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Jeremy Loughman of Blackrock with Adam Leavy and Ronan Cosgrave of Michael's. ©INPHO/Donall Farmer
Schools Cup round-up

Castletroy crash into Munster's final four as 'Rock see off Saints in storm

Clongowes also hit their stride as the Senior Cup quarter-finals got under way in Munster and Leinster.

Munster Senior Cup

Castletroy College 20

Glenstal Abbey 10

CASTLETROY PUT THEIR best foot forward in yesterday’s Munster Senior Cup quarter-final win over Glenstal Abbey.

The Murroe school found themselves 14 points adrift at the end of a terrific first half from Castletroy as winger Paul Butler and then hooker Mark O’Mara scored tries which were converted by fullback Conor Linehan.

Glenstal out-half Jack Stafford kicked his side onto the scoreboard after the break and that signalled a revival. Stafford’s soon nudged his team to within four points with a conversion of Jamie McAleese try.

The Castletroy pack, though, would wrestle their way back into a superior position and Linehan was left to kick the two penalties to put his team out of sight and into the final four.

Leinster Senior Cup

Blackrock 16

St Michael’s 6

Blackrock’s push to defend the Leinster Senior Cup showed no sign of abating yesterday as they accounted for St Michael’s.

Centre Matthew Gilsenan had give the Saints an early lead after Michael’s flew out of the traps in the early stages.

However, before the snowstorm swept across Donnybrook Sean Kearns had landed a monster penalty to level the tie and once the conditions cleared again Kearns showed his skill with ball in hand to help set up Hugo Keenan for what proved to be a decisive score.

Gilsenan would double his tally of penalties to reduce the deficit to 8 – 6, but there was more to come from ‘Rock in the second half.

Kearns nudged the champions further ahead after the break and from there on in, they seemed able to hold Michael’s at arm’s length before centre Jack Power forced his way over the line to seal progression to the semi-final stage.

Clongowes Wood College 26

Belvedere College 14

Belvedere went toe-to-toe with Clongowes in the first Senior Cup quarter-final on Sunday, but could not withstand the Kildare side’s firepower.

16 points from fullback Alan Hughes ensured that a number 15 was once again the star for Clongowes and he opened the scoring by finishing off a well-timed pass from Cillian Burke.

©INPHO / Colm O'Neill ©INPHO / Colm O'Neill / Colm O'Neill

Hughes would add five more points with his boot before Belvo stormed back into the game, Jack Hutchinson bursting out of a maul and over the line with Conor Jennings’ conversion bringing the Dublin school to within a penalty.

Openside Joshua Pim grounded after 32 minutes to add to a second Hughes penalty and though the fullback failed with the conversion, his side took a commanding 18 – 7 lead into half-time.

The gap was soon 14 as Hughes struck another one off the tee, but it was soon a one-score game again as captain Ciaran Clifford claimed try number two with Jennings on target with the conversion.

However, Clongowes once again found an extra gear, wing Cian O’Donoghue piercing the defence with an angled run onto a reverse pass and over the whitewash.

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