Leinster Schools Cup/Blackrock College 35 St Gerard's School 13: Pluck, honest toil and flashes of genuine quality won this St Gerard's School team admirers at Lansdowne Road but it wasn't sufficient to discommode a Blackrock College team chasing successive Leinster Schools Senior Cup titles.
This is an excellent Blackrock team, technically adept in all facets of the game, and capable of a multi-dimensional approach. If grunt and perspiration are required to make the hard yards there is a long queue to discharge those duties, but if the situation requires a more cerebral or artistic inclination, the latest incarnation in the blue and white can fulfil those remits.
Then there is Luke Fitzgerald. An unfortunate injury to luckless James Power meant Fitzgerald was shunted from fullback to outside centre for this match. The fifth year student didn't bat an eyelid, dominating this game as he would have had he been posted at fullback.
He is a player of huge potential; his impact on matches from an individual perspective would bear favourable comparison with outstanding schoolboys players of this or any other generation. He is blessed with balance, pace, vision and awareness and is a punishing tackler. It is difficult not to marvel at his ability to slalom his way through human traffic, no matter how cluttered the channels.
He first touched the ball in a positive manner going forward in the 12th minute and on the second occasion, a matter of seconds later, he wafted the ball before the massed ranks. As defenders' eyes were drawn to the ball Fitzgerald shimmied one way then another to cross for a superb individual try.
In first half injury-time he chose an exquisite line to hit the hole on halfway, stepped inside and then outside defenders and was only corralled a metre from the line. Flanker Zac Farvivarz nudged his way over for a try.
Gerard's relief was almost tangible when Fitzgerald was tossed a tracksuit on 58 minutes.
Blackrock, though, are far from a one-man outfit. The pack provided a powerful platform with Cian Culleton and Darren O'Reilly the main buttresses while Mark Lynch and Eoin Mullen were no less effective in a fine unit.
Ian Madigan's distribution was a little off-kilter yesterday but it can't camouflage his ability while left wing Vasya Artemiev is a consummate, if under utilised, finisher.
Gerard's needed to avail of every opportunity to harbour any chance of an upset but the penalty opportunities that fell to their excellent outhalf Kyle Tonetti - he has earlier given them a 3-0 lead with a more straight-forward chance - were from long range.
They were also hindered by the fact that a blatant knock-on went uncensored in the build-up to Blackrock's second try. It wouldn't have changed the course of history, though. Gerard's, too, are endowed with some fine athletes, notably second row Michael Rosenstock, flanker Burschi Wojnar, captain and number eight Zach Desmond, Tonetti, Simon Campbell and right wing Cailbhe Doherty.
Tonetti's sixth-minute penalty was the minimum Gerard's deserved for a bright opening but after Fitzgerald's first try, Blackrock flipped through a few pages of the playbook. Mark Lynch was driven over from a lineout, Fitzgerald converted and when the latter fluffed a drop goal effort, Lynch offered a masterclass seconds later, the flanker dropping a goal from a loose clearance.
Right wing Rory Keaveney crossed for a try after Niall Morris slipped out of a couple of tackles. At 20-3 it appeared ominous for Gerard's but they responded with a try of their own, kicking a penalty to touch and driving Wojnar over from a close-in lineout.
From the kick-off Fitzgerald's dazzling footwork for Farvivarz's try meant that Blackrock's interval lead was fleshed out to 27-8. Fitzgerald kicked a penalty, Blackrock emptied their bench, Desmond responded with a superbly crafted try for Gerard's before replacement Bryan Johnston window-dressed Blackrock's victory with a late try.
An entertaining encounter was enriched by both sides' attitudes and the rugby they produced.
Scoring sequence: 6 mins: Tonetti pen, 3-0; 12: Fitzgerald try, 3-5; 18: Lynch try, Fitzgerald con, 3-12; 28: Lynch dp gl, 3-15; 32: Keaveney try, 3-20; 35: Wojnar try, 8-20; 35(+2): Farvivarz try, Fitzgerald con, 8-27; Half-time: 8-27. 53: Fitzgerald pen, 8-30; 62: Desmond try, 13-30; 69: Johnston try, 35-13.
BLACKROCK COLLEGE: N Morris; R Keaveney, F Moran, L Fitzgerald, V Artemiev; I Madigan, D Moore; C Culleton, E Mullen, E Ó Cuilleanáin; P Ryan, B Cawley; Z Farvivarz, M Lynch, D O'Reilly (capt). Replacements: B Johnston for Madigan (50 mins), D O'Connor for O'Reilly (56 mins); S Donnelly for Fitzgerald (58 mins); D Hegarty for Ryan (65 mins); W Kavanagh for O Cuilleaneáin (66 mins); E Baker for Farvivarz, J Coleman for Artemiev (both 67 mins).
ST GERARD'S SCHOOL: A Power; C Doherty, S Campbell, G Mooney, S Nelson; K Tonetti, E Lynch; J Kinsella, N Bitove, C Kenna; M Rosenstock, N Kruseman; R Headley, B Wojnar, Z Desmond (capt). Replacements: C McDermott for Kruseman (50 mins), A Whelan for Kenna (51 mins), E Deveney for Campbell, J Carroll for Headley (both 65 mins).
Referee: D Keane (IRFU).
