LEINSTER SCHOOLS SENIOR CUP FIRST ROUND

NEWBRIDGE COLLEGE 29

KILKENNY COLLEGE 12

By Daire Walsh

NEWBRIDGE College progressed into the quarter-final stage of the Leinster Schools Senior Cup with a convincing opening round win over Kilkenny College at Energia Park on Tuesday afternoon.

The foundations for ‘Bridge’s triumph was established in the first half, when a brace of Billy Bohan tries were supplemented by another five-pointer courtesy of Adam Larkin Smithers. There was admirable resistance from their opponents in the second period, but further tries from Ronan McGroary and Paddy Taylor ensured ‘Bridge remained firmly in the ascendancy.

When Newbridge faced Kilkenny in the last-eight of this competition three years ago, a late penalty from current Ireland U20 international Sam Prendergast helped the Kildare side to claim a dramatic 10-8 victory. It took Johne Murphy’s charges all of 44 minutes to score on that occasion, but there were less than two on the clock by the time they broke the deadlock in this contest.

 After picking up possession off a line-out throw from his front-row partner Mark Masterson, Bohan powered over the Kilkenny whitewash. Inside centre Taylor – a Junior Cup winner with Newbridge in 2021 – comfortably added the bonuses and he was a creative force behind his side’s second try in the sixth-minute.

From another intricate set-piece move, Taylor released Bohan through a defensive gap to double his personal tally in fine style. Taylor once again split the uprights off the resulting conversion to give Newbridge a 14-0 platform during the early exchanges.

As expected, Kilkenny did start to make some inroads in the opposition half as the action progressed. Toyin Smith in particular pushed hard for the whitewash after their fly-half Sean Naughton kicked to touch off a 15th-minute penalty, but superb Newbridge defence ultimately brought this attack to a halt.

Having failed to breach their rearguard, Kilkenny were subsequently forced on the back-foot in the second-quarter. Some heroic work out of possession by the Noresiders denied Newbridge a third try on a couple of occasions, before Larkin Smithers pounced on 24 minutes.

However, this score was eventually ruled out as a ‘Bridge player was adjudged to have stepped into touch in an earlier phase of this move. Yet this was only a brief respite for Kilkenny as Larkin Smithers finally got his name on the scoresheet via a delicate Shane Treacy offload just shy of the half-hour mark.

Taylor’s tricky touchline bonus strike drifted past the target on this occasion, but Newbridge still brought a commanding 19-0 buffer into the interval.

Three-time winners of this competition (if you include their joint success with Clongowes Wood College in 2020), ‘Bridge were once again made to work defensively by a game Kilkenny on the restart. They were resolute and diligent in carrying out their duties, however, and never truly looked in danger of letting the game slip away from them.

Kilkenny commendably persevered with their challenge, but after continuing to withstand attacking pressure, Newbridge increased their advantage on 52 minutes. Following a patient move inside the opposing ’22’, flanker McGroary dotted down for an unconverted score.

Although this effectively eliminated any prospect of a dramatic Kilkenny fightback, they finally opened their account with a powerful close-range finish from Adam Watchorn with 14 minutes left to play. Naughton supplied the extras to bring Newbridge’s cushion down to 17, though this was a position that Murphy and his fellow coaches would have happily taken beforehand.

While replacement Michael Adewuyi bagged a second try late on for Kilkenny, this was after Taylor had supplemented his opening half conversions with an outstanding solo five-pointer.

NEWBRIDGE COLLEGE: Todd Lawlor; Rory Allen, Ciarán Mangan, Paddy Taylor, Adam Larkin Smithers; Paddy Martin, Tadhg Brophy; John R Walsh, Mark Masterson, Billy Bohan; Shane Davitt, Shane Treacy; John Sheedy, Ronan McGroary, Ruairi Munnelly.

Replacements: Jack Dennis for Sheedy, Charlie O’Loughlin for Walsh (both 52), Josh Montgomery for Masterson, Andrew Carroll for Allen (both 61), Sam O’Loughlin for Bohan, Ruairi Byrne for Treacy, Daniel Connolly for Brophy, Conor Manifold for Martin (all 64).

KILKENNY COLLEGE: Danny Benn, Jack Tully, Glenn O’Rourke, Ivor Fenton, Dean Symes; Sean Naughton, Jack Campion; Toyin Smith, Dylan Hendy, Adam Watchorn; Harry Peavoy, Jake O’Sullivan; Patrick Bramley, Gavin Atkinson, Stephen Smyth.

Replacements: Max Passberger for Benn (46), George Wakeham for Peavoy, Robert Powell for  Bramley (both 52), Jasper Kelly for Tully (54). Louis Kemp for Hendy, Stephen Bailey for Smith, Ian Caldbeck for O’Sullivan, Michael Adewuyi for Fenton (all 66).

Referee: Paul Haycock (Leinster Rugby Referees).