Newbridge College 0
Belvedere College 34
THIS RESULT WAS no illusion, Belvedere’s first-round Leinster Schools Senior Cup win over Newbridge was every bit as convincing and comprehensive as the numbers say.
The match was over as a contest at the halfway stage when Belvo had already touched down four times to take a 26-0 through to the second half.
That deficit all but ended any hope Newbridge had of recreating their heroics of last year, when they were beaten by eventual winners Roscrea by a single point in the semi-final replay.
Belvedere immediately set up camp in the Newbridge 22 and but for a couple of handling errors could have opened the scoring even sooner than they did.
Two quick-fire tries in the first 15 minutes unlocked the game for the northsiders. Cian Galvin was the first to cross the line after a beautiful offload by out-half David Hawkshaw to fullback Hugh O’Sullivan split the Newbridge defence.
Just a couple minutes later, Conor Jennings scored the second try of the match after Belvedere tore apart an increasingly disjointed Newbridge rearguard with their pace and power. This time he failed to convert from the touchline after he scuffed his kick.
At this stage Newbridge knew they had to get the next score and for the first time in the match threatened Belvedere’s 22. A clever grubber kick by captain Tim Murphy didn’t lead to a score for the Kildare men and they didn’t manage to threaten again in the first half.
Belvedere responded with their third try of the game, loosehead prop Dan McCaffrey bundling over the line. The fourth try came before the half-time whistle, and it was the score of the game, as winger James McKeown touched down after tremendous passing and movement in the build-up.
One of those in attendance today was Blackrock coach Peter Smyth and he couldn’t leave the ground anything but impressed by the ruthless nature of this Belvedere performance.
Belvedere, who themselves were beaten by Roscrea in the final last year seemed to down tools midway through the second half after a David Hawkshaw penalty and a second try by Daniel McCaffrey ensured a comfortable passage into the quarter-final.
Belvedere College scorers
Tries: Cian Galvin, Conor Jennings, Daniel McCaffrey x2, James McKeown
Conversion: Conor Jennings (3)
Penalties: Conor Jennings
Newbridge College: Gavin Burke, Jonathan Deane, David Murphy, Caomhan Doolan, Colm Stapleton, Tim Murphy (Captain), Colm Doyle, Jordan Duggan, Robert Wynne, David Breen, Michael Dillon, Mike Joyce, Dylan Walker, Tom O’Neill, Patrick Ryan.
Replacements: Ben Howlett, Niall Stapleton, Michael Ryan, Cian Prendergast, Patrick O’Brien, Robert Hyland, Thomas Berney, Ruairi Cleary.
Belvedere College: Hugh O’Sullivan, James McKeown, Conor Jennings, Hugh Sexton, Peter Maher, David Hawkshaw, Paraic Cagney, Daniel McCaffrey, Cian Galvin, Conor Walsh, Hugh Fenlon, Brian Egan (Captain), Senan McNulty, Max Kearney, Tom DeJongh.
Replacements: Sam Osborne, Cillian Molloy, Jesse Iredale, James Kenny, Jake Robinson, Brian Gibbons, Neil Minogue, Fiachra Smith.
Referee: James Fitzgerald