St Mary's win thriller

THIS one will remain in St Mary's folklore for ever more. In making amends for the Leinster Junior Cup final defeats of 1993 and 1995, the Rathmines school also denied Terenure the first double of senior and junior cups in 39 years. It is not being too mischievous to suggest that they will have enjoyed that.

They overcame the pre match favourites in a Lansdowne Road thriller. Despite a slightly excessive penalty count of 25, over the regulation 60 minutes, there was scarcely a dull moment. The match was full of positive running rugby, the lead changed hands four times and the plot thickened with each passing minute.

Time was when some pundits wondered whether headquarters was a suitable venue for under 16s and if such pressure should be heaped on such young shoulders. An element of the latter doubt remains this will be a particularly heart rending defeat for Terenure - but the match and a boisterous 4,000 crowd revelled in Lansdowne's wider confines.

For the last six minutes Terenure camped on the St Mary's line, forcing penalties and scrums galore, and countless times they were held up a yard or even less short of the line.

Few better sides have failed to lift the junior crown. They're a fine set of footballers from loose head and captain Tony Byrne to the galloping full back Mark Duffy - arguably the most potent runner on the pitch.

Hooker Brian Blaney was as prodigious a ball carrier and all round performer and no one tackled better than flanker Donnchadh Woulfe. From darting scrum half Aidan Bird through polished out half Killian Jones to fine centres Donal Dunlop and Barry Flynn, all Terenure's backs looked natural ball players.

Yet they lost, for which they are absolved of all blame. Instead, all credit goes to St Mary's. They competed magnificently, were alert to everything, and never dropped their heads - even when Terenure began to build up an imposing head of steam as the first half wore on.

St Mary's varied their line outs brilliantly, sometimes using flanker Ciaran Potts at number two, or using their inspirational captain Shane Jennings (the sole survivor from a year ago) as a battering ram off the tail of the line out.

The Queenans, Conor and Daragh, added to the line out variety, while out half David O'Sullivan kicked mightily and astutely, using the wind in the second half with the precision of a Lansdowne Road veteran. Simon Nagle poached a try and did many things well, while their undoubted match winner was the hugely built 14 year old winger Cathal Connolly, whose second half try and brace of long range penalties sealed a memorable triumph.

Nagle it was who opportunistically provided a crucial seven point buffer into the wind inside two minutes when he intercepted a Terenure back line move off set piece ball 30 metres out to score under the posts. Connolly converted.

The brilliant Duffy tapped over a sixth minute penalty as Terenure came storming back, and virtually from the restart they manufacture the try of the game from just outside their 22. Blaney and Byrne, with a long diagonal break, made the initial inroads. Jones skilfully provided the link on half way and Dunlop and Flynn continued the move for Duffy to score in the corner.

Connolly restored the lead for St Mary's with an 11th minute penalty but, as Duffy required treatment to a facial wound, Jones made it 11 - 10 for Terenure with a penalty. Duffy returned, making one of several mighty breaks. Byrne and Blaney made more inroads around the fringes as Terenure turned the screw, a drop goal just before half time giving them a 14-10 lead at the changeover.

It was the least they deserved, but a slim enough lead all the same.

Nagle resiliently retained possession as St Mary's quickly established a foothold. Connolly scored in the corner after Fionan Henry, O'Sullivan, Dan Aspell and Jennings, drawing his man expertly as everyone expected him to go it alone, combined to put him over.

O'Sullivan pinned Terenure back, Duffy's running or Jones's kicking occasionally enabling them to break out. Meatily struck penalties from 40 metres and 35 metres, 12 and 24 minutes into the second period extended the St Mary's lead.

In a nerve wracking finale wave after wave of attack was defiantly repulsed on the winners' line, the game ending with Dunlop help up a yard short.