LEINSTER SENIOR CUP SECOND ROUND/BLACKROCK - 23; GONZAGA - 7: This was an enthralling confrontation, a much better spectacle than anyone dared hope for given the elements. The match may have started in winter sunshine but halfway through the first half the the rain, exacerbated by a strong wind, sheeted down, turning a muddy pitch into a quagmire.
The combatants deserve great credit for the quality of fare, especially the handling and set-piece play. That Blackrock emerged victorious at Donnybrook is a testament to their self-belief and patience.
They didn't panic, just stuck to their patterns and waited to create the openings. These may have been few and far between but crucially Blackrock took two of them in the form of tries, the remainder of the points coming from the boot of outhalf Conor Sharpe.
They first crossed the Gonzaga line on 20 minutes. A controlled catch and drive from a lineout - Owen Cullen had a superb afternoon out of touch, as did Gonzaga's Kevin McLaughlin - saw the Blackrock pack rumble to within a couple of metres of the Gonzaga line. From the ruck, centre Ken Copeland's dancing feet and one-handed lunge allowed him to negotiate the defending traffic.
A hard working and well-drilled Blackrock eight made the hard yards while the back line's facility, particularly that of centres Ken Copeland and Morgan Crowe, to offload before the tackle saw them splice open the Gonzaga defence on several occasions.
John Hearty's strong running from full back was always a threat. It is a tribute to Gonzaga that they more than matched their opponents for long stretches and none epitomised this more than outhalf Simon Morrissey. His power and pace proved a handful and, along with full back Scott McCarron and number eight Kevin McLaughlin, he took the game to Blackrock.
Inspired by their representative trio the rest of the team responded, especially hooker Paddy Flood and left wing Michael Murray. Morrissey, having missed an early penalty, hauled his side level on 28 minutes. Its origins were similar to Blackrock's try, starting with a lineout five metres out and from the second ruck, the Gonzaga outhalf burrowed under the covering tacklers. He posted the conversion and the sides reached the interval locked at 7-7.
The contest hinged on a three-minute spell shortly after half-time when Blackrock rattled up 10 unanswered points, providing a buffer from the ensuing backlash. Sharpe kicked a penalty and then replacement David Blain profited from a superb break from scrumhalf Cillian Willis to surge onto the latter's pass and scamper home.
Sharpe's conversion and a second penalty on 46 minutes eased Blackrock into a 20-7 lead. Gonzaga responded but despite several forays into their opponents' 22 over the next 15 minutes they just could not find the try line.
In this respect the defending of the Blackrock back row was outstanding, forcing turnovers, and from the put-in number eight and captain Colm Treston would invariably break the first tackle and offer an inviting target for the pack to sweep on to.
Blackrock finished the game as they had begun, on the attack, and Sharpe's third penalty, in injury time, embellished a fine performance. They meet St Mary's College in the quarter-finals in what could be the match of the competition.
SCORING SEQUENCE: 20 mins: Copeland try, Sharpe conversion, 7-0; 28: Morrissey try, Morrissey conversion, 7-7. Half-time: 7-7. 38: Sharpe penalty, 10-7; 41: Blain try, Sharpe conversion, 17-7; 46: Sharpe penalty, 20-7; 71: Sharpe penalty, 23-7.
BLACKROCK: J Hearty; B Canavan, K Copeland, M Crowe, S Malone; C Sharpe, C Willis; N Crowley, P Lindsay, C Murphy; O Cullen, D O'Dwyer; D Johnson, C Treston (capt), K O'Toole. Replacements: D Blain for Copeland 40 mins; S McClafferty for O'Toole 55 mins; J Mannion for Lindsay 64 mins; P McCormack for Willis 66 mins; B Scanlon for Cullen 71 mins.
GONZAGA: R McCarron (capt); R O'Connor, G King, F Geoghegan, M Murray; S Morrissey, G Ensor; J O'Regan, P Flood, P Kilkenny; E Tuite, N Morris; R Laffan, K McLaughlin, P Dillon. Replacement: S McQuaid for Laffan 56 mins.
Referee: N Lynas (Leinster).
