Giving one of their best home displays for many a season, Buccaneers taught the students of University College Cork some harsh lessons in their Energia All-Ireland League Division 1B game at Dubarry Park on Saturday.
The Pirates got stronger as this top of the table clash proceeded, securing another bonus point victory, the impressive 29-0 win keeping Buccs at the top of the leaderboard at the end of the opening third of the league.
Buccs began on the front foot, laying early siege on the student’s line. Buccs seemed certain to score on at least two occasions.
The exchanges remained fairly even for a spell before Buccs enjoyed another period of pressure. Frank Hopkins was held up over the visitors’ line on 22 minutes.
The pressure was rewarded when West opened the scoring with a 26th minute penalty. A minute later the hosts scored their first try of the game and it was a beauty.
Qualter acrobatically caught the restart on the stand side. Smart handling saw the ball reach Josh O’Connor on the opposite flank, the off-load to Shane Layden sent West haring away for a slick converted. Buccs led 10-0.
UCC responded with a fine move but Cian Whooley over hit the final pass. McCormack was sin-binned on the half-hour for a tackle on the ground and the Cork side then sensed an opportunity to get on the scoreboard.
Two penalties were punted to the left corner but UCC could not penetrate the hard-hitting defensive tackling of the Pirates. It was Buccaneers who had the final chance of the half but West’s long-range penalty was off-target.
Second-Half
Back to full complement following the change of ends, Buccs made the perfect start to the second-half.
Wonderful handling by Saul O’Carroll, Layden and Jennings carved open the College rear-guard. This time there was no denying Hopkins who touched down at the uprights. West duly converted and, Buccs were now 17-0 ahead.
10 minutes later groundhog McCormack got over Stewart Lynch to win a penalty 30-metres out. The ever alert openside flanker promptly tapped and took off. Leaving a trail of defenders in his wake to dive over for a smartly taken try at the posts. West’s straight-forward conversion stretched Buccs advantage to 24-0.
Shortly after the hour mark, Shane Delahunt and Sean Masterson launched a counter-attack in midfield.
Masterson sent O’Connor away along the right flank where his pace and desire proved too much for the UCC cover, the winger getting over for an unconverted try at the Bounty corner.
Spirited UCC put some good phases together but it was too little too late as Buccs claimed the 29-0 win.
Buccaneers: S.Jennings, J.O’Connor, S.Layden, S.Mannion, S.O’Carroll, H.West, F.Hopkins, M.Burke, S.Delahunt, M.Staunton (c), R.Byrne, D.Qualter, D.Murray, O.McCormack, Ciaran Booth.
Replacements: S.Masterson for Byrne (45), S.Lombard for Staunton (50), W.Reilly for Hopkins (57), M.Hanley for West (70), O.Burgess for O’Carroll (70), M.Staunton for Burke 70), R.Byrne for Murray (74) and S.O’Connell.
UCC: J.Murphy, S.Condon, L.Bruce (c), D.Squires, J.O’Leary, C.Whooley, A.O’Mahony, R.Duggan, S.Buckley, C.Hanlon, A.Brien, M.Bissessar, P.Hyland, Conor Booth, P.McBarron.
Replacements: L.McAuliffe for Buckley (23 mins), S.Buckley for McAuliffe (34 mins), L.McAuliffe for Buckley (h/t), S.Lynch for Duggan (48), D.O’Halloran for Bissesar (50), B.Kiernan for Murphy (55), Cogan for Hyland (64), A.Walsh for O’Mahony (64), J.Murphy for Bruce (64) and S.Lynch for Hanlon (64).
Referee: Paul Haycock (IRFU).
