Well-drilled Terenure win reward

Terenure College were never allowed to cut loose by a game Castleknock and while the final score-line flattered them a little, the favourites still scored the game's four tries to run up 100 points from their three outings to date.

This is a strong-rucking, well-drilled Terenure side with a mastery of the basics and loads of potent, straight runners. Their quicksilver scrum-half Robbie Sparks provided strikingly pacey breaks to augment his smooth service, and the backs looked accomplished all the way out to impressive full back Mark Duffy.

Brian Blaney is the latest from that clan of all-action hookers and number eight Anthony Kelly was the main yardage hauler. Kevin Mahony and James Keogh are hard-running target runners and open-side Richard Hegarty led unrelenting waves to the breakdown.

However, Castleknock were never about to give in easily: open side Kieron Collins led the way with an excellent tackle count, and it was a measure of their pack's all-round abilities that the talented number eight Simon Crawford and lock Philip Guckian shared the kicking duties while gritty flanker David Harris switched to scrum-half.

The high work-rate was complimented by lock Kevin McCabe and loose-head John Lyne, but the resilience went right out to the wingers Owen Threadgold and Peter Daly.

Louis Greely was a brave, sniping presence, and out-half Gregory Stafford was always willing to run or move the ball, with centre Brian Macken, arguably the man of the match, an elusive runner and a big tackler.

Terenure's quick tempo was rewarded with a flying start; Sparks and David McAllister probing the blind side for Blaney to come up on Sean King's shoulder and score in the corner.

However, the second of Macken's breaks earned a penalty which Guckian, shortly after a try-saving tackle on Sparks, landed.

A sustained wave of Terenure attacks was ended with a huge double hit by Guckian and Macken on King, but Sparks then broke on the blind side of a close-range scrum to score.

Daly and Graham Crawford in turn smothered potential overlaps with classic outside-in defending but six minutes after the interval concerted Terenure pressure was rewarded when Sparks broke for the line and put King over with a reverse pass.

McAllister and Crawford exchanged a brace of penalties as Castleknock improved. But Terenure had the last say: Kelly made the initial incision and the ball was passed along the line for Duffy to drive over.

Scoring Sequence - 3 mins: Blaney try 5-0; 13 mins: Guckian pen 5-3; 24 mins: Sparks try 10-3; 41 mins: King try 15-3; 45 mins: McAllister pen 18-3; 48 mins: Crawford pen 18-6; 54 mins: Crawford pen 18-9; 68 mins: McAllister pen 21-9; 72 mins: Duffy try, McAllister con 28-9.

Terenure College: M Duffy; S King, D Dunlop, B Flynn (capt), G Crawford; D McAllister, R Sparks; K Mahony, B Blaney, J Keogh, R Gernon, R McDonnell, J Barretto, A Kelly, R Hegarty. Replacements - JA Lee for Blaney (48 mins); M Mahony for Sparks (70 mins).

Castleknock College: A Lynch; P Daly, R Byrne, B Macken, O Threadgold; G Stafford, L Greely; J Lyne (capt), J Reid, C Flynn, K McCabe, P Guckian, D Harris, S Crawford, K Collins. Replacements: P Duffy for Greely (49 mins); C Mescal for Daly (60 mins).

Referee: S Buggy (Leinster).