RUGBY LEINSTER SCHOOLS' CUP:St Gerard's School 7 Blackrock College 0
THEY WILL say it was not a vintage Blackrock side and they can also point to the ridiculously high number of handling errors, but bare facts never lie: St Gerard’s, with roughly a quarter of the playing numbers of their opponents, justifiably progressed to the Leinster Schools’ Cup semi-final yesterday.
The league champions have long been a school that merely makes up the numbers in this competition.
A few seasons back Tony Ward took over the rugby programme out in Bray and he was been facilitated by principal, Tom Geraghty, who used to teach in Blackrock and was also the senior forwards coach for many years. This season, 1997 British and Irish Lion Eric Miller became head coach. And they have flagged this talented group since under-13.
Still, they faced a cruel draw with Terenure College first up followed by the 66-times champions and current holders, Blackrock.
On this evidence, it is a serious slight by the Irish representative selectors that St Gerard’s number eight Jack Conan has not been capped. Conan had an immense impact on proceedings, with a very high tackle count. Yet it was the importance of these king hits, and multiple rumbles, that played such a crucial role in his side’s win.
Blackrock only have themselves to blame. Sure, they can have a genuine gripe about what appeared a legitimate try from replacement flanker Job Langbroek Jnr but in referee Peter Dennehy’s defence, he was on the other side of the ruck and couldn’t have seen the grounding.
Blackrock still had 12 minutes of normal time and another five minutes of injury-time to save themselves as they finally made inroads into St Gerard’s 22. But it was a desperate and unstructured response.
Too many attacks were ended by knock-ons. Some of these handling errors were forced by shuddering tackles particularly from Conan and centre pairing Jody Crosbie and Rian O’Loughlin.
O’Loughlin’s try must go down as perhaps the greatest moment in this elite, private Wicklow schools’ sporting history. Steve Crosbie, younger brother of Jody, was the creator, just like he was against Terenure. Having watched the Blackrock defence drift off him for 40 minutes he shaped to pass before shooting into a clearing. Blackrock number eight Richard Marsh arrived to make his usual cover tackle but a remarkable hand-off saw Crosbie carry into the 22 where O’Loughlin held a straight line to swan dive over.
Fullback Josh Glynn was true with the conversion from wide left.
Blackrock have no excuses. Their outhalf, David Godfrey met a wincing “welcome to the contest” hit from prop Christian McAlinden. Any fears about St Gerard’s not having the mongrel in them for a bare-knuckle brawl was dismissed by lock Finn Boylan belting into Blackrock fullback Barry McGuinness at a clear out.
Then there was Boylan and Stephen King smashing one of Rock’s primary ball-carriers Con Sheehan – all these markers were laid down in the opening quarter.
St Gerard’s hopes of an upset were dented when captain Robbie Glynn was carried off on 17 minutes. The injury-cursed scrumhalf broke his left ankle, having just returned from damage to his right.
Moments later Blackrock’s highly-rated nine, Marcus Walsh, succumbed to a shoulder problem he carried into the game when a St Gerard’s forward floored him with a late tackle.
Memories from the encounter will always be Conan swatting big opposing forwards aside and the huge Blackrock error-count.
Also, the heart-stopping end game, when St Gerard’s somehow held on by their finger nails.
Scoring sequence:42 mins: R O'Loughlin try, 5-0; J Glynn conv, 7-0.
ST GERARD'S:J Glynn; D Simmonds, R O'Loughlin, J Crosbie, J Desmond; S Crosbie, R Glynn (capt); C McAlinden, C Hayde, C Lyons; F Boylan, R Maxwell; S Hackett-Delaney, J Conan. Replacements: C O'Rourke for R Glynn (17 mins), A Carroll for D Simmonds (38 mins), A Bothwell for F Boylan (54 mins), A Lynch for C McAlinden, D Cooney for C Hayde (both 60 mins), O O'Neill for S Hackett-Delaney (70).
BLACKROCK COLLEGE:B McGuinness; M Roche, C Fitzpatrick, C Ellin, J O'Sullivan; D Godfrey (capt), M Walsh; S Wijntjes, P Carroll, T Moran; S Cooke, J Kelly; C Sheehan, P Dargan, R Marsh. Replacements: J Langbroek for R Marsh (15-18 mins), for P Dargan (48), A Lloyd for M Walsh (25), A Boland for S Wijntjes (55).
Referee:P Dennehy (ARLB).
