Outplayed in the first half an hour, Buccaneers resurrected themselves in the second half to notch a decisive victory over Young Munster at Ericsson Park yesterday.
The decision to play this AIB League game yesterday ensured the availability of provincial substitutes for both sides, and both Paul O'Connell and Martin Cahill played a crucial role for their respective clubs.
O'Connell was central to Young Munster's surfeit of clean lineout ball, while Cahill was in the thick of crucial turnovers for Buccaneers. But it was the home side's youngsters, in particular Colm Glynn, Ted Robinson, and Justin Meagher who turned this game in favour of the Buccaneers.
Young Munster had led 13-0 by the 19th minute courtesy of an opening drop goal by scrumhalf Michael Prendergast; a 30-metre dash by Leo Doyle for the game's opening try; and a conversion and penalty from Michael Lynch. It could have been more had Lynch converted two further penalty chances before the Buccaneers finally got off the mark with two penalties before the break from ouhalf Colm Glynn.
Few would have predicted the Lazarus-like performance of Buccaneers in the second half. It came courtesy of a typical charging Cahill break, supported by runner Adrian Hanley, and when the ball swung wide Ted Robinson carved the opening up the left wing to send Meagher in for what was the game's turning point.
Thereafter there was only one team in the game as Buccaneers repelled every Young Munster attack, which was not helped by some errant kicking. Glynn added a 51st-minute penalty to give Buccaneers the lead for the first time, and when right-wing Mike Devine kicked and caught with only the full back to beat, flanker Eoin Brennan finished off with try number two.
Despite the Buccaneers losing lock Niall Smullen with a yellow card, Munsters could make no impression. Robinson finished off a man-of-the-match performance with a 79th-minute try to give a deserved victory to the more committed home team.
Scoring sequence: 7 min: Prendergast drop goal, 0 - 3; 19 min: L Doyle try, M Lynch, con, 0 - 10; 19 min: Lynch pen 0-13; 34 min: Glynn pen, 3-13; 40 min: Glynn pen, 6-13; half-time: 6-13. 48 min: Meagher try, Glynn con, 13-13; 55 min: Glynn drop goal, 16-13; 58 min: Brennan try, Glynn con 23-13; 76 min: Glynn drop goal; 79 min: Robinson try.
BUCCANEERS: J Meagher; M Devine, C Keane, W Wallace, T Robinson; C Glynn, C O'Loughlin; M Cahill, J McVeigh, R McCormack, G Schoeman, N Smullen, I Dillon, E Brennan, A Hanley.
YOUNG MUNSTER: J Hayes; F Hogan, C Casey, L Doyle, C Doyle; M Lynch, M Prendergast; D Clohessy, K Cantrell, P O'Hanlon, D Peters, P O'Connell, D McNamara, K Gallagher, H O'Neill. Replacements: P Lynch for O'Neill (40 min), T Cronin for Casey (50 min), D Reddan for Prendergast (78 min).
Yellow cards: William Wallace 29 min, N Smullen 60 min.
Referee: Bertie Smith
