and Shalk VdM. Piutau actually did very well at Ulster and carried the backline at times.
@Kingshu: Ah You was terrible
I think that (esp when Grant joins next year) as a whole the Ulster Coaching ticket will be the strongest out of all the provinces. The others have good coaches as well but there are some weaker coaches as where, there isnt a weak link in the Ulster coaching ticket. Over all as a coaching team Ulsters would be strongest. Which is a fantastic starting point for building a team. Year one has been better than we could have hoped, already excited about year two.
Ulster seem to have all their ducks in a row no messing around with Coaches coming in mid season nice depth in the pack .
@rugbyanbeer: the change of CEO i believe has influenced that. We’re not making big statements about where we’ll be in 5 years time whilst, at the same time, flying by the seat of our pants. We’re keeping a lid on things whilst planning / recruiting well ahead of time.
@Andrew Adams: Its very positive onwards and upwards .Methinks the feel good factor had Rory putting off his retirement the old war horse wants an Ulster trophy
It’s becoming clear that gym fitness is not enough for a prop and while a big roster needed to cover injuries the big roster doesn’t help with on field time. One for the exercise physiologists.