CHRISTIAN BROTHERS COLLEGE of Cork will hope to make it third time lucky after securing a Munster Schools Senior Cup final return with a four-try victory over Limerick’s Crescent College Comprehensive at Thomond Park.
Like their Junior Cup quarter-final success earlier in the day, CBC did so with two tries from a replacement outside back with Bill McCarthy doing the honours.
They await the winners of tomorrow’s meeting between three-in-a-row-chasing Cork rivals Pres and Limerick side Castletroy College in the final.
CBC celebrate at full-time. James Crombie / INPHO
James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO
Christians provided an early warning of their backline threat when fullback Conall Cournane burned off five would-be tacklers but his offload didn’t go to hand for a finish.
They found the opener from their next attempt in the sixth minute. David Mac Coitir claimed the line out and Cian Corkery made the initial carry before scrum-half Christopher Barrett stormed through a hole in the ruck defence to dive over. Charlie O’Shea’s conversion made it 7-0.
Crescent fought back and their hopes were boosted when the touch judge spotted a yellow-card offence against CBC hooker Darragh Prenter, who was caught for a tip-tackle on his own five-metre line.
But a lineout malfunction let Christians off the hook and the remaining 14 managed their way through the sin-bin period.
Crescent’s maul was emerging as a major weapon and from that platform they almost crossed in the 22nd minute. Powerful lock Jayden Carmody was inches away from scoring before Charlie Fenton threw an out-the-back pass to Harry O’Halloran who crossed only for the ref to adjudge the ball had gone forward.
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From another maul, the Limerick school finally got their reward in the 31st minute. Carmody sucked in a couple of defenders to create space for Fenton to send Gerry Joyce into the corner. Alan Cleary’s tricky conversion missed to leave a two-point deficit.
Christians, then, added another seven before the break. Prenter kept the ball alive from a five-metre line-out and they put the ball through the hands for Alex O’Connell to send McCarthy away to score with his very first touch after replacing the excellent Cournane.
Bill McCarthy touches down for CBC despite Alan Cleary's best efforts for Comp. James Crombie / INPHO
James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO
Captain O’Shea made it 14-5 at half-time with a finely struck conversion from the right-hand side.
A couple of impressive scrum moves by CBC then almost released the electrifying scrum-half Barrett only for the final pass to go over his head on both occasions.
The second time around, however, Christians recovered the loose ball and O’Shea’s crossfield kick found Prenter to score. The otherwise imperious out-half O’Shea missed the conversion from the left but his side led 19-5.
Christians then almost pulled off an end-to-end try through Corkery but his delayed pass to Barrett didn’t go to hand.
Crescent came again and Joyce looked to have scored a second try only for the touch judge to intervene over another forward pass.
Comp did get their second try in the 58th minute. CBC’s Leo O’Leary ripped the ball free from a Crescent hand deep in his own territory but home captain Ronan Ryan recovered and Darragh McKeogh bashed his way over. Cleary couldn’t add the conversion and the gap stayed at nine, 19-10.
Jayden Carmody on the carry for Crescent. James Crombie / INPHO
James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO
Christians won a penalty straight from the restart, slotted by O’Shea, and they gained further insurance in the 64th minute.
From a scrum on halfway, O’Connell and Corkery’s offloads set them on their way. Another strong carry by Corkery got them to the line and O’Shea sent the ball wide for McCarthy to score before he seized up with cramp.
Crescent mustered a consolation try from an Alex McNamara pick and go with Cleary tagging on the conversion.
Christians, however, marched on to their third final in a row having lost the last two Munster deciders to cross-city nemeses Pres.
Scorers for CBC: Tries: Bill McCarthy 2, Christopher Barrett, Darragh Prenter; Cons: Charlie O’Shea 3; Pen: Charlie O’Shea.
Scorers for Crescent: Tries: Gerry Joyce, Darragh McKeogh, Alex McNamara; Con: Alan Cleary.
CBC: Conall Cournane; Daire O’Callaghan, Leo O’Leary, Cian Corkery, Alex O’Connell; Charlie O’Shea (capt), Christopher Barrett; Ronan O’Callaghan, Darragh Prenter, Seán Fitzpatrick; David Mac Coitir, Robert O’Sullivan; Conor Galvin, Jack O’Callaghan, Ian Morton.
Replacements: Ciarán Wallace, Patrick O’Rourke, Craig Hughes, Harry McCarthy, Michael Manning, Sam Healy, Zach Seymour, Conor Mulvihill, Christopher Taylor, Bill McCarthy.
Crescent: Fionn Rowsome; Ryan Scanlon, Evan Cusack, Harry O’Halloran, Gerry Joyce; Alan Cleary, Andrew Clery; Ronan Ryan (capt), Alex McNamara, Cian Enright; Tom Shanahan, Jayden Carmody; Darragh McKeogh, William Collins, Charlie Fenton.
Replacements: Michael O’Brien, Nathan O’Riordan, Nevilly Efe, Oran Copley, Eamon Collins, Dammy Obasa, William Byrne, Rory O’Connor, Gavin Tobin, Rory Mullins.
