Schools Rugby Leinster Junior Cup: In reply to the gauntlet being thrown down by Blackrock on Monday, Belvedere flexed their muscles yesterday to canter past Kilkenny College.
They have not tasted success at Senior level since 1972, but the inner-city Jesuit college regularly produce the silverware at Junior level, winning three cups in the 1990s alone, and this squad look equal to the defending champions, and even superior in the physical stakes. A cracking semi-final lies ahead.
What really impressed about Belvedere's performance was they didn't require the second-half as, at 19-0 up at the break, they slipped into autopilot. The day would have become traumatic for Kilkenny's players if they had performed for a full hour.
In centre and captain Conor Colclough they have an intelligent footballer who needs constant minding. In just the third minute of play he powered up the blindside, only to be hauled down inches short of the line. His clever off-load allowed number eight Douglas Memery to move closer to the uprights, which made the extra two points that much easier to convert. Colclough showed his Gaelic football background, with St Sylvester's in Malahide, to split the posts.
A minute later Kilkenny made the expected, adrenalin-induced surge back downfield and were awarded a direct but long-distance penalty. Jason Cassells' strike had the distance but caught the breeze and drifted wide.
Thereafter, Belvedere cranked up the tempo. Still inside the opening quarter, hooker Thomas Sexton forced his way over the line for the second try, after the initial surge from big lock Luke Mangan drew most of the cover. Colclough was true again with the conversion.
Eight minutes before the break came the stamp of quality. A sweeping, right to left move saw fullback John Conroy come into the line at pace, and his pass sent the equally swift Michael Keating over out wide. Colclough made a rare error to scuff the conversion left and wide.
With victory sewn up, the motivation seemed to seep out of Belvedere. Their cut and thrust disappeared after the interval as Kilkenny began to play with renewed vigour. Yet, at no stage was the black-and-white try line under undue pressure.
Like Blackrock, the defence looks airtight.
The back three of Conroy, Keating and Niall Myron also have the essential pace to profit from Colclough's rampaging, first-phase breaks. Only excellent, last-gasp defending from Kilkenny fullback Martin Bryan and flanker Jason Assey denied further tries.
The lineout was continually generating momentum for Kilkenny. With no lifting allowed at junior level, the restart out of touch becomes almost a lottery where the more agile individual will profit. When Kilkenny reduced the lineout, Mangan and Memery really showcased their ability on the opposition's throw.
In a year full of quality at this level, Belvedere are certainly contenders. St Mary's and Clongowes draw swords this afternoon.
Scoring sequence: 3 mins: D Memery try, C Colclough conv, 7-0; 9: T Sexton try, C Colclough conv, 14-0; 22: M Keating try, 19-0.
BELVEDERE COLLEGE: J Conroy; M Keating, P Crosby, C Colclough (capt), N Myron; R Consodine, P Toal; N Lovic, T Sexton, L Habiyakare; E Browne, L Mangan; K Mulhair, D Murphy, D Memery. Replacements: C Doyle for K Mulhair (40 mins), C O'Brien for D Murphy, C Barry for L Habiyakare, M Gibbons for N Myron (all 45 mins), D Traynor for J Conroy (53 mins), F Keeling for C Doyle (55 mins), M Kilduff for M Keating (57 mins).
KILKENNY COLLEGE: M Bryan; J Holmes, S Yates, A Foley, E Braithwaithe; J Cassells, R O'Driscoll; N Beirne, S Murphy, H Stanley; J Hanbridge, M Ruddock; J Assey, G Dunne, A Yates (capt). Replacements: M Boyd for H Stanley (57 mins), C Ronaldson for J Cassells, E Elder for M Ruddock (both 58 mins), G Dunne for M Bryan (60 mins).
Referee: C Bolger (ARLB).
