Defending champions Gonzaga through to the Schools Senior Cup Quarter-Finals

Gonzaga College 50 St Fintan’s High School 12 

Defending champions Gonzaga College produced a devastating first half performance against St Fintan’s High School, Sutton at Lakelands Park on Thursday to safely advance into the next phase of the Bank of Ireland Leinster Schools Senior Cup.

Keen to signal a statement of intent in their bid to defend the crown they secured in historic fashion against Blackrock College in the RDS last March, Gonzaga displayed a ruthless edge to ultimately develop a 45-0 cushion at the midway point in this opening round clash.

To their credit, St Fintan’s did cause a number of problems for their opponents in the second half with the likes of Rory O’Connor Hehir and Luke Ingle very much leading the way up front.

Yet Gonzaga had done more than enough by this stage to book their spot in the last-eight of the competition and – on the evidence of this game – will be one of the teams to watch once again in the knockout rounds of the 2024 Senior Cup.

Even though a number of players have moved on, Gonzaga were able to call upon a series of survivors from their 2023 squad for this encounter.

In the back line, JP Breslin, vice-captain Aidan O’Flanagan and Tom Brophy reprised their roles at right-wing, outside centre and scrum-half respectively. After making a final-quarter appearance off the bench in the 2023 showpiece, Patrick Masterson was partnering the aforementioned O’Flanagan in midfield.

Skipper Luke McLaughlin was returning to the starting pack along with Gavin O’Grady and Charlie Kennedy, while Jamie Sheil and Morgan Tyrell have been promoted from the bench for this year’s campaign. There was also big-game experience amongst their reserves in the form of James O’Dwyer – a 58th minute replacement for Brophy in last March’s final.

There were just six minutes gone on the clock when Gonzaga broke the deadlock at the home of Terenure College RFC – full-back Noah Byrne capitalised on excellent approach work from Masterson and O’Flanagan to break through a defensive gap for a converted try.

While Fintan’s did their utmost to disrupt their opponents, the floodgates subsequently opened in the Terenure venue. Just shy of the first-quarter mark, flanker Josh Mulligan dotted down beyond the whitewash off a line-out maul on the right-hand side.

Daragh O’Dwyer was desperately unlucky to see his bonus kick in the wake of this score rebounding off the post, but the fly-half showcased his undoubted talent with five-pointers at the end of extended attacks in the 21st and 24th minutes. Byrne bagged his second try of the contest moments later, before O’Flanagan and Breslin also added their names to the scoresheet to propel Gonzaga into a seemingly unassailable 45-point interval lead.

It had been a tough opening period for Fintan’s, but with a strong breeze now blowing in their favour, there was a chance for them to establish attacking territory on the resumption. This is exactly what the Sutton side managed to do and after enjoying a sustained spell of possession inside the Gonzaga ‘22’, hooker O’Connor Hehir touched down in the 42nd minute to ensure they finally opened their account in this game.

This bolstered the confidence of the north Dubliners and when second row Luke Ingle kicked to touch off a penalty five minutes later, O’Connor Hehir doubled his personal tally for the day with a clinical finish off the ensuing set-piece move.

Although Gonzaga were now coming under significant pressure from their determined counterparts, the Ranelagh men remained firmly in control of this tie. Having gone more than 30 minutes in the second half without adding to their points haul, Mulligan claimed his second try of the action in the closing stages to ease the title holders over the line.

Scorers:

Gonzaga College: D O’Dwyer 2 tries, 5 cons; N Byrne, J Mulligan 2 tries each; A O’Flanagan, JP Breslin try each.

St Fintan’s High School: R O’Connor Hehir 2 tries; L Ingle con.

Gonzaga College: Noah Byrne; JP Breslin, Aidan O’Flanagan, Patrick Masterson, Bobby Colbert; Daragh O’Dwyer, Tom Brophy; Sean Heneghan, Luke McLaughlin, Jamie Sheil; Michael Kennedy, Morgan Tyrell; Josh Mulligan, Gavin O’Grady, Charlie Kennedy.

Replacements: James O’Dwyer for Brophy 45 mins; Mossie Bruton for Tyrell 47 mins; Zach Mulligan for Colbert 56 mins; Milo Doherty for Kennedy 63 mins; Ben Lynch for O’Flanagan 65 mins; John Brophy for McLaughlin, Walter McMahon for Sheil both 67 mins; Bobby McCarthy for Heneghan 68 mins.

St Fintan’s High School: Rohan O’Shea; Tadg Young, Marcel Haas, Giovanni Nostro, Oisin Kelly; Ben Barnes, Hugh Dummer; Tadhg O’Connor Hehir, Rory O’Connor Hehir, Ponamu Palazzetti; Michael Bolger, Luke Ingle; Tommaso Juvara, Brendan Dillon, Simon Cantwell.

Replacements: Samuel O’Leary for Dummer half-time; Fintan Derry for Cantwell, Scott Ecock for T O’Connor Hehir, Finn McDonald for Barnes all 55 mins; Fionn Cullins for Palazzetti 60 mins; Ryan Curley for Young 63 mins; James Burke for R O’Connor Hehir 67 mins.

Referee: J Flynn, Leinster Branch