Schools' Rugby Vinnie Murray Cup:De La Salle, Churchtown have fallen some way down the Schools' Cup ladder since the heady days of 1983 when they won the Leinster Senior Cup for the first time.
Those very men were present in the school yesterday morning to reminisce over those glory days and to provide a smidgeon of inspiration.
It seemed to have worked the trick as De La Salle edged out High School 13-12 at Lakelands Park in the Leinster Schools’ Vinnie Murray Senior Cup first round.
The hero of the hour and 10 minutes was scrumhalf Kevin Burke, who accounted for all their points. It was just about enough to resist High School’s effort, driven by tries from hooker Tim Harding and flanker Gavin Power.
Development Cup finalists CBS Wexford came within a whisker of causing a massive upset when they were overtaken 25-21 by Skerries Community College at Dr Hickey Park.
This was a rip-roaring tie, the Wexford boys jumping out to an early lead with tries by out-half Eoin Roche and their Ireland Clubs forward Collie Joyce-Ahearne, operating at number eight.
They even stretched out to 21-13 when Roche arrived on cue for his second try in the 37th minute, wing Seán Stafford converting for the third time.
Wexford just could not cope with Skerries number eight Evan Sherlock’s hat-trick of tries, two in the first half and a third to catapult the Dubliners into the lead in the last quarter.
St Gerard’s had it almost all their own way in a resounding seven-try 48-3 dismissal of Templeogue College at Seapoint RFC. The losers managed to take the lead through an early strike from the boot of outhalf Eanna Clynes before the avalanche was triggered by a brace of breakaway tries by Con Callan.
With goal-kicker Tommy Whittle in fine fettle and Sam Kingston also pinching a pair of five-pointers in the first half, St Gerard’s moved well clear before second-half tries by Charlie Kenny and Adam Simmonds.
St Andrew’s made better use of the ball to clip CUS 11-0 at Merrion Road where right wing Luke de Renzy shot two penalties in the second and 10th minutes and left wing Stephan Keenan powered into the left corner in the 44th minute.
Mount Temple got in front and stayed there 27-20 to take revenge over St Patrick’s Classical School from their McMullen Cup semi-final defeat to the Navan boys.
Centre Daniel Gill struck for two tries. Fullback Ben Warren got another and the fourth came from outhalf Daragh Irwin, who also landed a drop goal and two of four conversions.
