Blackrock College 17 CBC Monkstown 8:BRAVE CBC Monkstown could not quite muster the wherewithal to spring a mild surprise over Blackrock College in this superb Leinster Junior Cup first-round tie at Donnybrook yesterday.

It all went to plan for Blackrock in the beginning, their continuity stretching Monkstown for centre Joe O’Hehir to reach for the line in the seventh minute.

However, the Leinster League finalists brought a tidy pre-cup record and a willingness to move the ball at every opportunity. Monkstown centre Seán Smyth made the hard yards for his outhalf Seán Kearns to put wing Joseph Halwax in at the left corner.

It got even better for Monkstown when Kearns reversed into the pocket to snap up a textbook drop goal on half-time for an 8-5 edge at the interval.

The game was in the balance. The next score would be crucial. Blackrock weren’t willing to wait.

They went on the attack straightaway for lock David O’Connor to drive over. Wing Dillon Coughlan’s conversion went in off the left upright.

The four-point gap was turned into a two-score lead when excellent scrumhalf replacement Tristan Brady chipped over the top for his right wing Johnny Redmond to come off his right foot for a well-taken try.

BLACKROCK COLLEGE: Z O’Hagan; J Redmond, J O’Hehir, I Kinsley, D Coughlan; J Power, S Colgan; S Lynch, G Moylan, E Holland, J Dwan, D O’Connor, J Moore, E Fanning, N Timoney (capt). Replacements: T Brady for Colgan (37 mins), O Jager for Moore (56 mins), G Glynn for Kinsley (66 mins), D Fitzpatrick for Lynch, H Kean for Moylan, D O’Mahony for Coughlan (all 69 mins).

CBC MONKSTOWN: C Cullinane; K Wolfe, M Courtney (capt), S Smyth, J Halwax; S Kearns, B Mahon; G Byrne, C Cunningham, K Patterson, J O’Connor, C McDonald, B Keavney, D Haney, J McGrath. Replacements: S O’Donnell for Halwax, M Hallam for Byrne, J Toale for Mahon (all 57 mins), C McGovern for Keavney (69 mins).

Referee: A Lynch (Leinster Branch).