Belvo must overcome Rock again for hat-trick
Leinster Schools’ Senior Cup final
Daire Walsh
Defending champions Belvedere College will be aiming to make their own piece of history in the Leinster Schools Senior Cup final at the RDS tomorrow afternoon (kick-off 2pm).
Back-to-back winners on three separate occasions, Belvo are now 70 minutes away from securing a third consecutive senior crown for the very first time.
Standing in their way will be Blackrock College – the team they defeated in last year’s decider.
Way out in front on the roll of honour with an astonishing 68 titles, ‘Rock were the last school to claim three final successes on the bounce (1948-50).
On their respective paths back to the final, both teams encountered significant speed bumps.
A Stephen Madigan drop-goal helped ‘Rock to scrape by St Gerard’s, Bray in a tense final-eight encounter, before Justin Vanstone’s side produced their best performance of the campaign in a 42-15 semi-final demolition of St Mary’s College.
Meanwhile, Belvo followed up wins against Gonzaga and Newbridge with an extraordinary comeback victory over St Michael’s College.
Trailing 19-3 on the hour mark, David Lacey and Mateusz Galinski combined to squeeze Phil Werahiko’s charges over the line.
No 8 Ruadhan Byron returns from last year’s Belvo team, while Liam Turner and Tom Maher are the sole links to ‘Rock’s 2017 starting side.
With just seven points (10-3) separating the teams 12 months ago, we can expect another tight affair between these Metropolitan rivals in Ballsbridge.
BLACKROCK COLLEGE (probable): S Madigan; L McMahon, L Turner, T Maher, H Donnelly; J Tarrant, L O’Reilly; D Mescal, S Molony, T Clarkson, S O’Brien, J Stapleton, J Dixon, M McGagh, E Brennan.
BELVEDERE COLLEGE (probable): D Lacey; A O’Grady, M Grogan, C Mulvaney, A Loughrey; J Meagher, T Walsh; J Gleeson, L Harmon, C Cagney, N Howard, J Murphy, G Hill, A Coleman, R Byron.