INTERPROVINCIAL FRIENDLY Leinster A 7 Munster A 19:SCOTT DEASY made the difference as Munster A beat their Leinster counterparts in a keenly-contested interprovincial friendly match at Donnybrook yesterday.
A game that promised much early on petered out after Deasy’s decisive third try for the visitors early in the second half.
Leinster coach Joe Schmidt was particularly keen to study Ben Prescott and Mariano Galarza on their first starts for the home side and monitor Trevor Hogan’s form on his return from a knee injury.
Rhys Ruddock also returned to action after being rested since the international summer tour Down Under. Dave Kearney played after coming on midway through the second half against Cardiff the night before while Michael Keating was promoted to the starting XV in place of Ian Madigan.
Munster gave James Coughlan an outing after his recent absence following concussion while Denis Hurley made his first start of the season.
Ian McKinley had the game’s first attempt on goal in the 11th minute but he knocked his penalty attempt wide on the far side.
Munster opened the scoring with a fine try in the 18th minute. Deasy slipped Ivan Dineen through and his penetrating run created the space for him to feed Sean Scanlon for a simple touchdown. Deasy undid his good work somewhat by missing the routine conversion.
Munster outhalf Deasy showed his quality once more in the 24th minute when he fed Troy Smith who wriggled through to ground the ball beside the posts. Deasy converted this time.
Leinster responded with an impressive move off a five-metre scrum to bag their opening try in the 33rd minute. Scrumhalf Paul O’Donohoe slipped the ball to replacement Noel Reid, he supplied Brendan Macken and his quick hands sent Michael Keating through to score under the posts. Reid tapped over the conversion.
Dineen should have extended Munster’s lead in the 35th minute but he knocked on with the end-line in sight. Munster were handed their third try when Deasy made an interception inside his own half and ran 60 yards to score. He converted the try with ease to restore the 12-point gap.
LEINSTER A:Kearney; Conway, Macken, Sheridan, Keating; McKinley, O'Donohoe; McGrath, Harris-Wright, Prescott, Galarza, Hogan, Keogh, Ryan, Marshall. Replacements: Reid for McKinley (23 mins), Ruddock for Keogh (h-t), Hudson for Keating (51), Cooney for Sheridan (54), Sheriff for Galarza, McCormack for Prescott, Maguire for McGrath (all 55), Sexton for Marshall (64).
MUNSTER A:Scanlon; Denis Hurley, Dineen, Smith, Zebo; Deasy, Williams; Darragh Hurley, Henry, Archer, Foley, Nagle, Holland, O'Donnell, Coughlan. Replacements: Butler for O'Donnell (h-t), Murray for Williams (57), Kilcoyne for Darragh Hurley, Cotter for Archer (both 66), O'Callaghan for Holland (71), Burke for Henry, O'Mahoney for Zebo (both 74)
Referee: A Lewis(Munster).
