Cistercian College Roscrea 17
Blackrock College 14
THERE WERE DRAMATIC scenes at Donnybrook this afternoon as a last-minute try from Roscrea prop Dylan Murphy knocked Blackrock out of the Leinster Schools Senior Cup.
With St. Michael’s having been dumped out by Clongowes on Sunday, Blackrock were the favourites to go on and claim a third consecutive title in the prestigious schools competition, but a gritty effort from Roscrea means they advance to the semi-final stages.
Newbridge beat St. Andrew’s in yesterday’s knock-out clash at Donnybrook to ensure their second semi-final in two years, and Roscrea’s win today means that three non-Dublin schools have made the final four of the tournament.
In a superb fixture at Donnybrook the endgame was as nail-biting as the Dublin 4 venue has seen, although unlike Clongowes on Sunday, Blackrock were unable to hold their tryline intact in a ferocious final assault from the opposition pack.
Captain Hugo Kean, who had earlier crashed over for a try, was sent to the sin bin as Blackrock repeatedly infringed in the left-hand corner, and the Roscrea pressure finally told as they marched over for a superb maul try as time ran out.
After a disappointing day from the tee, out-half Tim Foley then slammed over the conversion to top off a brilliant day for the County Offaly school.
Flanker Matty Keane had got Roscrea off to the ideal start with a fifth-minute try, getting on the end of a flowing attack directed by scrum-half Keith Kavanagh.
Two penalty misses and a failed conversion attempt from Foley mean the scoreline remained tight, however, and ‘Rock hit back with 15 minutes gone, Kean finishing after some excellent work by openside John Fairley.
James McGowan’s conversion pushed the defending champions in front, and a second try through Gavin Mullin, again converted by McGowan, saw them take a 14-5 lead into half time.
Roscrea were far from finished though, and an excellent burst from Alan Tynan down the right saw him score, the conversion drifting wide to leave the game poised at 14-10. The underdogs surged forward again and again, earning the field position from which they struck for the most dramatic of wins.
Belvedere College face Monkstown in the last of the quarter-finals at Donnybrook on Friday.
