IN A REPEAT of last year’s decider, defending champions Blackrock College will face Gonzaga College in the forthcoming Leinster Schools Senior Cup final following their hard-earned win against St Michael’s College at a wet and windy Energia Park this afternoon.
Having held out Michael’s close to their own posts, ‘Rock eventually broke the deadlock in this contest courtesy of a 14th-minute penalty from scrum-half Oliver Coffey.
However, the Williamstown outfit — who have won this competition an astonishing 70 times — suffered a blow when their influential No 8 Tom Brigg was forced off through injury just shy of the half-hour mark.
They found themselves increasingly on the back-foot either side of his withdrawal and Michael’s eventually pounced in the closing minute of the opening period. Following excellent build-up play by Mark Canniffe and Wilhelm De Klerk, outside centre Jules Fenelon superbly burst through a defensive gap for a try that he also converted.
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This left ‘Rock 7-3 in arrears at the interval, but it didn’t take them long to regain the initiative in this penultimate round tussle.
Instead of opting for the posts, Coffey kicked a penalty to touch four minutes after the resumption. This was a shrewd decision on his part as hooker Mikey Yarr latched onto the ensuing line-out maul and powered over the whitewash in fine style.
Coffey followed up with a successful bonus strike and after Michael’s prop Riain Coogan was sent to the sin-bin on 45 minutes, flanker Conor Tonge burst over underneath a slew of bodies for his side’s second converted try.
St. Michael's Patrick Wood scores a try. Ryan Byrne / INPHO
Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO
Although this left ‘Rock within sight of a precious victory, Michael’s came storming back into the contest on the hour when Patrick Wood crossed over in the left-corner after executing a slick one-two with Chris O’Connor. Fenelon magnificently split the uprights off the resulting conversion, but ‘Rock held out in a frantic finale for a three-point triumph.
Blackrock College Scorers
Tries: Mikey Yarr, Conor Tonge
Conversions: Oliver Coffey [2 from 2]
Penalties: Oliver Coffey [1 from 1]
St Michael’s College Scorers
Tries: Jules Fenelon, Patrick Wood
Conversions: Jules Fenelon [2 from 2]
BLACKROCK COLLEGE: Charlie Molony; James O’Sullivan, Luke Kritzinger, Mark Walsh, Eoghan Walsh; Conor O’Shaughnessy, Oliver Coffey; Tom O’Riordan, Mikey Yarr, Alex Mullan; Michael Colreavy, Tommy Butler; Conor Tonge, Jack Angulo, Tom Brigg (Conall Hodges ’28).
ST MICHAEL’S COLLEGE: David Lucey; Larry Kirkham, Jules Fenelon, Mark Canniffe, Patrick Wood; Wilhelm De Klerk, James Sherwin (Chris O’Connor ’55); Ben Howard, Tom Stewart (Tom Begley ’41), Riain Coogan; David Walsh, Mikey O’Reilly; James White, Rory Brown (Duinn Maguire ’47-’52), Sam Corrigan.
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Defending champions Blackrock College set up repeat Leinster Senior Cup decider
Blackrock College 17
St Michael’s College 14
IN A REPEAT of last year’s decider, defending champions Blackrock College will face Gonzaga College in the forthcoming Leinster Schools Senior Cup final following their hard-earned win against St Michael’s College at a wet and windy Energia Park this afternoon.
Having held out Michael’s close to their own posts, ‘Rock eventually broke the deadlock in this contest courtesy of a 14th-minute penalty from scrum-half Oliver Coffey.
However, the Williamstown outfit — who have won this competition an astonishing 70 times — suffered a blow when their influential No 8 Tom Brigg was forced off through injury just shy of the half-hour mark.
They found themselves increasingly on the back-foot either side of his withdrawal and Michael’s eventually pounced in the closing minute of the opening period. Following excellent build-up play by Mark Canniffe and Wilhelm De Klerk, outside centre Jules Fenelon superbly burst through a defensive gap for a try that he also converted.
This left ‘Rock 7-3 in arrears at the interval, but it didn’t take them long to regain the initiative in this penultimate round tussle.
Instead of opting for the posts, Coffey kicked a penalty to touch four minutes after the resumption. This was a shrewd decision on his part as hooker Mikey Yarr latched onto the ensuing line-out maul and powered over the whitewash in fine style.
Coffey followed up with a successful bonus strike and after Michael’s prop Riain Coogan was sent to the sin-bin on 45 minutes, flanker Conor Tonge burst over underneath a slew of bodies for his side’s second converted try.
Although this left ‘Rock within sight of a precious victory, Michael’s came storming back into the contest on the hour when Patrick Wood crossed over in the left-corner after executing a slick one-two with Chris O’Connor. Fenelon magnificently split the uprights off the resulting conversion, but ‘Rock held out in a frantic finale for a three-point triumph.
Blackrock College Scorers
St Michael’s College Scorers
BLACKROCK COLLEGE: Charlie Molony; James O’Sullivan, Luke Kritzinger, Mark Walsh, Eoghan Walsh; Conor O’Shaughnessy, Oliver Coffey; Tom O’Riordan, Mikey Yarr, Alex Mullan; Michael Colreavy, Tommy Butler; Conor Tonge, Jack Angulo, Tom Brigg (Conall Hodges ’28).
ST MICHAEL’S COLLEGE: David Lucey; Larry Kirkham, Jules Fenelon, Mark Canniffe, Patrick Wood; Wilhelm De Klerk, James Sherwin (Chris O’Connor ’55); Ben Howard, Tom Stewart (Tom Begley ’41), Riain Coogan; David Walsh, Mikey O’Reilly; James White, Rory Brown (Duinn Maguire ’47-’52), Sam Corrigan.
Referee: Sam Holt.
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Blackrock College Leinster Senior Cup Rock On