Leinster Schools hang on to win
Leinster Schools withstood an eager attack towards the end of their match with a WP Invitation XV to win 16-12 at Newlands on Saturday afternoon.
This was the second match of their South African tour after beating Wynberg Boys’ High 18-6 on Wednesday.
The Leinster side scored the only tries of a match that lacked continuity.
Leinster were great on defence though, though some of their tackling bordered on the infamous spear. They were excellent at the maul and could well have scored two more tries.
The pick-up team that faced them unsurprisingly lacked cohesion but was better at handling than their bigger opponents who had the majority of possession.
Martin du Toit opened the scoring for the local team with a penalty but soon afterwards Leinster had a long maul which gave them a penalty, a five-metre line-out and another maul. Hooker Tom Sexton is the one who fell to ground for the try. 5-3 to Leinster Schools.
Du Toit restored the lead with his second penalty and then Leinster were desperately close when fullback Noel Reid lost the ball at the cornerpost but from a tapped penalty after the ensuing scrum lock Shane Grannell stretched over for the try. That made the score 10-6 at half-time.
Du Toit kicked a penalty and Reid kicked a penalty and then the WP side lost a golden chance to score after a long, weaving run by flank Greg Mallett but a knock-on with a open line put an end to that.
Du Toit’s fourth penalty made the score 13-12 and Gary Foley went off to the sin-bin. Leinster were actually over the line but MichaeAl Keating was tackled into touch-in-goal.
A penalty by Reid put his side out of penalty range and then Leinster withstood a sustained attack to record the second win of their tour.
And at the end of the match the Leinster boys huddled and with great enthusiasm sang about sweet Molly Malone, surely a first in the 116 years of Newlands.
Scorers
For Leinster
Tries: Sexton, Grannell
Pens: Reid 2
For WP Invitation XV
Pens: Du Toit 4
Teams
Leinster Schools: 15 Noel Reid, 14 Michael Keating, 13 Gary Foley, 12 David McSharry, 11 Ray Crotty, 10 David Joyce, 9 John Cooney, 8 Michael Noone, 7 Richard Bent, 6 Eoin Cremin, 5 Shane Grannell, 4 Michel Cawley, 3 Jack McGrath, 2 Tom Sexton, 1 Nermion Lovic.
Replacements: 16 Jack O’Connell, 17 Risteard Byrne, 18 Martin Moore, 19 Dominic Ryan, 20 Michael McLoughlin, 21 Darren Hudson, 22 Ross Williamson
Western Province Invitation XV: 15 Johandre Lazenby (Durbanville), 14 Shaffiq Nordien (Rondebosch), 13 Justin Mackay (Excelsior), 12 Elrico Blaauw (Bellville), 11 Julian Karolus (Tygerberg RFC), 10 Martin du Toit (Hottentos Holland), 9 G Strydom (Strand), 8 K Strydom (Paarl Boys’ High), 7 Greg Mallett (Bishops), 6 D Uys (Parel Vallei), 5 V Kruger (Strand), 4 Yassir Hartzenberg (Paarl Boys’ High), 3 Keiran James (Stellenberg), 2 Sidney Tobias (Paul Roos), 1 Frankie Beukes (Paarl Gymnasium)
Replacements: 16 Shameegh Allen (Fairmont), 17 Morne Schreuder (Wynberg), 18 Pallo Manuel (Somerset College), 19 Morne Lincoln (Bellville), 20 G Engelbrecht (HTS Bellville), 21 D Olyn (Zwaanswyk), 22 Gilles Allies (De Kuilen)
Referee: Quinton Immelman