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Christians prove too strong for Crescent and book return to Munster schools final
Christian Brothers College 29
Crescent College Comprehensive 17
Stephen Barry reports from Thomond Park
CHRISTIAN BROTHERS COLLEGE of Cork will hope to make it third time lucky after securing a Munster Schools Senior Cup final return with a four-try victory over Limerick’s Crescent College Comprehensive at Thomond Park.
Like their Junior Cup quarter-final success earlier in the day, CBC did so with two tries from a replacement outside back with Bill McCarthy doing the honours.
They await the winners of tomorrow’s meeting between three-in-a-row-chasing Cork rivals Pres and Limerick side Castletroy College in the final.
Christians provided an early warning of their backline threat when fullback Conall Cournane burned off five would-be tacklers but his offload didn’t go to hand for a finish.
They found the opener from their next attempt in the sixth minute. David Mac Coitir claimed the line out and Cian Corkery made the initial carry before scrum-half Christopher Barrett stormed through a hole in the ruck defence to dive over. Charlie O’Shea’s conversion made it 7-0.
Crescent fought back and their hopes were boosted when the touch judge spotted a yellow-card offence against CBC hooker Darragh Prenter, who was caught for a tip-tackle on his own five-metre line.
But a lineout malfunction let Christians off the hook and the remaining 14 managed their way through the sin-bin period.
Crescent’s maul was emerging as a major weapon and from that platform they almost crossed in the 22nd minute. Powerful lock Jayden Carmody was inches away from scoring before Charlie Fenton threw an out-the-back pass to Harry O’Halloran who crossed only for the ref to adjudge the ball had gone forward.
From another maul, the Limerick school finally got their reward in the 31st minute. Carmody sucked in a couple of defenders to create space for Fenton to send Gerry Joyce into the corner. Alan Cleary’s tricky conversion missed to leave a two-point deficit.
Christians, then, added another seven before the break. Prenter kept the ball alive from a five-metre line-out and they put the ball through the hands for Alex O’Connell to send McCarthy away to score with his very first touch after replacing the excellent Cournane.
Captain O’Shea made it 14-5 at half-time with a finely struck conversion from the right-hand side.
A couple of impressive scrum moves by CBC then almost released the electrifying scrum-half Barrett only for the final pass to go over his head on both occasions.
The second time around, however, Christians recovered the loose ball and O’Shea’s crossfield kick found Prenter to score. The otherwise imperious out-half O’Shea missed the conversion from the left but his side led 19-5.
Christians then almost pulled off an end-to-end try through Corkery but his delayed pass to Barrett didn’t go to hand.
Crescent came again and Joyce looked to have scored a second try only for the touch judge to intervene over another forward pass.
Comp did get their second try in the 58th minute. CBC’s Leo O’Leary ripped the ball free from a Crescent hand deep in his own territory but home captain Ronan Ryan recovered and Darragh McKeogh bashed his way over. Cleary couldn’t add the conversion and the gap stayed at nine, 19-10.
Christians won a penalty straight from the restart, slotted by O’Shea, and they gained further insurance in the 64th minute.
From a scrum on halfway, O’Connell and Corkery’s offloads set them on their way. Another strong carry by Corkery got them to the line and O’Shea sent the ball wide for McCarthy to score before he seized up with cramp.
Crescent mustered a consolation try from an Alex McNamara pick and go with Cleary tagging on the conversion.
Christians, however, marched on to their third final in a row having lost the last two Munster deciders to cross-city nemeses Pres.
Scorers for CBC: Tries: Bill McCarthy 2, Christopher Barrett, Darragh Prenter; Cons: Charlie O’Shea 3; Pen: Charlie O’Shea.
Scorers for Crescent: Tries: Gerry Joyce, Darragh McKeogh, Alex McNamara; Con: Alan Cleary.
CBC: Conall Cournane; Daire O’Callaghan, Leo O’Leary, Cian Corkery, Alex O’Connell; Charlie O’Shea (capt), Christopher Barrett; Ronan O’Callaghan, Darragh Prenter, Seán Fitzpatrick; David Mac Coitir, Robert O’Sullivan; Conor Galvin, Jack O’Callaghan, Ian Morton.
Replacements: Ciarán Wallace, Patrick O’Rourke, Craig Hughes, Harry McCarthy, Michael Manning, Sam Healy, Zach Seymour, Conor Mulvihill, Christopher Taylor, Bill McCarthy.
Crescent: Fionn Rowsome; Ryan Scanlon, Evan Cusack, Harry O’Halloran, Gerry Joyce; Alan Cleary, Andrew Clery; Ronan Ryan (capt), Alex McNamara, Cian Enright; Tom Shanahan, Jayden Carmody; Darragh McKeogh, William Collins, Charlie Fenton.
Replacements: Michael O’Brien, Nathan O’Riordan, Nevilly Efe, Oran Copley, Eamon Collins, Dammy Obasa, William Byrne, Rory O’Connor, Gavin Tobin, Rory Mullins.
Referee: Paul O’Connor (MAR).
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Munster Schools Senior Cup Rugby