Belvedere weather storm to win

First impressions. Belvedere breed big juniors. Despite that marked difference in pack size, Blackrock might have thought for a long period in this Coca-Cola-sponsored Leinster Schools' Junior Cup final at Lansdowne Road that the trophy was theirs for the taking.

As it was, Belvedere hung on with enviable composure to wrest the title from Blackrock after a first phase in which they were comprehensively out-played by a hard-running back line.

Peter Leonard, taking the ball from wherever he found it at fullback, combined with out-half Conor Sharpe and substitute centre John Hearty for a entertaining, if error-strewn 30 minutes.

The Blackrock try, however, was superbly constructed from the midfield after 20 minutes, Sharpe running diagonally right to left and striding into the Belvedere half before releasing Hearty. The replacement neatly chipped over the cover on the run and dived in under the posts for Sharpe to convert easily.

While Belvedere's David O'Reilly at full back and out-half John Kennedy dealt admirably with the Blackrock running, it was a 20-minute spell early in the second half that ultimately earned Belvedere their win.

The pack looked more in harmony after the restart with captain David O'Brien marshalling a much more cohesive unit. From that platform the back line finally got moving. Belvedere set up a ruck near the right corner flag on 40 minutes and the ball was spun wide the full length of Lansdowne Road.

Six textbook passes later, left wing Ian Flynn gathered at pace and finished in the corner.

Another attacking wave took them to the Blackrock line five minutes later. A Belvedere scrum fed Kennedy who simply popped it over for a cheeky drop goal to give his side an 8-7 lead.

Blackrock responded positively but were met with fierce resistance, the back-row of Richard O'Donnell, Paul Campbell and O'Brien leading the tackle count.

On the hour number eight Colm Treston had Blackrock celebrating, but when the bodies were lifted, he was inches from the line after a desperate bustling charge. Kennedy then breathlessly launched the subsequent penalty for holding into the West stand and that's how it ended, Blackrock mildly shocked, Belvedere, well, ecstatic might be an understatement.

Scoring sequence: 20 mins: J Hearty try, C Sharpe conversion 7-0; 40: I Flynn try 7-5; 45: J Kennedy drop goal 7-8.

Belvedere College: D O'Reilly; G Murphy, P Hobbs, B McLoughlin, I Flynn; J Kennedy, M Broe; E O'Meara, P McGuire, J Leech, B McArdle, M Travers, R O'Donnell, R Leyden, D O'Brien (capt). Replacements: P Campbell for Leyden, 25 mins.

Blackrock College: P Leonard; D Kilty, B Canavan, G Creevy, M O'Sullivan; C Sharpe, T O'Leary; N Ledbetter, N Crowley, BJ Leahy, G Curry, J Tevlin, D Johnson, J Mannion (capt), C Treston. Replacements: J Hearty for Canavan, 13 mins; B Lee for Kilty, 58 mins; P Lindsay for Tevlin, 59 mins.

Referee: C Brannigan (ARLB).