LEINSTER SCHOOLS' SENIOR CUP/Blackrock College ... 35 St Gerard's School ... 17: The margin of victory might have flattered Blackrock College, massaged by an excellent individual try from full back David Nyhan, converted by outhalf Andrew Geraghty five minutes into injury time at the end of yesterday's quarter-final at Donnybrook. But it ultimately underlined the difference between the teams. The victors were ruthless when scoring opportunities arose.
In the first half, St Gerard's were little short of a revelation, producing high-quality, clever attacking gambits, well-executed, and deserved their two-try haul.
It would have been quite easy for the Bray school to roll over after conceding a try in the first four minutes, but they matched their opponents thrust for thrust on the scoreboard for all but three minutes of the first half.
Halfbacks Alan Scanlan and Shane Canavan are as talented a combination as played in this season's competition and they orchestrated many of their team's best moments. They were handed a platform by a scavenging pack in which number eight Kevin Durkan - especially in the lineout - prop Luciano Sinagoga, flanker Zach Desmond and Aidan McGlinchey were conspicuous.
The two first-half tries were well-worked scores, the first coming on nine minutes when Scanlan looped outside Durkan from a scrum 15 metres out, choosing a good angle to outstrip the Blackrock cover and force his way over the line. The second owed even more to the precision of the training ground, full back Mark Campbell timing his entry into the line to perfection. Shane Canavan converted both and at that stage St Gerard's led 14-12.
Blackrock's 10-point salvo just before the interval proved decisive in terms of the outcome, with captain Keelan O'Toole underlining his side's potency in catching and driving from lineouts. It was virtually a carbon copy of their opening try of the game when hooker James Coady was driven over by the pack.
The pack was a hugely successful part of Blackrock's armoury. Stephen O'Dwyer was often the target and when Blackrock were focused they dominated the forward exchanges.
The ability to pass out of the tackle or blitzing away defenders in winning quick ruck ball should have been capitalised upon more by the back line. Flankers O'Toole and Diarmuid Laffan were invariably at the heart of Blackrock's best passages while centre Brian Canavan was a constant threat in midfield.
David Blain was under-utilised on the right wing - a similar fate befell Nyhan. If Blackrock are to oust the defending champions St Mary's College in next week's semi-final they will have to kick away less possession, manage straighter lines of running behind the scrum and concentrate better in defence.
Still there was much to admire when they did hit the right notes. Brian Canavan grabbed a fine individual try in between those of Coady and O'Toole in the first half, the centre bursting through one tackle before stepping brilliantly off his right foot to avoid another and canter under the posts.
Andrew Geraghty kicked two conversions with Blain adding a long-range penalty to put Blackrock 22-14 ahead at the interval. Geraghty and Blain added a couple of penalties to ease any lingering doubts. Shane Canavan's 32-metre strike was St Gerard's only response.
In desperation to bridge a widening gap, Scanlan and Shane Canavan overplayed possession and it was centre Stephen Monahan - he moved to scrumhalf when Shane Canavan went off injured - who caused Blackrock most problems after the break.
The match was effectively over when Nyhan accelerated through a gap, chipped Campbell and gathered to score beside the posts.
SCORING SEQUENCE: 4 mins: Coady try, 5-0; 9 mins: Scanlan try, Shane Canavan conversion, 5-7; 17 mins: Brian Canavan try, Geraghty conversion, 12-7; 21 mins: Mark Campbell try, Shane Canavan conversion, 12-14; 33 mins: O'Toole try, Geraghty conversion, 19-14; 35 (+3) mins: Blain penalty, 22-14. Half-time: 22-14. 41 mins: Geraghty penalty, 25-14; 42 mins: Blain penalty, 28-14; Shane Canavan penalty, 28-17; 75 mins: Nyhan try, Geraghty conversion, 35-17.
BLACKROCK: D Nyhan; D Blain, M Kavanagh, B Canavan, B O'Farrell; A Geraghty, C Willis; K O'Neill, J Coady, S McClafferty; S O'Dwyer, D O'Reilly; D Laffan, N Corkery, K O'Toole (capt). Replacements: A Franciosi for Coady (42-45 mins and 62 mins), R O'Hara for O'Reilly (47 mins),R Roynane for Kavanagh (72 mins), C O'Daly for Canavan (72 mins), S Snell for McClafferty (74 mins).
ST GERARD'S: M Campbell; G Fahey, S Monahan, M Moran, W Roche; S Canavan, A Scanlan (capt); T O'Kane, R Fulham, L Sinagoga; M Barton, E Brady; Z Desmond, K Durkan, A McGlinchey. Replacements: C McDermott for Brady (24-28 mins), D Byrne for Brady (61 mins), C Lennon for Canavan (67 mins).
Referee: T Deacon (Leinster).
