LEINSTER SCHOOLS' JUNIOR CUP FINAL Terenure College 31 St Michael's College 9:THERE HAVE been few, if any, Terenure College junior sides to compare with this astonishingly mature, composed and controlled winners of the Leinster Schools' Junior Cup final at Donnybrook yesterday.
St Michael’s were determined to reduce the residual pain from the Senior Cup defeat to Clongowes Wood and Terenure were out to achieve back-to-back titles, their 10th in total, in what was an eagerly anticipated final.
The Aylesbury Road school got what they didn’t in the senior final – a good start.
The softening up process started from the kick-off, their forwards carrying hard into the heart of the Terenure defence to force a penalty from where outhalf Ross Byrne split the posts in the third minute.
However, sometimes a good start is not half the battle. It prompted a period of incessant pressure from the holders, mixing their game well between the direct power of centre Hilary Nwankwo, the wider span of their three-quarters and the boom, boom, boom short yards of number eight Harrison Brewer, prop Silvio Borza and, finally scrumhalf Gary Clarkin for the opening try, converted by centre Stephen O’Neill.
From there, the stranglehold was slowly applied as Clarkin took advantage of a slick throw to the front of a lineout to bustle past wing Dan Green and his opposite number Nick McCarthy.
O’Neill stroked the conversion from the touchline to make it 14-3 midway into the half.
The close-in power of Clarkin gave him yards he had no right to and from another bust, Terenure were awarded a penalty.
Captain Rob Somerville passed up the three points for a simply disguised tap move ending with Brewer knifing through a buttery defence. O’Neill squeezed the conversion inside the right upright for a 21-3 gap in the 25th minute.
It was then St Michael’s decided to make a double substitution, soon to be followed by a third, as Josh Murphy, Gareth Morgan and Luke Martin were pressed into what could only be described as emergency service.
Still, they began the second half as they had the first making ground up the right to trigger a penalty which Byrne blasted between the sticks.
Typically, St Michael’s refused to budge on their principles of rugby.
They spun it wide and accelerated forward through their full-back Cian Kelleher without ever incapacitating the champions’ scramble defence.
They did make enough inroads for Byrne to strike his third penalty. Then, left-wing Adam Leavy mugged the hard-charging Nwankwo when a try looked likely in the 50th minute.
Immediately, Brewer interceded with a break that provided the time and space for left-wing Neil O’Connor to wheel around the outside of the St Michael’s cover for the fourth try.
Perhaps, it was appropriate that the player of the competition, Brewer, should close the game out by diving in from close range.
TERENURE COLLEGE:R Church; T OBrien (A Hyland 68 mins), S ONeill, H Nwankwo, N OConnor (J McCormack 68 mins); J Lynch, G Clarkin (R Murphy 68 mins); K Colgan (T Creagh 68 mins), J Carroll (C Dignam 68 mins), S Borza, M Murphy (E Haddock 68 mins), R Somerville (capt), N OSullivan (S Caffrey 68 mins), P Thornton, H Brewer.
ST MICHAELS COLLEGE:C Kelleher; D Greene, A Comerford, M OKeefe G Morgan 26 mins), A Leavy; R Byrne (capt), N McCarthy (L Martin 32 mins); D Gibbons (N Quane 56 mins), R Allen (S Mosnier 55 mins), D Coulson, S Harold, R Moloney (J Murphy 26 mins, G Keane 34 mins), J OConnell, M Craig, C Duffy.
Referee:J Montayne (Leinster Branch).
