*St Mary’s U20s 38 UCD U20s 38*

St Mary’s produced one of the great comebacks of the season at Templeville Road, clawing back a 21-point deficit to snatch a 38-38 draw against UCD with the last play of the game.

Before a ball was kicked, there was already plenty to celebrate. Andy Stronge returned to the side after 13 long months out with an ACL injury. It is a testament to his patience and dedication through a gruelling rehab, and it was fantastic to see him back in a Mary’s jersey.

The afternoon began with a setback when Dave Kenny was forced off after just eight minutes. His replacement, Paddy Tuite, slotted straight into the action and never stopped working. His relentless carrying and tackling set the tone for the rest of the afternoon.

Mary’s opened their account through a try from Ciarán Scott, converted by Harry Cooke, and Cooke added a penalty on 23 minutes to keep his side in touch. But UCD were clinical, and as the second half wore on Mary’s found themselves 21 points adrift with the game seemingly out of reach.

What followed was a superb collective response. Forwards and backs alike lifted their intensity, and the pressure began to tell. On 21 minutes, Jonathan Fardy crashed over, with Jack O’Donohoe, on for Cooke to make his Premier debut, converting from the touchline. Ten minutes later Matthew Smyth finished off more good work to score, and O’Donohoe again found the posts from out wide. On 38 minutes, Evan Caddow scored a third try, and O’Donohoe added another conversion from the corner. Every score came from the whole team working for each other, winning the collisions and keeping the ball alive.

That still left Mary’s needing a converted try with the clock in the red. What came next will be talked about for years. Max Colbert gathered possession and produced a stunning individual effort, beating defender after defender to finish under the posts. It was one of the finest individual tries ever seen at Templeville Road. O’Donohoe slotted the conversion from in front to level the scores and send the home crowd into raptures.

More than any single score, this game was defined by the never-give-up attitude of the U20 Premier squad. Twenty-one points down against a strong UCD side, plenty of teams would have let heads drop and played out the clock. This group did the opposite. Led by captain Sean Thornton, they kept their shape, kept backing each other and kept believing right up to the final whistle. This was a comeback built by all 23 players, and that spirit is something the whole club can be proud of.

While a draw can feel like a missed opportunity, this result says everything about the character of this squad. Three players shared the Man of the Match honours. Paddy Tuite put in a huge shift off the bench from the eighth minute onwards. Max Colbert produced the moment of the season with his match-saving try. Jack O’Donohoe showed real composure on his Premier debut with four conversions, three of them from the touchline. But on a day when St Mary’s refused to be beaten, every player in the squad played their part.

*Men of the Match:* Paddy Tuite, Max Colbert, Jack O’Donohoe

*St Mary’s scorers:* Tries: C. Scott, J. Fardy, M. Smyth, E. Caddow, M. Colbert. Cons: J. O’Donohoe (4), H. Cooke. Pen: H. Cooke.