Four-try Terenure progress to Leinster Schools Senior Cup semis with routine win against Wesley
Terenure College registered four tries at Energia Park on Wednesday afternoon to comfortably book their place in the semi-finals of the Leinster Schools Senior Cup at the expense of south Dublin rivals Wesley College.
With Gareth Morgan also contributing 15 points off the kicking to supplement clinical finishes over the whitewash by Ethan Balamash, Ben Blaney, Geoff O’Sullivan and Josh Mooney, ‘Nure are now just 70 minutes away from reaching a first final at this grade since 2009.
After coming under some initial pressure, Terenure – who defeated Clongowes Wood College in the opening round – broke the deadlock courtesy of a fourth-minute penalty from fly-half Morgan. This helped them to settle into the contest and after flanker Mooney had carried powerfully inside the Wesley half on six minutes, Terenure spread the ball out wide for Balamash to race on the right-wing.
Morgan followed up his successful conversion to this score with a routine penalty and in the wake of Wesley back-row Louis L’Estrange being sent to the sin-bin, Terenure broke through for a second try from No 8 Blaney on the stroke of 20 minutes.
‘Nure did suffer a minor set-back when their lock Frank Maher was yellow carded, but the 10-time champions ultimately held firm in his temporary absence to bring a 20-0 cushion into the interval.
While Morgan fired a place-kick past the posts at the very end of the opening period, he made amends a little over five minutes into the second half to enhance an already comfortable Terenure lead.
The Templeogue Road outfit continued to dominate possession and territory as the action progressed and after full-back O’Sullivan had bagged their third try on 48 minutes, the impressive Mooney rounded off another enterprising attack with his own five-pointer inside the final-quarter.
To their credit, Wesley persevered with their challenge and out-half Charlie Hempenstall finally opened their account with a late try off a well-worked move that he also converted. Yet this proved to be a mere consolation for the Ballinteer school on a day when Terenure convincingly became the first side to reach the penultimate rounds of this year’s Senior Cup.
Tries: E Balamash, B Blaney, G O’Sullivan, J Mooney Cons: G Morgan 3 Pens: G Morgan 3.
Tries: C Hempenstall Cons: C Hempenstall.
G O’Sullivan (W O’Leary 55); E Balmash, M Kennedy, A Swords, B Dohnal (N Fallon 52); G Morgan, J Coleman (A Boehm 61); P Kelly (L Zelman 52), C Hyland (R O’Brien 35), A Cooper (E McMonagle 61); L McNiff (M Candon 61), F Maher; J Mooney (S Gavin 54), M Smyth, B Blaney.
M Colbert; M Wystepek, D Gilmore (R Fox 63), N Heatley, J Duffy; C Hempenstall, J Freyne (S Ryan 65); E Caddow (R Neill 65), T Burke (J Cullen 69), J Cullen (J Mulhall 54); A Gordon, I Reid (H Jones 70); L L’Estrange (C Whelan 58), S McMullin (H Shannon 54), T Campbell.
R Jenkinson (LRR).