It was very much a case of Phelan groovy for Cistercian College Roscrea at Donnybrook as Kilkenny minor hurling brothers Conor and John Phelan chipped in with all the Tipperary school's points in yesterday's Leinster Schools Senior Cup quarter-final.
Cistercian Roscrea 21
The High School 11
Centre Conor contributed 16 points including a try while number eight John was the other Roscrea player to cross the High School line. It was far from a two-man operation but the Phelans were also conspicuous in all facets of play.
It was a far closer contest than the final scoreline suggests, as the match was delicately poised at 14-11 with seven minutes remaining. High School were attacking just inside the Roscrea 10-metre line but without sufficient numbers, Rob Smyth took the sensible option and tried to chip over the advancing wall of players. Unfortunately for the talented centre, Conor Phelan read his intentions, blocked down the kick, regathered and sprinted 50 metres to touch down under the posts before adding the conversion. It was a cruel blow but to their credit High School mustered one last assault but requiring two scores, chased the game a little too frenetically.
The first half was a very competitive affair with neither side capable of establishing long periods of possessional or tactical domination. Roscrea struggled to harness the strong wind and were a little fortunate to go into the interval on level terms at 3-3.
The portents appeared good for High School as they would now have the backing of the wind and when right wing Daniel Vard kicked his second penalty two minutes after the restart, it should have bolstered their confidence further. However, it was Roscrea, principally through their pack and the hard running of centres Enda Kelliher and Conor Phelan that forced High School to concede a brace of penalties.
Conor Phelan landed both to take his tally for the match to three and edge his side in front 9-6. High School, undaunted, won a great turnover at a ruck - the work of the back-row trio of Francis Cooney, Robbie Burns and Ross Condron was excellent all afternoon - and drove deep into the Roscrea 22. Now within eight metres of the line they won a third ruck in succession and Burns chose a brilliant angle on the cutback to force his way over for a fine try.
The lead lasted just five minutes and it was Kelliher's initial thrust following a tap penalty that caused the problems. Roscrea twice drove closer to the High School line and with the defenders short-handed John Phelan crossed unopposed. Conor Phelan missed the conversion but his subsequent seven-point haul from the charge-down effectively ended the contest.
SCORING SEQUENCE: 10 mins: Vard penalty, 0-3; 29: C Phelan penalty, 3-3. Half-time: 3-3. 37: Vard penalty, 3-6; 41: C Phelan penalty, 6-6; 46: C Phelan penalty, 9-6; 48: Burns try, 9-11; 53: J Phelan try, 14-11; 63: C Phelan try, C Phelan conversion, 21-11.
ROSCREA: C Rouse; J Hughes, C Phelan, E Kelliher (capt), A Wrafter; F Lawlor, C Harrington; P Greene, J Egan, E Hearn; J Byrne, L Meehan; B Hall, J Phelan, I McCarthy. Replacements: R O'Donnell for Greene (half-time); M Leahy for McCarthy (53 mins).
HIGH SCHOOL: N O'Shea; D Vard, R Smyth, B Logan, A Feldman; E McNally, D Foran; S Goldsmith, J Collery, T Egar (capt); T Eager, A Leahy; F Cooney, R Burns, R Condron. Replacements: D Lee for Goldsmith (47 mins); M Darcy for Logan (54 mins); D Sheridan for Collery (54 mins).
Referee: T Deacon (Leinster).
