St Mary’s College 10

Derry Moloney grabbed a hat-trick of tries at Energia Park on Tuesday as 70-time champions Blackrock College emphatically defeated St Mary’s College to book their spot alongside St Michael’s College in this year’s Leinster Schools Senior Cup decider.

Whereas Mary’s sensationally broke free for a try just seven seconds into their quarter-final success over CBC Monkstown, the Rathmines school found themselves falling behind in the very early moments of this contest.

After the ball came loose inside the opposition half, ‘Rock full-back Charlie Molony sprinted over the whitewash with the clock in the Donnybrook venue only displaying 18 seconds of playing time.

Fly-half Conor O’Shaughnessy comfortably supplied the extras to this score and while hooker Cillian Jacobs got Mary’s up and running with a firmly struck penalty, ‘Rock added their second try before the game had reached the 10-minute mark.

Bustling front-row Jack Pollard was perilously close to dotting down underneath the posts, but when O’Shaughnessy unleashed an elaborate pass out towards the right-flank, Charlie Woodcock put the elusive Moloney through for a clinical finish in the corner.

However, ‘Rock did suffer a set-back when tighthead prop Niall Smyth was sin-binned on 17 minutes and Mary’s initially established an attacking foothold during his temporary absence.

Yet the Williamstown outfit held firm in this juncture and the returning Smyth ensured his side brought a convincing 19-3 cushion into the break with a converted try from close-range on the brink on half-time.

Mary’s needed to make a strong start to the second period to give themselves a fighting chance of making a first senior final since 2008 and that is something they managed in lightning quick time.

Latching onto an Evan Moynihan pass, Jack Halpin spotted a gap through the heart of the ‘Rock defence for a spectacular individual try just 25 seconds after the restart.

A routine Jacobs conversion reduced the deficit to nine points, but ‘Rock swiftly reinforced their authority through Thomas Butler’s clinical try off a line-out maul in the 38th minute.

Smyth subsequently dotted down for a second time 10 minutes later and with O’Shaughnessy registering his fourth conversion of the afternoon, all of 23 points (33-10) separated the teams moving into the final-quarter.

This effectively placed the outcome beyond doubt, but Blackrock nevertheless rounded off an excellent performance with a brace of impressive tries from Moloney (to complete his hat-trick) as well as one from his fellow winger Brian O’Flaherty in the closing stages of the action.

Scorers for Blackrock College

Tries: D Moloney (3), N Smyth (2), C Molony, T Butler, B O’Flaherty.

Cons: C O’Shaughnessy (5), P Clancy (2).

Scorers for St Mary’s College

Tries: J Halpin.

Pens: C Jacobs.

Cons: C Jacobs.

BLACKROCK COLLEGE: C Molony; D Moloney, C Woodcock, Mark Walsh, B O’Flaherty; C O’Shaughnessy, A Lindner; P Moore, J Pollard, N Smyth; T Butler, D McGuire; Michael Walsh, J O’Neill, J Angulo.

Replacements: L Magee for O’Neill (19-25), L Coffey for Lindner (48), G Wall for Butler (56), B Walsh for O’Neill, P Clancy for Molony (both 57), M O’Sullivan for Angulo, L Magee for Moore, D Grehan for Smyth, J O’Sullivan for Mark Walsh (all 60).

ST MARY’S COLLEGE: J Kelly; C Maguire, Z Hopkins, E Moynihan, J Halpin; P Neary, A Stronge; G Ewing, C Jacobs, J Molloy; M Egan, P Power; D Leane, L Flaherty, O’Brien.

Replacements: J Gannon for Ewing, J Christle for Molloy, D O’Shea for Power (all 44), A Crawley for Stronge, E Kenny for Neary, M Morrissey for Maguire (all 54), E Dillon for Egan, S Thornton for Flaherty (both 63).

Referee: R Jenkinson (LRR).