ROSCREA SCORING SPREE BRINGS DISAPPOINTMENT TO NEWBRIDGE COLLEGE IN SCHOOLS RUGBY CUP
BANK OF IRELAND LEINSTER SCHOOLS SENIOR CUP FIRST ROUND
CISTERCIAN COLLEGE ROSCREA 25
NEWBRIDGE COLLEGE 22
By Daire Walsh
There was disappointment for Newbridge College at Energia Park in Donnybrook on Wednesday afternoon as Cistercian College Roscrea produced a sensational comeback to book their spot in the quarter-final stage of the Leinster Schools Senior Cup.
22-0 in front at the midway point in the first half, Newbridge appeared on course to advance convincingly into the last-eight of the competition. Yet Roscrea simply refused to give in and went on a scoring spree either side of half-time to ensure that Johne Murphy’s charges emerged on the wrong end of the final scoreline.
Semi-finalists in 2023, it took Newbridge a little under three minutes to break the deadlock in this game. After gathering the ball at the back of a line-out maul, hooker Lee Fitzpatrick applied the finishing touches over the whitewash.
Despite a wayward bonus strike from team captain Paddy Taylor (a Junior Cup winner in 2021), Newbridge doubled their lead on nine minutes when full-back Todd Lawlor pounced on a loose ball and sprinted away for the Kildare school’s second try.
Newbridge were ruthlessly going about their business and Taylor’s midfield partner Ciaran Mangan was the next to get in on the scoring act as he stretched past the line at the end of another sweeping attack to touch down for another five-pointer.
The influential Taylor then raced down the field for a superb individual try that he also followed up with a conversion and while Roscrea finally opened their account through Dan Punch towards the end of the opening period, Newbridge nonetheless brought a commanding 22-5 lead into the interval.
However, Roscrea bolstered their prospects after the resumption with a converted try by Evan Brophy and following an outstanding long-distance penalty from Jack Deegan on 41 minutes, the Newbridge buffer was suddenly reduced to seven points.
Deegan’s dependable right boot was becoming a valuable asset for the school from the Offaly-Tipperary border and he slotted over another effort off the kicking tee to add further pressure on their opponents.
Newbridge still remained in the ascendancy, until Punch intercepted a pass just shy of the hour mark and sprinted through unopposed for a converted score that edged Roscrea ahead for the very first time.
There was enough time for Newbridge to swing the pendulum back in their favour, but after holding them up off an earlier ‘tap and go’ penalty, Roscrea snuffed out a final attack to send their travelling supporters into raptures.
NEWBRIDGE COLLEGE: Todd Lawlor; Rory Allen, Ciaran Mangan, Paddy Taylor, Dara Cosgrave; Paddy Martin, Daniel Connolly; John R Walsh, Lee Fitzpatrick, Billy Bohan; Shane Davitt, Conor Hanly; Daniel Cox, Jack Dennis, Ruairi Munnelly.
Replacements: Josh Montgomery for Fitzpatrick, Patrick Forde for Davitt (both 38), Jamie Bohan for Walsh (44), Oscar Booth for Dennis, Ben O’Connor for Connolly, Billy Cross for Martin (all 53), Charles O’Loughlin for Bohan, Rory Taylor for Cosgrave (both 59).
CISTERCIAN COLLEGE ROSCREA: Raef Donnelly; Dan Punch, Robert Carney, Jack Deegan, Harry Finlay; Joshua Powell, Aaron Moloney; Fionn Hogan, Eoin Naughton, Henry Maher; Joe Finn, Conor Kearney; James Miller, William Hayes, Evan Brophy.
Replacements: Sean Killeen for Kearney (42), Sam Cusack for Donnelly (51), Brian O’Rourke for Powell (60), Oscar Doody for Naughton (66).
REFEREE: John Carvill (Leinster Rugby Referees).