Ethan Black bagged tries in each half at a rain-soaked Energia Park yesterday as St Michael’s College advanced into the Leinster Schools Senior Cup final with a comprehensive triumph over defending champions Gonzaga College.

Although this was seen as a contest that could go down to the wire, Michael’s showcased their qualities at either end of the pitch to comfortably booked their spot in a senior decider for the first time since 2019.

Coming into this game on the back of edging a high-scoring quarter-final encounter with Belvedere College, Gonzaga were forced to show their defensive mettle in the early stages of the action.

Yet Michael’s also held firm when their Ranelagh counterparts crept into the opposing half and Andy Skehan’s Ailesbury Road outfit eventually broke the deadlock in the 16th minute. At the end of a multi-phase attack that had been kick-started by a David Lucey break, outside centre Black powered over the line for a breakthrough try.

Joe Quigley subsequently added the bonuses to move Michael’s seven points in front and following another dominant spell of possession, the dependable out-half (who had executed a superb 50/22 kick moments earlier) knocked over a routine penalty on 29 minutes.

Quigley also opted for the posts towards the end of the opening period and his successful effort from just beyond the 22-metre line left Michael’s with a commanding 13-0 cushion at the interval.

This wasn’t quite an insurmountable deficit for Gonzaga, but it was beginning to look ominous for Gareth Pelly’s charges when Michael’s bagged their second try of the afternoon nine minutes after restart. After hooker Duinn Maguire had elected to ‘tap and go’ from a five-metre penalty, his front-row partner Riain Coogan powerfully crossed over for an unconverted score.

Having earned a 34-3 victory over Gonzaga when the sides last met in this competition four years ago – when current Leinster stars Jack Boyle, Lee Barron and Henry McErlean were part of their side – Michael’s were now on course for a similar win in this last-four affair.

While Gonzaga fought admirably to open their account either side of the third-quarter mark, it was their fellow south Dubliners who ultimately had the final say in this contest. Thanks to late tries from Chris O’Connor and Black (his second), St Michael’s convincingly progressed into a St Patrick’s Day showdown at the RDS against the winner of this afternoon’s clash between Blackrock College and St Mary’s College.

Scorers for St Michael’s College: Tries – E Black (2), R Coogan, C O’Connor. Pens – J Quigley (2). Cons – J Quigley (3).

ST MICHAEL’S COLLEGE: D Lucey; D Pryce, E Black, C McConnell, P Wood; J Quigley, J Sherwin; B O’Donohoe, D Maguire, R Coogan; D Walsh, F McKenna; J Elliot, R Brown, S Corrigan.

Replacements: C O’Connor for Sherwin (49), E McLaughlin for O’Donohoe (52), M Berman for Walsh (65), B Conroy for McConnell, D Ryan for Pryce (both 66), M Furlong for Maguire, H Miller for Coogan, O Twomey for Brown (all 69).

GONZAGA COLLEGE: N Byrne; JP Breslin, A O’Flanagan, P Masterson, B Colbert; D O’Dwyer, T Brophy; S Heneghan, L McLaughlin, J Sheil; M Kennedy, M Tyrrell; J Mulligan, G O’Grady, C Kennedy.

Replacements: M Doherty for O’Grady, Z Mulligan for Colbert (both 49), W McMahon for Sheil (50), J O’Dwyer for Brophy (53), O Hume for Mulligan, H Linehan for Byrne (both 66), J Brophy for Kennedy (69), O Stevenson for Heneghan (70).

Referee: P Reidy (LRR).