Generally, the result is more important than the performance, especially in cup rugby. This was certainly the case at Anglesea Road yesterday as St Michael's greeted the final whistle with a degree of exhilaration that could only mean they were through to the Leinster Schools' Junior Cup semi-final.

From the start, St Michael's had a cohesive look between their backs and forwards with flankers Simon Maguire and number eight Jonathan Rockett prominent in the loose. Their power play was rewarded as early as the second minute as scrum-half Ruairi Cushion made the most of purposeful and direct running to go over for a try on the left.

St Michael's were in control. Yet, CBC began to settle to their task. The pack, with Lorcan Kavanagh, Marcello O'Reilly and Keith Doyle always close to the action, began to gain ground. In the eighth minute, centre Jonathan Collins kicked a penalty to make it 5-3.

In the second half, however, St Michael's went close to widening the gap. In the 44th minute, fullback James Byrne knocked on with the line at his mercy. After that, Michael Lawlor suffered a similar fate in a very promising situation well into the Monkstown 22.

St Michael's: J Byrne; G Doyle, M Lawlor, C Geoghegan, G Dixon; B Cleary, R Cushion; B Maher, K Moran, J Coyle, G Maguire, D Carroll, S Maguire, J McCarthy, J Rockett.

Cbc Monkstown: J Conran; P Casey, B O'Connor, J Collins, C O'Toole; O O'Malley, R Murphy; M MacHale, D Murphy, P Cogavin, L Kavanagh, C Kennedy, E Healy, M O'Reilly, K Doyle. Replacements: M Cooney for Murphy (36 mins), E O'Dea for MacHale.

Referee: N Lynnis (ARLB).