St Mary's College 22 Kilkenny College 17There was tremendous entertainment for the big crowd at the Oak Park Grounds in Carlow yesterday as St Mary's edged out Kilkenny College in the first round.
This was a six-try thriller, three to each side, with the accurate kicking of St Mary's outhalf Cian Morris proving critical at the end of the day.
St Mary's led 10-5 at half-time, though Kilkenny had taken a ninth-minute lead when Neville Copeland scored the first of his two tries.
A Morris penalty, supplemented by a try from St Mary's hooker Stephen Culligan, converted by Morris, gave St Mary's the lead.
They swopped tries early in the second half, and the further exchange of tries between St Mary's flanker Paul Gannon and Kilkenny's Copeland kept the excitement up to the final whistle.
Scorers: St Mary's: R Crotty, S Culligan, P Gannon try each, C Morris 1 pen, 2 cons. Kilkenny: N Copeland 2 tries, B Horan try, G Rynhart 1 con.
ST MARY'S: S Walsh; N Sheedy, R Crotty, P Early, C Breen; C Morris, D Byrne; M McKay, S Culligan, R Chaffrey, B Shortt, D O'Mahon, P Gannon, N Croke, S Timmons.
KILKENNY: A Foley; P Ó Murchú, B Braithwaite, N Copeland, I Horan; G Rynhart, S Hemingway; K Dagg, M Ruddock, D Laurence, K Caldbeck, S Talbot, F Rath, M Dalton, T Dukelow. Replacements: B Horan for Rath; J Beattie for Dagg.
Referee: N Carter (Leinster)
