LEINSTER SCHOOLS JUNIOR CUP/ST Michael's College 24 Blackrock College 7:IT TOOK St Michael's some time to get going, but when they found their form it was too much for Blackrock in the Leinster Schools' Junior Cup semi-final at Donnybrook yesterday.
There was an imbalance in physical strength and size along the respective three-quarter lines that Blackrock could not bridge on commitment alone despite a clever game plan based on the ruck, the maul and optimum use of the ball.
Blackrock started well in the opening quarter. The pack drove into the rucks, outhalf Gavin Tynan showed a nice touch, despite an early penalty miss, and centre Stephen Lawton provided a threat.
Slowly, St Michael’s began to turn the screw with their captain Ross Byrne, at outhalf, shifting the ball out of the tackle, hooker Richard Allen carrying hard and lock Stephen Harold making the gain line.
The match was largely fought between the 22-metre lines until Tynan engineered an episode of sustained pressure from a clever cross-field kick.
From a scrum, number eight Ray Crotty made a 10-metre burst. Blindside Raef Tyrrell took it on and prop Oliver Jager powered his way over. Tynan kicked the extras for a 7-0 lead in the 31st minute.
There was almost an immediate response when hooker Allen broke free to come face-to-face with last defender, fullback James O’Neill, only to turn inside with three players fast supporting outside.
When Blackrock refused to role away from the following ruck, Byrne’s 40-metre penalty struck the left post. Then, Allen was back for more, making ground through the middle for Byrne to repeat the trick before a shovelled pass found left wing O’Keeffe too squeezed for room on the left touchline.
St Michael’s maintained their momentum into the second half. They got on a roll by switching play from side to side with number eight Conor Duffy taking a short ball from scrumhalf Nicholas McCarthy to make the line. Byrne converted from under the posts.
When hooker Allen, on a typical burst, was taken by the neck, Byrne posted the penalty to give the light blues the lead for the first time in the 50th minute.
Then Allen spilled the ball in the act of grounding, But St Michael’s won the ensuing scrum against the head for Duffy to drive and offload to flanker Michael Craig, who made the line. Then, fullback Cian Kelleher darted over for the third try, with Byrne converting both of them, to seal the victory.
ST MICHAEL’S COLLEGE: C Kelleher (J Brazil 69); D Greene, A Leavy, A Comerford (G Morgan 48), M O’Keeffe; R Byrne (capt) N McCarthy (L Martin 62); D Gibbons (N Quane 68), R Allen (S Mosnier 68), D Coulson, S Harold, R Moloney (J Murphy 51, M Craig, J O’Connell, C Duffy.
BLACKROCK COLLEGE: J O’Neill; S Coughlan (J Cassidy 61), I Kingsley (C Donnelly 62), S Lawton, E Conlon; G Tynan, C Rock (G Ringrose 65); O Jager (R Hughes 62), D Fortune, R Murphy (M Colgan 42), G Fenn, C Murray (T Cooke 34), R Tyrrell, D O’Flynn (capt), R Crotty (P Aylward 58).
Referee: D Wallace, Leinster Branch.
