Sport

Newbridge get second wind

RUGBY: LEINSTER SCHOOLS: Newbridge College 14 Presentation Bray 3 CAPTAIN WILLIAM O’Brien and wing Phillip O’Neill supplied …

Thu Mar 10 2011 - 00:00

RUGBY: LEINSTER SCHOOLS: Newbridge College 14 Presentation Bray 3CAPTAIN WILLIAM O'Brien and wing Phillip O'Neill supplied the second-half tries that sent Newbridge College through to play CUS in the Powerade Leinster Schools' (Section B) Vinnie Murray Cup final.

This semi-final replay followed the pattern of the original fixture, with Newbridge winning more ball and Presentation having to see them off in the tackle.

They managed to do so in a scoreless first half.

Eventually, Newbridge hammered away at the line until the space opened to the left. Centre Ben O’Connor’s quick hands gave left-wing Phillip O’Neill the room to fly to the corner in the 48th minute. Outhalf Osbourne made the conversion from the left.

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Replacement outhalf Philip Haughton shot Presentation to within four points from straight in front of the posts.

The uncertainty was taken away when O’Brien went low and hard for the line for Osbourne to take them out of sight.

NEWBRIDGE COLLEGE: J Jennings; P O'Neill, B O'Connor, G Burns, R Buckley; P Osbourne, C Murtagh; D Rigney, C Kings, B O'Donnell, E Dempsey, C Fagan, C Dempsey, J Connolly, W O'Brien (capt). Replacements: R Snell for Dempsey 56 mins; D McConville for O'Neill 62 mins.

PRESENTATION BRAY: H Barrett; F Kenny (capt), R Keating, K Guiehan, R Brennan; D Downey, J Curran; K Murphy, C O'Meara, C Higgs, G Peakin, J Hayes, D Doyle, N Finch, C O'Donoghue. Replacements: P Haughton for Downey 49 mins; J Keating for Brennan 59 mins.

Referee: A Lynch, Leinster Branch.

** Cistercian Roscrea and St Gerard’s School will renew their rivalry in the Leinster Schools’ (Section B) Fr Godfrey Cup final following Roscrea’s 41-0 win over CBS Naas at Portarlington. St Gerard’s beat Presentation Bray 19-14.

Roscrea built a steady 17-0 lead on the back of tries from hooker Jeremy Sweetnam, lock Peter Ennis and number eight Jack Foley by the break with the benefit of the elements. They then had tries from backs Ken Carroll, Hugh O’Connell, Peter Gavin and Ennis, for his second, in a whitewash.

Scorers: P Ennis 2 tries; J Sweetnam, J Foley, K Carroll, H O'Connell, P Gavin try each; C O'Leary 2 cons; F Higgins con.