Schools RugbySt Gerards 7 Terenure 6 It was a victory founded on pluck and a remarkable rearguard action in the second half of yesterday's Leinster Schools' Senior Cup quarter-final at Donnybrook. That synopsis suggests that St Gerard's were fortunate to prevail but that wasn't the case.
The wind was a substantial factor in the ebb and flow of this contest and Gerard's decision to make first use of the elements saw them dominate the opening 35 minutes. There were in no way cowed by their opponents and it took a superb tackle by Terenure right wing Adam Hughes on the St Gerard's number eight and captain, the hard-working Zach Desmond, to save a certain try.
Terenure responded when outhalf Cillian Byrne made a half-break, offloaded to powerful centre Graham Coffey but the latter was tackled eight metres from the St Gerard's line by Alan Power. The Terenure support failed to materialise in time and the opportunity was lost. Both teams favoured the long cut-out pass but a strong wind made this gambit something of a lottery.
The late switch of direction by backs waiting for possession from a ruck or maul can be an effective ploy providing it's done for a reason rather than by rote as Terenure found to their cost. They often chose to sweep back on the short side, cluttering limited space with numbers and making it a little easier for the defenders.
The fact that they were making limited progress and a rising self- belief within the St Gerard's team saw the Bray school take a more sustained grip on proceedings. Livewire right wing Cailbhe Doherty made a couple of decent thrusts, excelling both with and without the ball as the game went on.
Kyle Tonetti saw his ambitious long-range penalty fall short on 22 minutes but four minutes later the St Gerard's outhalf would make no mistake with a second opportunity. He proved the architect of the game's defining score.
Receiving possession from a scrum 30 metres out, Tonetti surged through a gaping hole, Terenure's defensive alignment was completely out of kilter, and changed direction on a sharp outward arc. His timely pass allowed centre Simon Campbell an unencumbered journey to the line.
Tonetti added the conversion but St Gerard's had to survive a pre-interval scare when prop Conor Kenna was penalised at a ruck. Referee Alan Rogan went to his pocket but it might have been for a handkerchief rather than a card. They would also lose their excellent flanker Burschi Wojnar on 54 minutes.
St Gerard's offered their take on the Alamo for most of the second half as Terenure enjoyed plenty of possession without fashioning two many clear-cut opportunities. A faltering lineout undermined their efforts to sustain pressure as St Gerard's competed very well out of touch. Terenure also seemed reluctant to really stretch their opponents, content to hammer away on the fringe or punch it up in midfield.
St Gerard's kept making the tackles, stretched occasionally to breaking point but there was inevitably a body on hand to intervene.
Terenure right wing Hughes kicked two fine penalties and with four minutes remaining was handed a third opportunity from 30 metres. A swirling wind and a muddy surface rendered it very difficult and Hughes was most unfortunate to see his effort graze the left-hand upright on the wrong side.
St Gerard's held on, deservedly so, and will now face Blackrock College at the penultimate stage of the tournament.
Scoring sequence: 26 mins: Campbell try, Tonetti con, 7-0; Half-time: 7-0; 51: Hughes pen, 7-3; 57: Hughes pen, 7-6.
ST GERARD'S SCHOOL: A Power; C Dohery, S Campbell, G Mooney, S Nelson; K Tonetti, E Lynch; J Kinsella, N Bitove, C Kenna; M Rosenstock, N Kruseman; R Headley, Z Desmond (capt), B Wojnar. Replacement: C McDermott for Wojnar (54 mins).
TERENURE COLLEGE: S Durkin; A Hughes, C Morley, G Coffey, D Synott; C Byrne, R Vij; C Moffat, J Whelan, D Quinn; M O'Sullivan, S Dunlop (capt); M Melotte, S Page, K Gallagher. Replacements: S Elliott for Gallagher,, B O'Reilly for Whelan (both 60 mins).
Referee: A Rogan (Leinster)
Simon Mitton was inadvertently left out of the Gonzaga team line-up in yesterday's paper.
