Rampant Rock remain on course for another double
Blackrock College……………………………………. 41
Terenure College……………………………………… 03
By Daire Walsh
Schools rugby
Blackrock College’s quest for a back-to-back Leinster Schools junior and senior Cup double continued in emphatic fashion at Donnybrook, as the 47-time champions scored seven tries in the demolition of Terenure College.
Opening-quarter tries from the front-row pairing of Andrew Savage and Stephen McLoughlin, as well as one from scrum-half Patrick Patterson, had set Rock on their way, and even though Nure halted this sequence with a 17th minute Jake Moore penalty, a fantastic try by Liam Turner helped Rock towards an unassailable 22-3 interval lead.
With pride at stake upon the resumption, Nure stuck admirably to their task, but they couldn’t break down a watertight Rock defence, and further scores by Reece Plumtree, Turner (his second) and John Gallagher comfortably sealed the Williamstown school’s passage to the March 23 decider.
Scorers for Blackrock College: L Turner 2 tries, A Savage, S McLoughlin, P Patterson, R Plumtree, J Gallagher try each, P O’Reilly 3 cons.
Scorers for Terenure College: J Moore pen.
BLACKROCK COLLEGE: J Moriarty; J Gallagher, L Turner, R Plumtree, R Deegan; P O’Reilly, P Patterson; A Francis, S McLoughlin, A Savage; C Ryan, C Delaney; C Reilly, J Fairley, A Murphy.
Replacements: M Carroll for Fairley (35), J Byrne for Francis, A Noble for Savage, T Roche for Deegan, M Campbell for Delaney, J McShane for McLoughlin (all 50), E Bleakly for Murphy (53), M Phelan for Patterson (60).
TERENURE COLLEGE: C Ashmore; J Strahan, A La Grue, J Murphy, K Sweeney; M Fabian, M Eaton; Z Vaughan, J Cadell, J Kerins; C Somerville, J O’Hare; F Bolger, A Melia, C Shenton.
Replacements: J Moore for Fabian (11), R McGrath for Ashmore (h-t), P Heneghan for Bolger (37), S Heslin for Eaton (47), B Bruce for Cadell, B O’Hara for Vaughan, M D’Arcy for Kerins, H O’Dowd Nolan for O’Hare all (55).
Referee: J Carvill (LRR).