Rockwell will not roll over

MUNSTER SCHOOLS CUP FINAL: Rockwell College v Presentation College, CorkROCKWELL COLLEGE were not supposed to make much an impact in the Avonmore Munster Schools Senior Cup in 2010. It all looked perfectly set-up for an all-Cork showdown between Pres and CBC with the former gunning to equal their city rivals on 28 titles.

That remains a distinct possibility for Pres after they recovered from a shaky 10-all draw with St Munchin’s in the semi-final to run out convincing victors in the replay. New head coach Peter Scott, ably assisted by Don Buckley and former Irish schools coach Paul Barr, sends out a fairly menacing pack with Niall Scannell looking the genuine article at tighthead prop. Along with lock Dave O’Mahony, who is captain, and number eight Cathal O’Flaherty, they will be hard to stop.

And then it becomes apparent Rockwell, with 23 titles, the last coming in 2001, have taken some serious scalps. St Munchin’s were sent down the back roads with a 27-8 flailing in round one but it was the semi-final scalping of Castletroy that will remain long in the memory. With 11 minutes of injury time spent and Castletroy leading 10-9 up stepped outhalf JJ Hanrahan to pop over a drop goal that makes it impossible to rule them out this afternoon.

Pres Cork are favourites but with quality like Hanrahan anything is possible. Rockwell are coached by Mark Butler and while Kevin Leamy is one of the ex-pupils in the backroom, elder brother Denis, with another old boy, Munster hooker Denis Fogarty, have lent a hand throughout the season. They are underdogs but that’s they way they like it.

PRESENTATION COLLEGE, CORK:S Glynn; R Caplice, J Costigan, D Horgan, E Dennehy; S Óg Murphy, R Barry; C Keane, B Vaughan, N Scannell; R O'Herlihy, D O'Mahony (capt); B Carroll, J Duffy, C O'Flaherty.

ROCKWELL COLLEGE: B O'Rahelly; S Horgan, H McNulty, D McGillacuddy, R Mullane; JJ Hanrahan, T Rafferty; T Doyle, R Moran, C O'Donnell; S Maguire, S McCarthy; S Buckley (capt), J Magher, L Cahill.

Referee: L Colgan (Munster Branch).