Fagan try helps Buccs to down Garryowen

BUCCANEERS U-20s scored a landmark victory when they defeated Garryowen 16-11 in a fairly competitive South-West Conference League match at Dooradoyle, Limerick, on Saturday. This was a key win for the midlanders who now trail table-toppers UCC by just a single point on the League table with just two rounds of fixtures remaining. Garryowen had first use of the breeze following the early kick-off and the Munster side were much the better outfit in the opening half, putting Buccs under serious pressure for much of that period. Ireland U-20 Andrew Burke landed two penalties for Garryowen but steadfast, disciplined defending by Buccaneers meant they coped better as the game progressed and trailed by only 0-6 at half-time. With the cobwebs and rust sorted out by the break, Buccs got their collective act together for the second half. Now playing much better rugby, they took the game to Garryowen and a hat-trick of Adam Kennedy penalties edged them into a 9-6 lead. However, the scrum-half was yellow-carded in the final quarter, yet Buccs stretched further ahead when David Fagan capitalised on a dropped home pass to punt ahead and the Athlone winger raced forward to notch an opportunist try. With Kennedy in the sin-bin, Fagan duly converted his try to stretch his side"s advantage to 16-6. This gave Buccs sufficient leeway to withstand a late home rally that saw a crossfield kick yield a try in the right corner. Kevin Creavin was outstanding for Buccs, turning in a man-of-the-match performance. The Buccs front row,including Ireland U-20 Conor Higgins, did very well against a bigger home unit, while Paul Robinson turned in a fine display at No. 8 and Joe Kenny made an impact when introduced to the pack. This was a terrific all-round effort by Buccs, who learned on their feet to fashion a vital win that meant David Henshaw"s return to Dooradoyle was hugely satisfactory. BUCCANEERS: J.O"Brien; T.Hynes, R.Walsh, C.Draper, D.Fagan; J.Connellan, A.Kennedy; N.Harney (captain), T.Thompson, C.Higgins; K.Headd, R.Byrne; S.O"Neill, K.Creaven, P.Robinson. Replacements used: C.Murtagh (for Connellan), J.Kenny (for O"Neill), D.Egan.