LEINSTER SCHOOLS SENIOR CUP FIRST ROUND REPLAY

CLONGOWES WOOD COLLEGE 20

TERENURE COLLEGE 19

By Daire Walsh

Clongowes Wood College withstood a powerful second half surge at Energia Park on Monday to overcome Terenure College in a Leinster Schools Senior Cup first round replay.

Although a Harry Mallon penalty had guided Clongowes to a 17-15 victory over Terenure College in the original fixture at the beginning of this month, a replay was ordered after it was discovered that the Clane school had fielded an ineligible player in the contest. Another tight encounter was expected on this occasion, but it was Clongowes who enjoyed a dream start to the action as winger Daniel Baugh raced onto a kick in behind the ‘Nure defence to touch down for a third-minute try.

A routine Mallon conversion increased Wood’s lead to seven points and they subsequently doubled their advantage when Blayze Molloy powered over the whitewash for another converted score on 13 minutes.

Mallon did hit a close-range penalty against the posts inside the second-quarter, but the fly-half made no mistake when presented with a place-kick opportunity at the end of the opening period as Clongowes ultimately brought a 17-0 cushion into the interval.

While the north Kildare side appeared to be in control of their own destiny, ‘Nure stormed back into contention with a blistering scoring burst on the resumption. In the space of just four minutes, Jim Kennedy and Casper Gabriel Lorin sprinted over the whitewash for tries that were supplemented by Louis Moran bonus strikes.

All of a sudden, just three points separated the teams on the scoreboard and the momentum had very much swung in Terenure’s direction. The south Dubliners pressed for further scores and dramatically edged ahead when James McCormack dotted down in the left-corner just shy of the third-quarter mark.

This was a shock to the system for Clongowes, but they were handed a way back into the ascendancy with a brace of penalty opportunities. Mallon was short of the target with his latest attempt on goal in the 55th-minute, but his half-back partner Tom Murtagh stepped up to the plate moments later to ensure Wood were once again in the driving seat.

Terenure were then presented with a golden opportunity to regain the initiative during the closing moments of the play. Yet, just like Mallon in the opening half, Moran’s penalty ricocheted off the post and Clongowes held out to book their place against St Michael’s College in Monday’s quarter-final at the same venue.

CLONGOWES WOOD COLLEGE: Padraic Spillane; Brian McCarthy, Harry Roche Nagle, Callum McDonald, Daniel Baugh; Harry Mallon, Tom Murtagh; James Wyse, Kosi Ugwueru, Max Duggan; Blayze Molloy, Alex Kelly; Matthew Roche Nagle, Dermot Collins, Dan Daly.

Replacements: Gavin Keane for McDonald (52), Ryan Thompson for McCarthy (61), Alex Hemeryck for Duggan (64), Max Doyle for Ugweru (66).

TERENURE COLLEGE: Jim Kennedy; Paddy Curry, Daniel Martin, Rory King, James McCormack; Casper Gabriel Lorin, Louis Moran; Adam Cooper, Keith Byrne, Olan Storey; Lochlann Wardick, Matthew Somerville; Ben Blaney, Carlos Montero Belard, Ben Nolan.

Replacements: Harvey O’Leary for King (h-t), Eamon Geraghty for Belard (61), Thomas Costello for Lorin (62).

Referee: Andrew Cole (Leinster Rugby Referees).