SO OFTEN in the Leinster Junior Cup, schools have been weaned on a diet of damage limitation when faced with the prospect of playing Blackrock College. Not so Terenure. At Donnybrook yesterday, their tigerish tackling, allied to a cohesive attacking strategy, earned them a place in the semifinals.

Terenure used the considerable assistance of the wind with exemplary patience in the first half. Mark Duffy landed an eighth-minute penalty and then, with the Williamstown boys, and in particular Peter Lamont, defending stubbornly, Terenure bided their time to strike. In the 20th minute, centre Barry Flynn somehow managed to get the ball away in the tackle to his winger, Donal Murphy, who plunged over the line.

Duffy's conversion was wide of the mark and, shortly afterwards, this looked costly when Blackrock flanker Man Mooney kicked a 25-yard penalty to slice Temeure's lead to 8-3 at the break.

However, before Blackrock could assert their immense strength up front, Terenure scrum-half Aidan Bird scrambled over beside the posts early in the second half. This time Duffy made no mistake for the extra points.

Blackrock summoned all they could in an effort to batter their way through a defiant back row of Donnehadh Woulfe, Daragh Whelan and Anthony Kelly, but as is so often the case, Terenure lifted the siege before the end and out-half Killian Jones slipped between his opposing out-half and first centre for an unconverted try.