St Mary's College - 18, Blackrock College - 11: It was a marvellous contest. Two excellent sides engaged in a fierce encounter, with quarter neither asked nor given in producing the match of the Leinster Schools' Senior Cup to date.
About 5,000 people were treated to pulsating battle that swung first one way then another, with the supporters of both sides offered no respite as the outcome was in doubt up until St Mary's College left wing Ronan Doherty's injury-time try.
It is a tribute to the combatants that they managed to conjure a tremendous spectacle, operating under the fussy and intrusive constraints of referee Tony Redmond's whistle. A lack of consistency in the application of the laws - the driving mauls from lineouts being one particular case where the teams were treated differently - and a couple of crucial errors intruded on the enjoyment.
Blackrock may have been favoured by the penalty count, 16-12, but ironically it was one such award that probably cost them the game. Defending close to their own line and trailing 13-11 deep into injury time, they turned over possession and a frisson of excitement ran through the spectators. Although only a matter of metres from their own line, they had a five-on-two numerical advantage, all backs, and would probably have taken play the length of the pitch and scored a try. Instead Redmond whistled and brought them back to award Blackrock a penalty. The players were incredulous; they were not alone.
It would have been incredibly harsh on St Mary's had Blackrock managed to deal that fatal injury-time coup, for the Rathmines school just about deserved their victory on the day. They physically dominated the Blackrock pack for important periods of the game and having belatedly recognised this superiority, shied away from the over complicated backline gambits.
It was a monumental performance from the St Mary's eight and while it seems a little invidious to single out individuals from such a fine collective display, it would be wrong not to recognise the contributions of the front row. Cillian O'Byrne, Ollie McCormack and Robert Sweeney were tyros in the lose and bossed their opponents in the scrum. Sweeney's bullocking runs, making the hard yards, provided an inspiration for his team.
The second-row partnership of Niall Conway and Fergus O'Sullivan guaranteed a steady stream of possession: the back row was equally effective. Ciaran Lennon proved a very able deputy. Scrumhalf Simon Gibney produced a towering performance, spoiling his talented Cillian Willis on several occasions, a couple of times for crucial turnovers.
While Blackrock were a little more slick behind the scrum, particularly centres Thomas O'Leary and Ken Copeland, they too were bolstered by excellent performances in the pack. Owen Cullen, under severe pressure, did well in the lineout, while the back row of Keelan O'Toole, Colm Treston and Daniel Johnson worked very hard, particularly in defence.
Conor Sharpe opened the scoring for Blackrock with a penalty, only for Michael Finlay to respond in kind and it was St Mary's who nudged ahead on 25 minutes. O'Sullivan caught and redirected a lineout inside the Blackrock 22, the St Mary's pack quickly mauled one way then another, with Sweeney eventually plunging over the line.
Blackrock demonstrated their mettle shortly before half-time, Willis - not withstanding the suspicion of a knock-on earlier in the passage of play - took a quick free kick 12 metres from the St Mary's line and O'Leary timed his pass perfectly to send Copeland over.
Sharpe missed a penalty soon after the interval, but three minutes later landed an easier opportunity to nudge Blackrock 11-8 ahead. St Mary's responded with a try from Finlay on 53 minutes. Gibney spoiled Willis at a scrum and from the turnover, the ball was moved to Finlay who crashed over.
Sharpe had one final penalty opportunity but could not convert it as the game became increasingly frenetic. Then five minutes into injury time, McCormack took a strike against the head on halfway, excellent flanker James Ryan broke and ran 30 metres, timing his pass to Gibney and the scrumhalf allowed Doherty to step inside the cover and touch down.
SCORING SEQUENCE
5 mins: Sharpe penalty, 3-0; 16: Finlay penalty, 3-3; 25: Sweeney try, 3-8; 38: Copeland try, 8-8. Half-time: 8-8. 45: Sharpe penalty, 11-8; 53: Finlay try, 11-13; 75: Doherty try, 11-18.
BLACKROCK: J Hearty; B Canavan, K Copeland, T O'Leary, D Blain; C Sharpe, C Willis; N Crowley, P Lindsay, C Murphy; O Cullen, D O'Dwyer; D Johnson, C Treston (capt), K O'Toole. Replacements: J Mannion for Lindsay 52 mins; M Crowe for Hearty 61 mins; S Malone for Copeland 73 mins.
ST MARY'S: S Grissing; J Clarke, M Ryan (capt), M Finlay, R Doherty; J Connolly, S Gibney; C O'Byrne, O McCormack, R Sweeney; N Conway, F O'Sullivan; J Ryan, C Lennon, P Nash.
Referee: T Redmond (Leinster).
