Schools Rugby/St Michael's 16, Clongowes Wood 14: Success or failure was distilled into the decision of two officials yesterday. Match referee Alan Lewis and St Michael's College touch judge Mark Byrne - the competing schools nominate one person each to run the lines - proved to be the ultimate arbiters on the outcome of a nerve-shredding Leinster Schools Senior Cup first round clash at Donnybrook.
Four minutes into injury-time at the end of the game - and with Clongowes leading 14-11 - St Michael's right wing Patrick Brophy cut a swathe though the Kildare school's cover, racing into their 22.
The ball was worked to full back Michael Twomey, but his pass to the unopposed Frank Kearney forced the wing to check slightly to claim possession.
It offered a chink of light to the Clongowes cover with full back David Kearney in the van and he did marvellously well to collar his namesake at the corner flag, but not before the St Michael's wing had the presence of mind to roll the ball infield, via a Clongowes player's hand.
The loose ball sat tantalisingly one yard short of the line for an instant before being scooped up and dotted down by the supporting Twomey.
Lewis looked at Byrne, soliciting his advice on whether the ball had rolled forward. There was an agonising wait before a decision was reached and the try awarded.
It was a legitimate score and the officials deserve credit for getting it right, but there is no way that they should have been left with their "backsides in the bacon-slicer" to distort a phrase borrowed from former Ireland soccer manager Mick McCarthy.
It is high time that the Leinster Branch cast aside the antiquated system of inviting representatives of the competing schools to run the lines at Senior Cup matches.
It is not a question of casting any aspersions on the integrity of those involved, but merely a recognition that the pace and intensity of these games need a triumvirate of experienced, neutral officials - preferably linked by modern technology.
For not only did the try-scoring conundrum court controversy, but there was another incident in the match that required intervention from a touch judge.
St Michael's second row Ronan O'Connor appeared to step on the head/face of Clongowes scrumhalf Jamie Nagle. The ball was nowhere in the vicinity.
Lewis had followed the ball and could not have seen the incident but it happened right in front of the touch judge.
O'Connor was penalised for initially jumping over the ruck and landing on Nagle - the referee saw that part.
It's a pity that these two incidents detracted from a pulsating contest that, while not overly imbued with quality rugby, was compelling nevertheless.
There were several outstanding performances, notably Clongowes centre Fergus McFadden, number eight Brian Coyle and St Michael's flankers Tyrone McKillen and Rajan Reilly in two very committed teams.
Clongowes played the better rugby on the day, looking to keep the ball in hand and trying to create space for McFadden out wide. St Michael's, in contrast, pursued the more earthy approach of the pack and powerful centre Peter Burke.
They led 8-0 at the interval through a try from O'Connor, who did very well to force his way over from five yards, and a penalty by outhalf Andrew Cummiskey.
Clongowes responded 48 seconds after the re-start when half-time replacement Killian Stafford showed great pace and balance on an in-to-out arc to cross unopposed from a set-piece gambit.
McFadden converted, only for Cummiskey to nudge St Michael's into an 11-7 lead with a second penalty.
With the game entering injury-time and Clongowes desperately pressing, St Michael's scrumhalf David Rowan had a kick charged down by Peter Cusack, who regathered to score a try close to the posts.
McFadden's conversion looked like the death knell for St Michael's hopes, but they kept their composure, initially kicking a penalty to touch before crafting the game's defining moment, the final throes of the contest compensating adequately for most that had gone before.
There are even tougher days ahead.
SCORING SEQUENCE - 8 mins: R O'Connor try, 5-0; 30: Cummiskey penalty, 8-0. Half-time: 8-0. 36: Stafford try, McFadden conversion, 8-7; 57: Cummiskey penalty, 11-7; 70: Cusack try, McFadden conversion, 11-14; 74: Twomey try, 16-14.
ST MICHAEL'S COLLEGE: M Twomey; P Brophy, P Burke, C Cleary, F Kearney; A Cummiskey, D Ronan; D Mahony, R O'Hanrahan, R Burke Flynn; E Sherlock, R O' Connor; T McKillen, K Sheahan (capt), R Reilly.
CLONGOWES WOOD COLLEGE: D Kearney; R McElwee, F McFadden, P Cusack, K O'Brien; R Lawlor, J Nagle; P Campion, B Collins, B Barclay; J Dunne, R Walsh, M Kavanagh, B Coyle (capt), M Jacobs. Replacements: K Stafford for McElwee (half-time), J Rooney for Kavanagh (50 mins), C Spelman for Barclay (54 mins), R Kavanagh for Jacobs (69 mins).
Referee: Alan Lewis (IRFU).
