Defeat sees Corinthians slip to seventh in table

Corinthians lost 31-13 to a rampant Trinity College side on Saturday afternoon in Dublin.

The College Park boys got off to a great start as their heavier pack dominated the proceedings, but the visitors held out until the 15th minute when the home side drove forward, allowing their number eight Nick McCarty to pick and release to his lively scrumhalf Angus Lloyd. Lloyd then linked up with right winger Brian Mullin who scrambled in on the corner flag for an unconverted try.

The home side had a chance to stretch their lead midway through the half as their lively back line side stepped the Corinthian cover, but veteran lock Gary Warde and flanker Marc Kelly held the students fullback Conor Kearns up to clear the danger.

The Galway outfit eventually got in to the contest as full-back Conor Murphy hit some fine line touches. and when Trinity were pulled by IRFU referee Oisin Quinn for being over exuberant in the maul, out-half Craig Ronaldson slotted the penalty to cut the gap.

However the home side stretched their lead in the 36th as they worked their way into the Corinthians’ 22 and they stole a Corinthians line-out which saw Raef Tyrrell get over the try-line for another unconverted try.

Corinthians cut the deficit with another penalty in the final minute of the half. Prop Mark Byrne drove forward, and Roy Stanley and Ultan Dillane worked through the phases before the home side were penalised for collapsing the maul, and Ronaldson kicked the penalty to leave the score 10-6 at the break.

The visitors had the best possible start to the second half when they soaked up some early pressure and held their line well to allow outside centre Dwayne Corcoran steal possession. He fed Stanley who in turn found Murphy, and he raced in for the score, which Ronaldson converted for a 13-10 lead.

However, that was good as it got for the visitors as Trinity scored 21 unanswered points in the remainder of the game to claim the win.

The home side levelled matters shortly after Murphy’s try when out-half Jack McDermott finally found his range with the boot from a penalty after Corinthians were penalised in the scrum; and the home side edged in front midway through the half when McDermott landed two quick penalties in succession for a 19-13 lead.

When the home side were awarded another penalty for an offside infringement with 10 minutes remaining, they opted to kick for the corner, and after winning the ensuing line-out, Lloyd worked his way in for his side’s third try, but McDermott was again off target with the conversion.

That left the home side 24-19 in front and needing one more try for the bonus point, and it duly arrived immediately from the restart.

The home side won possession from the kick-off and mauled their way into the visitors’ 22, from where substitute scrum-half Andy Keating gathered and skated in for their fourth try, and McDermott added the conversion with the last kick of the game.