Latent desire and commitment, hard graft and no little flair underpinned Skerries victory in Saturday's Heineken Leinster Senior Cup semi-final at Stradbrook. While others have approached the competition with a weary tolerance, the sea-siders have displayed a ravenous appetite.
Skerries have alighted upon the slightest chink, mental or physical, in their opponents' armoury, en route to the final, leaving the smouldering remains of Greystones, St Mary's College, Clontarf and Terenure College in their wake. Only holders Lansdowne can now prevent a popular triumph.
The current team have already assured a place in the north Dublin club's history by reaching the final for the first time.
They accomplished this feat in style at the weekend, particularly the opening 40 minutes when they completely eclipsed their opponents with an intelligent and varied game plan.
They managed to conjure a freshness to a competition that has appeared stale, in terms of its end-of-season position, for some time. Skerries coach Shay McGuinness ventured: "This means a hell of a lot to us, irrespective of what others might say or do. The Leinster Senior Cup is alive and well as far as Skerries are concerned.
"We suffered many injuries in the early part of the season, so some of the players would be fresher than their counterparts. We haven't had things easy in this competition, but we proved that we are capable of beating anyone."
Hooker and captain Billy Mulcahy, a stalwart of, and wonderful ambassador for, Skerries, will lead his side out at Lansdowne Road next Saturday, but at some personal cost. "I was supposed to be going to Lanzarote on Thursday with my family, so it looks like I'm going to have to get a scheduled flight on Sunday instead.
"We have got great enjoyment out of the cup, reaching the semi-finals for the first time last season and now the final." And the secret of their success? "If you keep telling yourself that you are tired then you will be."
The match was not without one or two mildly controversial incidents, one of which involved Mulcahy. Leading 13-7 in the 62nd minute, Skerries were awarded a penalty close to the Terenure line. As the kicking tee was thrown onto the pitch, outhalf Jimmy Dempsey suddenly took a quick tap to himself, fed Mulcahy and the hooker cantered over for a try.
Terenure claimed that the presence of the kicking tee indicated that Skerries had opted to kick at goal; not so, according to Mulcahy. "Jimmy saw that they (Terenure) had gathered in a huddle, and as we hadn't indicated anything to the referee, he took the quick tap and it worked."
Skerries could claim that justice had been done, as Terenure wing Peter Walsh's conversion appeared to drift two feet wide yet the touch judges allowed the score. Walsh had converted flanker Brendan Kavanagh's try on 52 minutes, the focal point of Terenure's best rugby of the afternoon.
Despite an uncomfortable 10 minutes when the winners were hemmed into their own 22, Mulcahy's unconverted try punctured Terenure hopes, and it was Skerries who finished strongly, just as they had begun the afternoon.
Two penalties from excellent out-half Dempsey in the first 16 minutes were a fitting reward for a hard working eight in which Mulcahy, Eamon Darcy, Brian Higgins and David O'Sullivan were outstanding. Alan O'Sullivan and Dempsey varied the game beautifully at half-back, while Patsy Beggs proved accomplished and assured at full back.
Terenure, in contrast, were pedestrian, predictable in possession and occasionally careless in defence. Prop John Campbell, Rory Sheriff and Donagh O'Donoghue worked hard, but too much possession was wasted through diagonal running lines and careless hands behind the scrum.
Skerries embellished a fine first half with a well-worked try from Beggs after Higgins had set up a ruck in the Terenure 22.
Kavanagh's try suggested a revival that ultimately never materialised, and Mulcahy's tip toe to the corner and a late Dempsey penalty completed a deserved and popular triumph.
Scoring sequence: 16 mins: Dempsey penalty, 3-0; 20: Dempsey penalty, 6-0; 41: Beggs try, Dempsey conversion, 13-0; 52: Kavanagh try, Walsh conversion, 13-7; 63: Mulcahy try, 187; 68: Dempsey penalty, 21-7.
Skerries: P Beggs; C Lawless, Dermot O'Sullivan, G Earley, E Caraher; J Dempsey, A O'Sullivan; J Horan, B Mulcahy, J O'Reilly; T Giles, S Kilbride; E Darcy, B Higgins, David O'Sullivan. Replacements: K Dowling for Giles h-t); N McDonagh for David O'Sullivan (58 mins).
Terenure College: C Clarke; P Meade, M Smyth, R O'Connor, P Walsh; S Cullen, D Hegarty; D Hyland, J Blaney, J Campbell; R Sheriff, C Potts (capt); H O'Neill, D O'Donoghue, B Kavanagh. Replacements: G Deans for Hyland (49 mins); M Quinn for O'Neill (49 mins); P Hennebry for Meade (62 mins).
Referee: P Swayne (Leinster).
