Johne Murphy’s Newbridge College book quarter-final spot with 38-point victory
The Kildare school ran out comprehensive winners over CBC Monkstown at Donnybrook this afternoon.
Newbridge College 45
CBC Monkstown 7
Daire Walsh reports from Donnybrook
NEWBRIDGE COLLEGE RECOVERED from a shaky start to safely book their place in the Leinster Schools Senior Cup quarter-finals at the expense of CBC Monkstown.
Coached by former Munster and Leicester Tigers utility back Johne Murphy – a former student of the school – Newbridge fell behind in the opening period to a Conor Anderson try.
However a six-try blitz either side of the break, which included a brace for captain Marcus Kiely, ensured that they will now face Kilkenny College in the last eight.
The quarter-final draw also sees defending champions St Michael’s College taking on Gonzaga College, while Belvedere College and Clongowes Wood College face Castleknock College and St Gerard’s Bray respectively.
Despite being rank outsiders, Monkstown opened the scoring when flanker Anderson was released for a routine finish over the whitewash. The influential Eoin Quinn added the extras to give Monkstown a strong platform on the first-quarter mark.
They looked set to hold onto this lead until the break, only for a determined Newbridge to respond in stoppage time. Kiely dotted down after bursting through a gap and Samuel Prendergast converted to leave the sides on level terms (7-7).
This was just the tonic for Newbridge and they completely turned the tables on Monkstown when the action resumed. Supplementing Prendergast’s six-point haul off the kicking tee, James Gaire crossed over in the right corner via Donal Conroy’s outlandish offload.
While Prendergast’s bonus strike was wide of the mark, replacement back David O’Sullivan got on the end of a sweeping counter-attack for Newbridge’s next try on 54 minutes.
It was turning into a damage limitation exercise for Monkstown, but the Kildare outfit were relentless in their pursuit of additional scores.
Kiely (his second), Lawlor and Conor Halpenny all bagged five-pointers in the closing minutes to seal the most comprehensive of triumphs.
Newbridge College scorers:Tries: Marcus Kiely (2), James Gaire, David O’Sullivan, Donough Lawlor, Conor Halpenny
Conversions: Samuel Prendergast (3 from 6).
Penalties: Samuel Prendergast (3 from 3)
CBC Monkstown scorers:Tries: Conor Anderson
Conversions: Eoin Quinn (1 from 1)
Penalties: Eoin Quinn (0 from 1)
NEWBRIDGE COLLEGE: Sam Cahill (John Shanahan ’58); James Gaire, Marcus Kiely (captain), Shane Fata (David O’Sullivan ’39), Donal Conroy; Samuel Prendergast, Cormac King (Conor Halpenny ’65); Peter Leavy (Luca Borgonova ’61), Fintan O’Malley (Geoff McNelis ’39), Benjamin Watson (Zia Ahmed ’39); Patrick O’Flaherty (Harry Masterson ’65), Diarmuid Mangan; Mark Dennis (Luke Dunleavy ’58), Conor McGroary, Donough Lawlor.
CBC MONKSTOWN: James Brindley; Mark Newman (Alex Lee ’68), Robbie Browne (Sam Cassidy ’63), Sean Cronin, James Newman (Peter Duffy ’46); Eoin Quinn (James O’Donoghue ’58), Ewan Watson; Calum McCoy (Sean Comiskey ’68), Seamus Flannery, Conor Eivers; Jamie Balmaine (Michael Donnelly ’42), Hugh Ross; Conor Anderson (Harry O’Neill ’55), Sam Montayne (Jack Reynolds ’68), Liam Forster (captain).
Referee: Glenn Sheridan.