UCC Too Strong for Spirited DCU in Cork
UCC 55 – 33 DCU | Brendan Johnston Cup, Student Sport Ireland Mens Tier 1 | CBC Cork, Friday 20 February 2026
DCU made the three-and-a-half-hour journey south to CBC Cork's impressive facilities — set against spectacular views over Cork City — for this Brendan Johnston Cup clash, but found a powerful UCC J1 side in ruthless form as the hosts ran out 55–33 winners in an entertaining contest under the lights.
From the outset, UCC's physicality at the breakdown was evident, winning a succession of early penalties that led to a 3–0 lead. DCU's response was immediate and emphatic. A dominant scrum turned over possession, and Justin Lowe needed no second invitation, collecting the ball thirty metres out and backing his pace and footwork to carve through for a fabulous solo try. Darragh Farrell added the extras to put DCU 7–3 ahead — a scoreline that reflected the visitors' early ambition. The lead, however, was short-lived. UCC struck twice in quick succession, pouncing on turnover ball and then intercepting a pass to race clear, surging ahead 15–7. DCU enjoyed a sustained spell of territory and threw everything at the UCC line, but a lack of accuracy at key moments prevented those attacks from translating into points. Two further UCC tries — again from an interception and another turnover — stretched the gap to 29–7 by the half-hour mark, exposing DCU's vulnerability when possession was lost in dangerous areas. DCU would not go quietly into the break, though. A thunderous carry from Liam Granville, who powered through a wall of defenders, took him over the whitewash to pull the score back to 29–12 at half-time and give the visitors something to build on.
UCC began the second half as they meant to continue, reclaiming their own restart and converting the resulting pressure into a try. Another followed shortly after, and at that stage the contest appeared to be slipping beyond DCU's reach. Yet what followed was a hugely encouraging passage of play from the visitors. DCU strung together a series of massive defensive sets, repelling wave after wave of UCC attacks, before launching a sustained rally of their own. Michael Cremin finished smartly after a slick chain of offloads, before Charlie Coghlin barged over following a bruising sequence of close-range carries that eventually broke UCC's resistance. Lowe then added another outstanding individual try — his second of the evening — underlining his quality as one of DCU's standout performers on the night. The final scoreline of 55–33 reflected UCC's clinical edge and their ability to punish errors, but DCU's spirit, defensive resilience, and willingness to play with ambition — particularly in that second-half fightback — offered plenty for the coaching staff to build on as the season progresses.
UCC Scorers: Tries: 8; conversions; 6; Penalty; 1
DCU: Tries: Justin Lowe (2), Liam Granville, Michael Cremin, Charlie Coghlan Conversions: Darragh Farrell (3), Justin Lowe (1)
