Schools rugby Blackrock College 73 The High School 0Blackrock moved with all the ominous smoothness of a well-oiled machine as they advanced to the last eight of the Leinster Schools Junior Cup.
It was clear from the start of this first-round tie at Donnybrook yesterday that these boys could play. Ian Reddin escaped down the left, the ball was quickly cleaned and Liam McHugh kicked his way out of a tackle to sprint over on the right.
Shortly after that score, the game was delayed for 10 minutes as Reddin received medical attention before being brought to hospital with concussion.
Openside Jordi Murphy was inches from the second and a knock-on prevented an almost certain try with five backs lined up outside scrumhalf Paul O'Shea.
Rock didn't have to wait long for their next try. Centre Brendan Macken darted between two defenders from close range and booted the conversion for a 10-0 lead.
Left wing replacement Paddy Costello popped up twice in the impeccable build-up to centre Karl Curran's stroll in. Macken added the simple conversion.
Wings McHugh and Costello soon followed up with last-man-along-the-line finishes.
Outhalf Brian Kingston's dummy duped the entire High School defence, and Macken's third conversion left it 36-0 at the break.
High School tackled heroically, for the most part, Ian Levine, Stephen Carter and Conor O'Donnell always defiant, but there was little they could do to repel multiskilled opponents.
Replacement prop Dennis Buckley, McHugh, for his hat-trick, hooker Tom Parsons (twice) and fullback Calum Rowden, for a late hat-trick, rounded out the rout.
SCORERS: L McHugh, C Bowden 3 tries each; B Macken try, 4 cons; T Parsons 2 tries; B Kingston, P Costello, K Curran, D Buckley try each.
BLACKROCK COLLEGE: C Rowden; L McHugh, B Macken, K Curran, I Reddin; B Kingston (capt), P O'Shea; C Walsh, T Parsons, D Fawsitt; J Kelly, P Kilcoyne; E Tate, J Murphy, C Barry. Replacements: P Costello for Reddin (8 mins); A Lyons for Walsh, D Buckley for Fawsitt (both h-t); C Beauchamp for Curran, C Carroll for Barry (both 40 mins); D Dunne for O'Shea, S Tyrrell for Kilcoyne (both 45 mins).
THE HIGH SCHOOL: S Webb; S Arias-Paz, J Purcell, T Emo, I Lane; C Collins (capt), J Kinlan; G Young, S Carter, S Moore; C McGinley, W Hanlon; M Savage, I Levine, C O'Donnell. Replacements: S O'Riordan for Kinlan, D Fergus for Hanlon (both 42 mins); A Conroy for Young (44 mins); J O'Kennedy for Savage (55 mins).
Referee: C O'Brien (Leinster Branch).
