Clongowes signal intent with 20-point win over Terenure
Calum Dowling scored two tries as Clongowes eased into the quarter-finals.
Clongowes Wood College 34
Terenure College 14
Daire Walsh reports from Donnybrook
CLONGOWES WOOD COLLEGE issued a serious statement of intent at Donnybrook as they stormed to an emphatic 20-point victory at the expense of Terenure College in the Leinster Schools Senior Cup.
Despite falling behind to Barra Dignam’s second-quarter try, Clongowes turned the tables on the 10-time champions with tries from Jack Kearney, Calum Dowling (two) and Peter Maher. Scrum-half Oisin Devitt also contributed 14 points off the kicking tee as the Clane side comfortably advanced to the quarter-final stage.
Things had initially looked bright for Dan Parkinson’s Terenure, who broke the deadlock with 22 minutes on the clock. After he spotted a gap inside the Clongowes half, Matthew McGetrick-Stafford released Dignam for a fine finish in the left-corner.
Mattie Lynch superbly split the posts off a touchline conversion, but their lead proved to be a short-lived one. At the end of a prolonged move, Clongowes lock Kearney crossed over to the left of the posts.
Deputising for the injured David Wilkinson, Devitt supplied the bonuses and also added a close-range penalty to offer the north Kildare outfit a 10-7 interval advantage. They created further daylight on the resumption when the influential Dowling touched down against the base of the posts.
‘Nure subsequently enjoyed a sustained spell of possession close inside the opposition ’22′, but couldn’t found their way through a watertight rearguard. Clongowes, on the other hand, were far more clinical with the opportunities that fell their way.
Tom Mulcair’s powerful break provided the framework for Maher’s 50th-minute try and Dowling later bagged his second to round off an incisive breakaway attack.
A resilient ‘Nure finally responded through replacement winger Jack Whelan in the closing-quarter but courtesy of another Devitt place-kick, Clongowes eased into the next round.
Clongowes Wood College Scorers: Tries: Jack Kearney, Calum Dowling 2, Peter Maher; Conversions: Oisin Devitt [4 from 4]; Penalties: Oisin Devitt [2 from 2]
Terenure College Scorers: Tries: Barra Dignam, Jack Whelan; Conversions: Mattie Lynch [2 from 2]
CLONGOWES WOOD COLLEGE: Rory Morrin; Michael Spillane, Peter Maher, Chris Grimes, Sean Sexton; Charlie Reilly (James Coonan ’48), Oisin Devitt (Harry MacGoey ’68); Luke McMahon (Ruairi O’Regan ’60), Eoghan Cumbers (Hugh Hogan ’60), Barry Dooley (Eddie Carr ’60); Jack Kearney, Tom Mulcair (Killian Fitzpatrick ’57); Evan O’Boyle (Harry O’Neill ’60), Calum Dowling (John Carroll ’66), Diarmuid McCormack.
TERENURE COLLEGE: Patsakorn Kidd; Oisin Lydon (Yago Fernandez Vilar ’55), Harvey O’Donoghue, Matthew McGetrick-Stafford, Barra Dignam (Jack Whelan ’52); Mattie Lynch, Liam Nolan (Alex Smith ’68); Sean Daly (Harry Cullinan ’66), Max Russell (Ethan Holohan ’55), Adam Byrne (Yegor Spellman ’68); Rory Byrne (Cuan Doyle ’48), TJ Durran; Darragh Brooks (Jack Doyle ’60), Tommy Farrelly, Alex Dempsey.
Referee: Brian MacNiece.