Gonzaga hold off valiant King’s Hospital fightback to reach quarter-final
Two first-half tries from Roddy Fitzpatrick paved way for victory
Gonzaga 26, King’s Hospital 19: A brace of first-half tries from winger Roddy Fitzpatrick were of immense importance at Balbriggan RFC yesterday afternoon, whenGonzaga College held off a late surge from King’s Hospital to book their place in the quarter-final of the Beauchamp Solicitors Leinster Schools Senior Cup.
The Ranelagh school can now look forward to a last-eight showdown with St Andrew’s College, and on the basis of this performance, they will fancy their chances of progressing.
This meeting had suffered a number of postponements, and but it was the favoured Gonzaga who opened the scoring with just nine minutes gone on the clock. A sharp pass from a scrum by Nick Peters provided the platform for half-back partner Ross McKeever to cross over, and with the outhalf converting, Gonzaga had shown that they meant business.
This seven-point salvo from the impressive number 10 proved to be a confidence-boosting moment for Gonzaga, and they quickly supplemented their tally when Fitzpatrick embarked on a lung-bursting run on the left-flank, before touching down in devastating fashion underneath the posts for a second converted try.
It looked like the boys in green were on course to saunter towards a commanding victory, but King’s Hospital threw a spanner into the works with a supremely-executed try of their own courtesy of flanker Connor Spillane.
Outhalf Daniel Courtney missed the conversion, but King’s were now firmly in the reckoning. But they were hit with a real sucker punch on the stroke of half-time, when the outstanding Fitzpatrick once again evaded a series of challenges to record his second try.
McKeever couldn’t quite find his range on this occasion, but Gonzaga nevertheless had reason to be satisfied with a 19-5 interval cushion. This certainly wasn’t an insurmountable deficit for King’s to negotiate, but when a neat offload by captain Andy Marks set-up a 44th minute try for Oscar O’Clerigh, a Gonzaga triumph seemed inevitable.
King’s Hospital gave themselves a fighting chance of turning the tide in their direction thanks to a fine finish on the right-hand side by bustling number eight Matthew Bursey.
As a result of this score (which was converted by Courtney), there was a sense of panic from Gonzaga as the final whistle approached, and secondrow Connor Kerr found a way through the opposition cover for his side’s third try on the stroke of 70 minutes.
Unfortunately, it proved to be a case of too little, too late for the Palmerstown boys, and when Gonzaga secured possession from the final attack, their passage to the next phase was finally sealed.
GONZAGA COLLEGE: B Goulding; K O’Connor, O O’Clerigh, A Marks, R Fitzpatrick; R McKeever, N Peters; E Byrne, G Rumley, R Barry; C Horan, T Mays; P Ryan, F Ryan, M McVey.
Replacements: F Keane for P Ryan (39 mins), D Meenan for Goulding (65 mins), S Holly for Rumley (67 mins).
KING’S HOSPITAL: R Lawless; L Morgan, R Olusa, W Potterton, D Byrne; D Courtney, R Sharkey; D Ables, R Charman, N Mipko; F Shilling, C Kerr; J Hogan, C Spillane, M Bursey.
Replacements: C Petit for Ables (h-t), C Murphy for Charman (55 mins), Ables for Petit (65 mins), M Brennan for Byrne (65 mins).
Referee: C Dawson (MAR).