Terenure College overcame the challenge posed by Clongowes Wood to advance to the Leinster Junior Cup final after a well deserved 20-10 victory at Donnybrook on Thursday.
Tries from winger, Tom O’Brien and prop, Silvio Borza proved the difference on the day while Stephen O’Neill also provided 10 points courtesy of his right boot.
Despite having the perfect start with a second minute try from their dynamic hooker, Dylan Donnellan, Clongowes never quite got a firm foothold in opposition territory and superb defence from Nure continuously scuppered their back-line moves.
After falling behind so early, the holders showed tremendous resolve, controlling the ball and relentlessly testing the Wood defence. Some last gasp tackles, including a try-saver from number 10, William Lappin, ensured that the cup holders had only clawed back three points with half time drawing near.
But soon after, the breakthrough came for Terenure, with fine back play creating an overlap. O’Brien was the beneficiary, evading a desperate tackle from Phillip Maher before touching down near the posts for an easy conversion.
That setback spurred the Kildare School into action and they attacked ferociously until the half time whistle came as lock, Oscar Hassett, became isolated in his lunge for the line, and was penalised for holding on. The Dublin 6 boys survived and went into their half time huddle leading 10-7.
By that stage Nure had gained the upper hand over the opposing pack and, tellingly, demolished a purple and white scrum late in the first half. Vast chunks of time spent without the ball were beginning to tell for the boys from Clane.
Nure number eight, Harrison Brewer provided an invaluable ball carrying outlet for his team, and he was harshly adjudged to be held up after he forced his way over the line early in the second half. But the power of the scrum he anchored ensured the Wood defence was creaking and it was Borza who got his hand to the ball under the posts to earn, what would prove to be, a decisive 10 point margin.
Clongowes hooker, Donnellan, who gained his early try from turnover ball outtside his opponents 22, was the main threat to the Dublin school’s defence. But as the clock ticked down Lappin narrowed the gap to seven points via a penalty, but could only send his troops from one side to the other time and again searching for a gap in the Nure defence.
Ultimately the search proved fruitless, and it was O’Neill who had the final say as he sealed his sides victory by drilling over a last minute penalty to make the final score 20-10.
After a 20 year wait before lifting the cup last year, Terenure College will face St Micheal's in the March 21st final, aiming for an incredible two in a row having beaten the same opponents 12 months ago.
Terenure: Ronan Church, Neil O’Conner, Stephen O’Neill, Robbie Carroll, Tom O’Brien, Jordan Lynch, Gary Clarkin, Silvio Borza, Joseph Carroll, Kevin Colgan, Mike Murphy, Rob Somerville (capt.) Niall O’Sullivan, Paddy Thornton, Harrison Brewer.
Replacements: Conor Dignan, Tiernan Creagh, Eoghan Haddock, Stephen Gaffney, Robbie Murphy, Jimmy McCormack, Hilary Nwankwo.
Clongowes Wood: Cillian Burke, Alan Jeffares, Jack Murphy, Daniel O’Sullivan, Arthur Linnane, William Lappin, Philip Maher, David Garty, Dylan Donellan, Jonathan Inglis, Matthew White, Oscar Hasset, Sean Quinlan, Alex Dudeney, David Doyle (capt.)
Replacements: Ben Osbourne, Conor Bracken-Price, John Francis Martin, Cormac Gillick, Iain Brady, Jim O’Shea, Mark Jones.
Referee: Brian Montayne
No comments:
Post a Comment