Leinster Schools Senior Cup: Terenure College 35 Wesley College 7
Terenure College made a physical statement in the first Leinster Schools Senior Cup quarter-final, beating Wesley College 35-7 at Energia Park on Tuesday.
There was stunning simplicity to Terenure’s attitude in the opening minutes, putting time and space at a premium for Welsey.
The agility of Alvaro Swords at the breakdown enabled Gareth Morgan to slot a fourth-minute penalty, and it wasn’t long before Tenenure were knocking on the door.
Bounding up the middle, Ethan Balamash rounded the cover on the right to dot down for their first try, Morgan stepping up to convert.
Hooker Cian Hyland came close to a second try on the left, but failing that, Morgan accepted the gift of a penalty to make it 13-0.
Wesley were unable to move away from danger, the quick recycling ball drawing in defenders allowing Ben Blaney to dive in at the posts with Morgan again slotting over the conversion.
At last, Wesley found some luck as scrumhalf Jack Freyne had a pop and Terenure’s Maher ending up in the bin for killing the ball.
Fullback Max Colbert held up Michael Kennedy over the line before Maher returned to the field.
Terenure’s ball-handling up front was eye-catching as Blaney, Josh Mooney and Adam Cooper created the pressure for Morgan’s penalty to slip left, leaving it 20-0 at the break.
After the break, Wesley’s multiphase attack was neutralised and the lineout was unable to deliver workable ball for halfbacks Freyne and Charlie Hempenstall.
Terenure also piled on the pressure deep inside the 22, forcing a penalty which Morgan kicked over in the 40th minute.
Compounin their woes, Wesley couldn’t secure their own lineout allowing Terenure extra possession, Kennedy’s fend making way for Geoff O’Sullivan to glide down the tramline for a 28-point lead in the 49th minute.
When Swords shot up the middle, the ball was cleaned in record time and sent to the left flank where Mooney galloped away for the try, converted by Morgan in the 51st minute.
Finally, Wesley put themselves in a position to strike, winger Jack Duffy’s pass put Hempenstall over at the posts for the try which he then converted.
TERENURE: G O’Sullivan; E Balamash, M Kennedy, A Swords, B Dohnal; G Morgan, J Coleman; P Kelly, C Hyland, A Cooper; L McNiff, F Maher; J Mooney, M Smyth, B Blaney (capt).
Replacements: R O’Brien for Hyland (34 mins); L Zelman for Kelly, N Fallon for O’Sullivan (both 50); S Gavin for Mooney (52); E McMonagle for Cooper, M Candon for McNiff, A Boehm for Coleman, W O’Leary for O’Sullivan (all 60).
WESLEY: M Colbert; M Wystepek, D Gilmore, N Heatley, J Duffy; C Hempenstall, J Freyne; E Caddow, T Burke, J Cullen; A Gordon, I Reid; L L’Estrange, S McMullin (capt), T Campbell.
Replacements: J Mulhall for Burke, H Shannon for McMullin (both 52 mins); C Whelan for L’Estrange (57); R Fox for Wystepek (61); R O’Neill for Caddow, S Ryan for Freyne (both 63).
Referee: R Jenkinson (Leinster Branch).
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