1. Ben O’Connor (Pres)
An All-Ireland-winning minor hurling captain in 2021, the multi-talented Ben O’Connor is set to be in demand by both the Cork hurlers and Munster Rugby.
He played at midfield as St Finbarr’s ended their 29-year wait for a Cork hurling title before featuring in the football final two weeks later.
That may have disrupted his PBC preparations but it hasn’t shown. His try threat from full-back and unerring place-kicking have helped him to 32 points in his last two outings. That takes his total in Senior Cup knockout rugby to 68 points in seven games.
Just as impressive is his ability to produce his best in the final moments of games. His try and touchline conversion sealed a 21-19 semi-final comeback against CBC last year while his tryline turnover saved PBC from St Munchin’s late rally to cling onto a 35-29 victory at the same stage this term.
“Ben’s a special talent,” said Pres boss Ger Burke after that recent victory. “It’s kind of baffling that that’s Ben’s fourth or fifth game of rugby this season with the way things went before Christmas. He’s just a guy you want on a big occasion.”
2. Daniel Rock (Christians)
Adam Wrona has been the top try-scorer in the Munster Schools Senior Cup knockout stage but the CBC hooker will miss the final through injury.
His five tries in three games, including two scored off the bench against Pres in their opening encounter, account for almost half of his team’s 11 this campaign.
With captain Éanna McCarthy already ruled out, Christians have had to look elsewhere for leaders and found them throughout their pack.
Second-row target Michael Foy has played a major role, as has Daniel Rock in taking over McCarthy’s no.8 jersey.
In the semi-final replay, Rock claimed the line-outs to set up both of Wrona’s tries. Rock went on to score the third off the back of a scrum and stormed through three tacklers in the build-up to the fifth and final try.
He’s a threat to opposition line-outs too, pinching possession from Crescent when under pressure, while Pres know all about his try-scoring exploits from their January meeting when he scored the first try.
3. Rory O’Shaughnessy (Pres)
The PBC captain is another multi-talented sportsman with GAA experience, having co-captained the Cork minor footballers to the 2021 Munster title and featured as St Michael’s won the 2022 Cork Senior A Football Championship.
Many congrats to @pbcrugby SCT players, Ben O’Connor & Rory O’Shaughnessy, on a magnificent double, captaining the victorious @OfficialCorkGAA Minor hurling and football teams to victories in the Munster Championship finals this week ! Some achievement and more to come ! 👏👏👏 pic.twitter.com/1Y41J1lhrc
— Pres Rugby™ (@pbcrugby) August 12, 2021
Rory O’Shaughnessy has also shown versatility in his two years of senior rugby. Last season, he was at inside centre before switching to no.8 for the current campaign.
The coaching staff still plot ways to unleash his skills at first receiver, with their opening set piece of the semi-final seeing O’Shaughnessy send Tom Coughlan through a hole for a try after only 48 seconds.
He scored two tries in their quarter-final victory over Rockwell College, the second a piece of individual brilliance to win possession and produce a side-stepping, counter-attacking solo try.
4. Chris Barrett (Christians)
A highlight-reel winger, Chris Barrett’s sensational final-minute try completed Christians’ comeback victory over Pres in one of the all-time great Senior Cup moments.
He volleyed Charlie O’Shea’s crossfield kick over O’Connor and had the gas to meet it at the other side to send Christians’ fans into ecstasy.
Last minute of a Munster Schools Senior Cup match. Trailing your cross-city arch rivals by four points. And two of your Fourth Years combine for a score like this.
— Gavan Casey (@GavanCasey) January 25, 2023
They'll be talking about this one by @CBC_rugby's Chris Barrett⚡ (and Charlie O'Shea🥾) for a while. pic.twitter.com/gKFa9y32Ld
The fourth-year student played at scrum-half in CBC’s Junior Cup final defeat to Pres last year. That handling stood to him under the dropping ball in the semi-final replay to claim his third try in three games.
His try-scoring may be his standout quality but he has shown an equal appetite for tackling and work-rate in defence.
5. James O’Leary (Pres)
Pres have replaced O’Shaughnessy with James O’Leary at inside centre and it has only doubled opponents’ headaches behind the scrum.
A key member of the PBC team that won the Junior Cup last year, he has taken the step up in his stride.
While O’Shaughnessy set up the first semi-final try, it was O’Leary who set the platform with a crashing carry off the line-out.
He started the loop move for their second try, scored by centre partner Gene O’Leary Kareem, but the third was all his own, charging through a gaggle of Munchin’s defenders. That made it three tries in two games after his brace against Rockwell.
O’Leary and O’Leary Kareem have the footwork and offloading ability to trouble any defence so stopping them will be a top priority for CBC.
6. Sam Loftus (Christians)
Sam Loftus has taken over the captaincy in McCarthy’s absence and his influence will be even more keenly required in the front-row with Wrona’s withdrawal.
When Christians were under the cosh for the first 20 minutes of the drawn semi-final with a 7-0 penalty count against them, it was the loosehead prop who twice turned over Crescent mauls, once ripping the ball out and then pouncing to force the next advance to the ground.
In the replay, he scored CBC’s fifth try, barging over from a five-metre tap-and-go penalty to seal their place in the all-Cork final.
Christians’ set piece has been their main attacking platform, mining tries off scrums and line-out mauls, and the power of Loftus has been key to that success.