Schools' Rugby Leinster Senior Cup: Blackrock College - 22 St Mary's College - 20 If Blackrock College win the Leinster Schools' Senior Cup they will reflect on yesterday's first-round game at Donnybrook. Prior to the kick-off they lost outhalf Daniel Barnett to a haematoma and had to move Conor O'Daly to the pivot position with Neal Murphy coming into the centre.
At the interval they trailed 17-3, having been outplayed up front and seemingly incapable of stringing more than two or three phases together. What transpired will rank as one of the great comebacks in schools lore.
St Mary's appeared bullet- proof, hooker Gavin O'Meara and second rows Conor McInerney, in particular, and Colin Burke offering a masterclass out of touch. The catch and drive was a hugely productive yardage earner while in outhalf Jonathan Sexton they boasted the game's most talented performer. Whether turning Blackrock with raking punts or simply varying the point of contact, Sexton was virtually foot perfect and this also applied to his place-kicking.
Gusting winds, slanting rain and a dreadful surface offered a ready excuse for substandard fare but both teams produced rugby that belied those constraints.
The ease with which St Mary's bossed most of the first half was surprising. Three times in the first quarter they smuggled the ball over the Blackrock line but failed to ground it to the referee's satisfaction. They also spurned a glorious opportunity when centre Jack Finnigan hesitated six yards from the 'Rock line with left wing Daragh Fanning screaming for the scoring pass.
Sexton did exact some reward for their dominance with a drop goal but they had to wait until the 17th minute for a first try, O'Meara driven over following another superb catch and drive from a lineout. Sexton added a brilliant conversion.
Kevin Gallivan and Marc Aboud carried ball powerfully but it was Sexton's pinpoint accuracy in punting that was guaranteeing excellent field position. On 31 minutes St Mary's grabbed a second try, Robert Hudson demonstrating soft hands on the short pop pass and Finnigan choosing a beautiful angle to slice and then barge through the cover.
Sexton converted and even though O'Daly managed a penalty in first-half injury time, it seemed more a token gesture.
Blackrock required a fast start to the second half and they managed this. The pack, especially Gary Walsh, captain Diarmuid Laffan and Darren O'Reilly made the hard yards before unleashing the backs.
St Mary's were warned on 40 minutes when full back David Nyhan glided through a gap but he failed to release the unmarked Vasya Artemiev. Four minutes later, following six rucks in the shadow of the St Mary's posts, Laffan forced his way over and O'Daly posted a superb conversion. At 17-10 Blackrock smelt blood.
Within 90 seconds they were level. Nyhan again did the damage on the shortside from a scrum just inside the Blackrock half, easing through a gap before linking with O'Daly. The outhalf released Michael Kavanagh, who sped away from the cover. O'Daly converted to tie the match.
St Mary's rallied, Sexton kicking a penalty before missing with a similar opportunity before Blackrock again wrested the initiative. They forced their opponents to concede a succession of penalties and with just a little over one minute remaining, from a ruck a couple of metres from the St Mary's line, Blackrock second row Ray O'Hara forced his way over. It was a suitably emotional end to a cracking contest: a game of two halves really.
SCORING SEQUENCE: 9 mins; Sexton drop goal, 3-0; 17 mins: O'Meara try, Sexton conversion, 10-0; 31 mins: Finnigan try, Sexton conversion, 17-0; 35(+2) mins: O'Daly penalty, 17-3. Half-time: 17-3. 44 mins: Laffan try, O'Daly conversion, 17-10; 45 mins: Kavanagh try, O'Daly conversion, 17-17; 52 mins: Sexton penalty, 20-17; 68 mins: O'Hara try, 20-22.
BLACKROCK COLLEGE: D Nyhan; M Kavanagh, N Murphy, J Power, V Artemiev; C O'Daly, D Madigan; G Walsh, P Young, S Snell, M Cantrell, R O'Hara, D Laffan (capt), D O'Reilly, G Flanagan. Replacements: L Fitzgerald for Murphy (34 mins); N Lysaght for Flanagan (61 mins); C McGough for Cantrell (61 mins).
ST MARY'S COLLEGE: R Gannon; C Hogan, R Hudson, J Finnigan, D Fanning; J Sexton (capt), B McDermott; B McGovern, G O'Meara, R Morris, C McInerney, C Burke, D Flood, K Gallivan, M Aboud.
Referee: K Henley-Willis (Munster).
