RUGBY: BANK OF IRELAND LEINSTER SCHOOLS SENIOR CUP FIRST ROUND
Clongowes Lose Out Despite Powerful Fightback
GONZAGA COLLEGE 34
CLONGOWES WOOD COLLEGE 26
By Daire Walsh
DESPITE producing a powerful fightback following a difficult opening, Clongowes Wood College suffered an opening round Leinster Schools Senior Cup defeat at the hands of Gonzaga College in Energia Park last Tuesday.
Joint-winners of this competition in 2020 with local rivals Newbridge College – their proposed final meeting was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic – the Clane side fell 22-0 behind just past the half-hour mark. However, Blayze Molloy, Oscar O’Brien and Shane MacNulty all crossed the whitewash either end of the interval to bring the nine-times champions back into contention.
Rory Finlay and Oscar O’Neill tries – which arrived in advance of a Dan Daly consolation effort – ultimately gave Gonzaga the edge, but Clongowes ensured the 2019 finalists were made to work for their spot in the last-eight.
Matthew Wright’s charges had struggled to cope with the pace and power of Gonzaga during the early moments and found themselves 10 points adrift with as many minutes gone on the clock.
Supplementing fly-half Stephen McMahon’s fourth-minute penalty, Hugh Goddard released his centre partner Jody Browne for a supremely executed converted finish on the left-flank.
Clongowes dug deep in defence for large spells – No 8 Liam Burke prevented an almost certain score with an outstanding defensive steal – before being breached once again in the 25th-minute when McMahon released lock Thomas Murphy for a simple try.
It looked set to be a rout for the south Dubliners when full-back Hugo McLaughlin grabbed an additional five-pointer on 32 minutes, but Clongowes finally opened their account when flanker Molloy charged down an attempted clearance and proceeded to dot down under the posts.
Although MacNulty’s bonus strike still left them 15 points adrift at the break (22-7), Clongowes were a rejuvenated force and came out firing on all cylinders on the restart.
Within five minutes of the action resuming, they dramatically reduced their previously-sizeable deficit to the bare minimum. Supplementing O’Brien’s clinical dive over the line, MacNulty conjured a spectacular seven-point salvo that consequently turned up the heat on Gonzaga.
However, Declan Fassbender’s Metropolitans remained calm and reinforced their authority with a 47th-minute try courtesy of winger Finlay – who latched onto a McMahon pass out wide to touch down in the left-corner.
Clongowes continued to give themselves a fighting chance of success by winning a plethora of defensive penalties inside the final-quarter of a pulsating affair. That was until O’Brien intercepted a stray pass with three minutes left and crossed unopposed for a game-clinching score.
There was enough time for replacement back-row Daly to claim a final Clongowes try off a line-out maul, but it wasn’t enough to spoil the Gonzaga party.
GONZAGA COLLEGE: Hugo McLaughlin; Hugo Neville, Hugh Goddard, Jody Browne, Rory Finlay; Stephen McMahon, Michael Sullivan; Toby Hammond, Tim Cotter, George Morris; Thomas Murphy, Luke O’Callaghan, Noah Maguire, Gavin O’ Donnell, Paul Wilson. Replacements: Tom Wyley for O’Donnell, Oisin Murray for Sullivan (both 56), Oscar O’Neill for Finlay (62).
CLONGOWES WOOD COLLEGE: Padraic Spillane; Senan Noone, Shane MacNulty, Harry Roche Nagle, Oscar O’Brien; Tom Murtagh, Harry MacGoey; Flavio Macari, Leo Dowling, James Wyse; James Ruddy, Alex Kelly; Blayze Molloy, Diarmuid O’Brien, Liam Burke. Replacements: Matthew Roche Nagle for Kelly (half-time), Tom Hennebry for MacGoey (48), Dan Daly for Burke, Harry Mallon for H Roche Nagle (both 58), Harry Coveney for MacNulty (70).
Referee: John Carvill (Leinster Rugby Referees).