LEINSTER SCHOOLS’ SENIOR CUP SEMI-FINAL
Opportunities go abegging
NEWBRIDGE COLLEGE……………………………………………… 8
CISTERCIAN COLLEGE ROSCREA……………………………….. 8
By DAIRE WALSH
There were opportunities for both sides to win it on the day, but in Donnybrook Stadium last Wednesday afternoon, Newbridge College and Cistercian College Roscrea ultimately couldn’t be separated in the Leinster Schools’ Senior Cup semi-final.
Jake Howlett’s first-half try had helped Newbridge to develop an eight-point interval advantage, but courtesy of Keith Kavanagh’s five-pointer, Roscrea had left the outcome firmly in the balance moving into the final-quarter of the contest.
Newbridge have had the Indian Sign over Cistercian College Roscrea in recent times, with the league final victories in 2013 and 2014 coming either side of a Senior Cup triumph last year. However, Roscrea’s shock success over defending champions Blackrock College raised the stakes considerably for this encounter, and they immediately embarked on the front-foot from the kick-off.
They were awarded a third-minute penalty inside the Newbridge half, but after Ireland Schools International Tim Foley opted for touch rather than the posts, the south Kildare boys forged a strong counter-attack to yield the opening try of the game.
Inspirational captain Jimmy O’Brien made a huge break from deep to open up the Roscrea defence, and his centre partner, Jake Howlett, was in the perfect position to cross over on the left-hand side. Scrum-half Colm Doyle was surprisingly off-target with his conversion attempt, but now that their account was up and running, there was cause for optimism amongst the Newbridge faithful.
Indeed, with 16 minutes gone on the clock, the dependable Doyle stepped forward to the kicking tee from a distance of 25 metres, and confidently secured the three points on offer.
This provided Newbridge with a suitable platform, and as the half progressed, O’Brien’s pace and composure on the ball was causing all sorts of difficulties for Roscrea.
Doyle had a chance to create serious daylight from the kicking tee four minutes prior to the break, but his strike dropped short on this occasion. However, an 8-0 lead was welcomed by Newbridge, who were aiming to reach their first final since 1996 and subsequently join Belvedere College in the March 17 decider.
Yet, Roscrea showed their strength in adversity against Blackrock, and after being narrowly denied a pushover try nine minutes into the period, Foley got their account up and running from a close-range place-kick.
Newbridge held firm under significant pressure, but Colm Stapleton had to be alert to beat Carroll to the loose ball on 52 minutes. This only acted as a brief respite for Newbridge, and when Roscrea developed a maul on the left-flank, Kavanagh was on hand to supply the finishing touches.
Fortunately for Newbridge, Foley’s two-point effort was off-target, but moving into the closing stages, there was a sense that Roscrea had momentum on their side.
Foley had a difficult time from the boot in last December’s league showpiece, and he was wayward once again from a 62nd minute penalty. Substitute winger Joe Murphy (who replaced Naas native Sean Kilgallen) looked set to make amends when he drove towards the line six minutes from the end, but a penalty was awarded to Newbridge instead.
Having soaked up all that Roscrea could throw at them, Newbridge made some inroads of their own, and rather than opt for the posts from a tight angle late on, Dave Brew’s charges chose a five-metre scrum as a realistic alternative. This almost paid off but thanks to strong work from Roscrea, a fourth meeting of the season beckoned for the two teams which was fixed for yesterday (Monday March 9).
Scorers for Newbridge College: Jake Howlett try, Colm Doyle penalty.
Scorers for Cistercian College Roscrea: Keith Kavanagh try, Tim Foley penalty.
NEWBRIDGE COLLEGE: Mark Delaney; Ruairi Cleary, Jake Howlett, Jimmy O’Brien, Colm Stapleton; Tim Murphy, Colm Doyle; Jordan Duggan, Conor Johnson, David Breen; Mike Joyce, Brian Larkin; Tom O’Neill, Robert Buckley, Patrick Ryan. Replacements: Austin Mahony for Joyce (64), Robert Culliton for Ryan (64), Dylan Walker for Buckley (64).
CISTERCIAN COLLEGE ROSCREA: Tim Carroll; Daniel Keane, Rob Wharton, Tim Foley, Sean Kilgallen; Alan Tynan, Keith Kavanagh; Liam Walsh, Eoghan Maher, Dylan Maher; Fineen Wycherley, Aaron Browne; Simon Meagher, Mattie Keane, Dan Trayers. Replacements: Brian Diffley for Meagher (50), Joe Murphy for Kilgallen (50), Peter Gavin for Browne (58), Philip O’Shea for Wharton (70).
REFEREE: Gary Conway (Leinster Branch).