Newbridge and St Andrew’s advance to semi-finals
Leinster Schools’ Senior Cup
by Daire Walsh
Newbridge College and St Andrew’s College will join Clongowes Wood and defending champions Blackrock at the semi-final stage of the Beauchamps Leinster Schools’ Senior Cup, following their respective victories over St Mary’s and Gonzaga College in yesterday’s concluding last-eight encounters.
Newbridge saw off Mary’s 17-10. Newbridge opened the scoring after 10 minutes with a 35m penalty by Joe D’Arcy, but found themselves facing a two-point deficit 13 minutes later, when Mary’s No 8 Niall Curran drove over for an unconverted try.
Following an extended spell of pressure in first-half stoppage time, Newbridge flanker Matt O’Connor touched down, and left-wing D’Arcy expertly supplying the bonuses to give the Kildare men a 10-5 interval lead.
A magnificent try just after the restart by full-back Terry Kennedy (son of former Irish international Terry Sr) had left the game delicately poised but with prop Jonathan Phelan crossing over six minutes later, Newbridge’s midway lead had been restored.
Another successful D’Arcy conversion offered more breathing space, and Newbridge withstood a late Mary’s onslaught (as well as 11 tension-filled minutes of injury-time) to progress.
Of the four teams left in the cup, Andrew’s will be viewed as the outsiders, but they showed they are forced to be reckoned with, as they easily swept aside the challenge of Gonzaga at Donnybrook on a scoreline of 47-3.
A rampant Andrew’s had effectively put the tie beyond any doubt when they led 33-3 at the break.
Having crossed over on five occasions before the interval, Andrew’s were less emphatic upon the resumption, but another brace of converted scores emphasised their superiority.