Presentation Brothers College (Cork) 24
Christian Brothers College (Cork) 0
PRES HAVE PULLED level with Christians atop the Munster Schools Senior Cup leaderboard as a sensational second-half display saw them crowned champions for a 31st time at the expense of their age-old rivals at Musgrave Park.
A huge Cork crowd witnessed Pres wing James Wixted write his name into his school’s rugby folklore with a hat-trick while Cork underage hurling star Ben O’Connor was another of several standout PBC performers as the young men from the Mardyke sealed a famous win over their cross-city neighbours.
Outside centre Gene O’Leary-Kareem had opened the scoring for Ger Burke’s Pres while Tommy Crowe’s Christians side were left to rue a couple of missed first-half opportunities which might have changed the complexion of the game.
A last-gasp defeat to Christians earlier in the competition had meant that Pres had to take the scenic route towards the final but in this deciding sequel, they left no stone unturned as they ruthlessly put away their rivals.
The first half was as compelling as it was error-strewn as is often the case when these rival schools meet in a provincial decider, friends becoming enemies for 70+ minutes and neither side willingly giving a blade of artificial grass to the crowd from across town.
The teams traded early attacks which were illustrative of their respective philosophies throughout the cup so far.
Christians banged it up through their powerful pack — today without captain Éanna McCarthy as well as influential hooker Adam Wrona through injury — and were repelled outside the Pres 22′; Pres went wide left as soon as possible and Tom Coughlan’s half-break was thwarted by CBC fullback Ben Lynch.
Christians got their first real attacking platform when Ben O’Connor reached to save a 50-22′ on his own five and cleared as far as the Pres 22′. CBC ran a quick lineout after which hooker Stephen O’Shaughnessy surged down the right but was bounced into touch a few yards shy of the PBC line.
A nervy opening quarter filled with huge hits yielded handling errors and even a slip in the backfield which almost cost Christians a try after the excellent Coughlan had chipped down the left, but the Sidney Hill school escaped with a penalty on their own line.
Pres broke the deadlock shortly afterwards, however. With Christians lock Michael Foy sin-binned for an infraction at the breakdown near the try-line, Pres tapped and went. It was outside centre Gene O’Leary-Kareem who crashed over for the score, and it was O’Connor who added the extras for 7-0.
Christians worked their way back up the other end of the pitch almost instantly but after brilliant fourth-year out-half Charlie O’Shea attempted a snipe off first phase, Pres won a turnover penalty on the ground and could take a breath with their 7-0 advantage intact.
An ensuing Christians siege was lifted after they were caught for crossing just yards shy of the Pres line.
Pres number eight and captain Rory O’Shaughnessy — the outstanding midfield convert — then made a superb break deep into Christians territory before the CBC pack got some of their own back on the floor and won a penalty.
At the turnaround, the only true difference between the sides was that Pres had taken their big chance, and Christians had let a couple of them slip from similar range.
With the game poised at 7-0, the first score of the second half was always going to be crucial and Christians were forced to withstand a Pres onslaught from kick-off in order to keep the deficit manageable. This included one of the moments of the game as Christians out-half O’Shea, one of the smallest and youngest players on the pitch, made an extraordinary flying tackle on huge Pres wing James Wixted as he marauded forward.
Wixted, however, brought the Pres crowd to their feet moments later.
Ger Burke’s side had spent literally the first nine minutes of the second half in Christians territory and the pressure eventually told when the wing finished off a sweeping move from right to left. O’Connor’s conversion from the left got held hostage by the wind before drifting wide, but his side led 12-0 and there was no to be no let-up.
Smelling blood, O’Connor was foiled only by a cruel bounce on an excellent chip and chase seconds later and while Tommy Crowe’s Christians continued to hang in there, they lost a bit of torque with ball in hand when impressive back row Danny Rock joined their already lengthy injury list.
Pres contained Christians expertly in defence and, near the hour mark, after CBC coughed the ball up off a strike play in their 22′, the men in black and white stripes came within inches of sealing the game when flying fullback O’Connor bounced a couple of tackles and took the ball 90 yards up the right only to be halted by his ice-cool opposite number Ben Lynch.
Christians’ ensuing lineout on their own 5′ malfunctioned, however, and Pres all but wrapped the game up when blindside Fionn Roussel offloaded to Wixted who waltzed in for his second.
O’Connor’s conversion fell foul of the wind again but Pres led 17-0 with just eight minutes of normal time remaining.
It was going to be difficult from that point onwards for Christians to do themselves justice and, sensing a few dropped heads, Pres went for the jugular. A spectacular offload by O’Connor off the ground paved the way for Wixted to complete his hat-trick, the Pres bench following him into the in-goal in raptures. O’Connor converted from in front of the posts for 24-0.
Credit to Christians, who fought valiantly for a consolation score but to no avail. A number of their players will get another crack at it next year and, in a couple of cases, the year afterwards too.
The Munster Schools Senior Cup had been renamed the Garret Fitzgerald Cup in memory of a totemic figure in the province’s rugby history ahead of Crescent’s victory last year.
This afternoon, it’s Pres who lift it for a 31st time overall to deservedly crown themselves Munster champions and level one of the great Cork sporting rivalries.
Scorers for Presentation Brothers College:
Tries: Gene O’Leary-Kareem, James Wixted (3)
Pens:
Cons: Ben O’Connor (2/4)
Scorers for Christian Brothers College:
Tries:
Pens:
Cons:
CHRISTIAN BROTHERS COLLEGE: 15. Benjamin Lynch, 14. Chris Barrett, 13. Alex O’Connell, 12. Gavin O’Riordan, 11. Conor Foley; 10. Charlie Patrick O’Shea, 9. Jack Casey; 1. Sam Loftus (Captain), 2. Stephen O’Shaughnessy, 3. Denis Callaghan, 4. Conor Kennelly, 5. Michael Foy, 6. Mark Skelly, 7. Odhrán Prenter, 8. Daniel Rock
Replacements: 16. George Good, 17. Cian Walsh, 18. Harry Foster, 19. Michael Doyle, 20. Johnny O’Shea, 21. Joseph Barrett, 22. Jack O’Callaghan, 23. Evan Cahill-Murphy, 24. Ronan O’Keeffe, 25. Leo O’Leary
PRESENTATION BROTHERS COLLEGE: 15. Ben O’Connor, 14. James Wixted, 13. Gene O’Leary-Kareem, 12. James O’Leary, 11. Tom Coughlan; 10. Harry Murphy, 9. Liam Tuohy; 1. Maurice Minogue, 2. Michael O’Sullivan, 3. Thomas McCarthy, 4. Daniel Noonan, 5. Cian Murphy, 6. Fionn Roussel, 7. Alexander Alderson, 8. Rory O’Shaughnessy (Captain)
Replacements: 1. Max Dillon, 17. George O’Keeffe, 18. Peter Wall, 19. Oscar Squires, 20. Reuben Skuse, 21. Daniel Foley, 22. Oscar Nangle, 23. Scott Kelleher, 24. John Wiggington-Barrett, 25. Luke Sisk-O’Mahony
Referee: Eoghan Cross