LEINSTER SCHOOLS SENIOR CUP FIRST ROUND
BELVEDERE COLLEGE 19
CLONGOWES WOOD COLLEGE 18
By Daire Walsh
There was heartbreak for Clongowes Wood College at Energia Park in Donnybrook on Sunday as a final-quarter converted try from Gordon Barr saw them losing out to Belvedere College by the slenderest of margins in the opening round of the Leinster Schools Senior Cup.
10 points clear with 38 minutes gone on the clock, the Clane side remained six ahead with the final whistle in sight. Yet their north Dublin counterparts refused to throw in the towel and after Andre Ryan knocked over a conversion to supplement Barr’s five-pointer, Clongowes ultimately came up short in the end.
As nine-time winners of the competition, Clongowes were intent on laying down a marker in this game. While they were coming up against a school that have lifted the Senior Cup on 12 occasions, the Kildare men broke the deadlock when hooker Hugo O’Leary applied the finishing touches to a line-out maul.
This was followed up by a clinically-struck conversion from Callum McDonald and with the same man knocking over a penalty on the stroke of 20 minutes, Clongowes found themselves 10-0 to the good.
Belvedere finally got their account up and running in the 33rd minute with an Alexander Clarke try that left them just five points in arrears at the interval, but their opponents impressively regained control of the contest on the resumption.
Following incisive work by the pivotal duo of McDonald and Dermot Collins (both survivors from Clongowes’ 2023 Senior Cup campaign), prop Luke Murtagh dotted down for their second try just three minutes after the restart.
However, Belvedere had outlined their attacking credentials before the break and when dynamic No 8 Harry Goslin got over for a five-pointer on 45 minutes, the tie was delicately poised once again. Ryan’s bonus strike left the gap at three points and even though Ross Doyle split the uprights from distance, Clongowes were coming under intense pressure from the Belvo pack as the action progressed.
Despite seemingly having precious little space to work with, the lively Barr rounded off an excellent attacking move to place the Metropolitan outfit on the brink of taking the lead for the very first time. They did just that after Ryan stepped up to the kicking tee to fire over a touchline conversion and even though Ross Adams and Doyle did their utmost to get Clongowes in a position to snatch a winning score, Belvedere were not to be denied.
BELVEDERE COLLEGE: Hugh Fitzgerald; Tom Quinn, Dylan Lord, Andre Ryan, Gordon Barr; Finn Byrne, Matthew Doyle; Eoin McDermott, Marcus McCarthy, Ben Merry; Cillian McCann, Ryan McCann; Caiden McLoughlin, Alexander Clarke, Harry Goslin.
Replacements: Calum McKinley for McLoughlin, Callum Fitzgerald for Clarke (both 54), Conor Quinn for Merry (55), Charlie Lyons for Doyle, Patrick McGrath for McCarthy (both 65).
CLONGOWES WOOD COLLEGE: Gavin Keane; Ned Williams, Ross Adams, Ross Doyle, Thomas Strickland; Callum McDonald, John Paul Murphy; Max Doyle, Hugo O’Leary, Luke Murtagh; Sasha Byrne, Matthew Ruddy; Matthew Smyth, Dermot Collins, Conor Lysaght.
Replacements: Conor Keogh for O’Leary, Rossa Williams for Murphy (both 58), James Boyle for Murtagh, Luke Fitzgerald for Byrne (both 59).
Referee: Andrew Cole (Leinster Rugby Referees).