Schools Rugby Leinster Junior Cup Final
Win secures a second consecutive Leinster Schools’ Junior and Senior Cup double
Blackrock College………………………………………………………. 14
Belvedere College………………………………………………………. 10
Tries in either half by Patrick Patterson and Tom Roche were crucial at the Tallaght Stadium yesterday afternoon, as Blackrock College held off a late charge from Belvedere College to secure a second consecutive Leinster Schools’ Junior and Senior Cup double.
In a break from tradition, this was the first time that the competition’s decider was played in the ground that counts Shamrock Rovers as their principle tenants, and following the gripping 2013 showpiece between the same two sides, anticipation was certainly high in the Whitestown Way venue. Both teams had been impressive en route to the final, but it was the challengers to the throne who had to be patient during the opening-quarter, as Justin Vanstone’s back-to-back chasing outfit embarked on the front-foot.
Penalty
Rock out-half Peter O’Reilly was wide of the mark from a 35 metre penalty 10 minutes in, but the deadlock was finally broken by the Williamstown school just four minutes later.
A prolonged move on the right-flank ended with scrum-half Patterson breaking over for the first try of the contest, and thanks to a superb O’Reilly bonus kick, ‘Rock had opened up a seven-point cushion.
Yet, as the interval approached, Belvo were starting to pose serious questions for their southside rivals, and although left-wing Dylan Corrigan Forbes was forced into touch just before he crossed the whitewash three minutes into time added on, he did split the posts from a long-range place-kick to reduce the deficit to four points (7-3).
This set-up an intriguing second period, and when ‘Rock full-back James Moriarty departed the scenes through injury just four minutes after the restart, the pendulum was beginning to swing in Belvo’s direction. Roche made an instant impact in Moriarty’s place, as he touched down at the end of an incisive drive just two minutes after his introduction.
O’Reilly’s conversion was sealed with relative ease, and ‘Rock once again found themselves in the driving seat. The 53rd minute sin-binning of prop Alan Francis did unsettle them, though, and persistent play inside the ‘Rock half in stoppage time eventually paid dividends for ‘Belvo, who finally breached the opposition line courtesy of David Hawkshaw.
Two points also followed from substitute David Lacey, but in spite of their best endeavours, Belvo came up just short in the end, and Roche’s second-half try effectively steered Blackrock towards their 48th Junior Cup success.
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: T Roche for Moriarty (34), M Carroll for Delaney (47), A Noble for Reilly (55), J McShane for Noble (61), M Campbell for Ryan (61).
BELVEDERE COLLEGE: R Clarke; M Donnelly, C Walsh, P Smith, D Corrigan Forbes; D Hawkshaw, H O’Sullivan; S Osborne, G Murray, J Robinson; D Ring, D McKenna; R Byron, C Byrne, M Kearney. Replacements: J Doorly for McKenna (47), A Grennel for Murray (52), D Lacey for Corrigan Forbes (53), P Maher for Walsh (58), O O’Brien for Doorly (64).
Referee: D Blake (LRR).