SCHOOLS' RUGBY:Kilkenny College 25 Wesley College 17 - KILKENNY COLLEGE produced a final minute scoring blitz to land their first Vinnie Murray Cup after an epic battle with Wesley College in Donnybrook yesterday.

With full-time having passed, the sides were locked at 17 points apiece but a monstrous 40-metre penalty by Kilkenny outhalf Peter Lydon left the Kilkenny side with one hand on the trophy. Then as Wesley tried vainly to run the ball from defence Kilkenny’s Foster Horan gobbled up a loose ball to dive over for the game-sealing try in injury-time.

This was a bruising encounter between two evenly matched sides but Kilkenny’s greater control – with Lydon in fine form – edged them to the podium.

Wesley led from a close-range try from David Rice but Kilkenny responded with a try by prop Scott Calbeck and a conversion and drop goal by Lydon. Another close-in drive saw Wesley’s Ivan Campbell level the scores at the break.

Early in the second half, Horan danced over for his first try but Wesley levelled late on with a well-worked try by fullback Eoin Fitzpatrick and conversion by Kenneth McLoughlin.

But there was little Wesley could do to stop Kilkenny’s late surge as skipper Stephen Brennan mounted the steps to claim the trophy to rapturous applause.

KILKENNY COLLEGE:M Connolly; D Ruddock, F Horan; S D'Alton, S Brennan, P Lydon, P O'Driscoll; S Calbeck, A Talbot, R Elmes, W Shirley, N Condell, A Meredith, L Cummins, J McGuiness. Replacements: L Wilson for Cummins (h-t), H Lalor for Talbot (48 mins), H Burrows for Meredith and P Haslam for Condell (both 58 mins), C Lynn for M Connolly (62 mins).

WESLEY COLLEGE:E Fitzpatrick; J van der Flier, R Jermyn; K Bushe, E O'Byrne, K McLoughlin, I Cassidy; W Brightling, A McCrann, I Campbell, I McGann, S McDowell, D Rice, S Deasy, D Brownlow. Replacements: P Roche for Bushe (18 mins).

Referee:Ed Kenny (ARLB).