Roscrea closing in on historic goal after thrilling victory over Newbridge

Roscrea 20 Newbridge College 19

The beauty and tragedy of this Leinster schools semi-final replay cannot be encapsulated in one moment. Nor can it be disregarded as an elitist gathering as those who refuse to pay closer attention are wont to do.

This was sport in its purest form; easily comparable to middleweight boxers relentlessly exchanging blows until the referee sounds the final bell.

Newbridge beat them in the league final but Roscrea should now go on to win their first ever title after so many dark days journeying back over the north Tipperary border.

Edged by Newbridge in the 1941 replayed final, Blackrock freewheeled through the 1999 decider, while Clongowes Wood crushed them 46-15 in 2011. A wily Belvedere College, at the RDS on St Patrick’s Day, will test their resolve some more but, surely, destiny will smile on them in 2015.

“Why not?” said coach Pieter Swanepoel. “We beat Blackrock and now Newbridge. Absolutely. You can’t go into a final thinking you might win it, you have to think you will win it.”

Wondrous match

That proved the difference from last week’s 8-8 draw; Roscrea, ably assisted by a strong diagonal wind, showed the intent of champions in the opening 35 minutes.

Tim Foley found his range early with a penalty before Newbridge lit the fuse on this wondrous match with a try straight out of the Geordan Murphy school of expressionist rugby. Afterwards, the Leicester Tigers backs coach (class of 1996) was advised to sign up Jimmy O’Brien with great haste.

Roscrea's brilliant fullback Tim Carroll was ruthlessly punished for attempting a long range drop goal. Jake Howlett carried from deep, wiry lock Brian Larkin rumbled on before offloading to flanker Robert Buckley who found Conor Johnson a good 25 metres out. The representative hooker outsprinted two Roscrea backs.

Mattie Keane wasn't long responding for Roscrea with a thrilling break, offload and rapid support line of fellow flanker Simon Meagher before a jaw -dropping dive under the posts. Number eight Dan Trayers powered over following a lineout maul. That made it 15-5.

Keane was also involved in the third try, on 27 minutes, but so was everyone else. Left wing Joe Murphy finished it off in the corner. Foley was unable to convert but the knockout blow appeared to have been landed.

We knew Jimmy O’Brien was never going to permit such a meek Newbridge demise. The most composed, skilful and possibly quickest teenager on view, O’Brien made four successive contributions that ended in his try after Howlett was held short. The captain’s left foot also planted the conversion to make it 20-12 at the turn.

The second act continued to enthrall: like the contrasting size of the number eights – Newbridge's nimble, energetic Patrick Ryan versus Roscrea's gargantuan Dan Trayers.

Doubled teamed throughout, Trayers remained a corrosive presence. Fineen Wycherley also had a herculean game. Rob Wharton burst a calf hunting down O'Brien in open country. Next Tom O'Neill, the Newbridge flanker, was denied a perfect assist for Ruairí Cleary's disallowed try. A shade forward the officials decreed.

A late try did eventually come from Howlett, off O’Brien’s delicate reverse pass, which he duly converted, as Newbridge, neither better nor worse in this epic duel, ran hard until their final error.

At that moment joy and devastation were visible in equal measure. It was just Roscrea’s time. Nearly there.

Scoring sequence - 7 min: T Foley pen, 3-0; 10 min: C Johnson try, 3-5; 19 min: M Keane try, 8-5; T Foley con, 10-5; 23 min: D Trayers try, 15-5; 27 min: J Murphy try, 20-5; 31 min: J O'Brien try, 20-10; J O'Brien con, 20-12. Half-time. 60 min: J Howlett try, 20-17; J O'Brien con, 20-19.

CISTERCIAN COLLEGE, ROSCREA: T Carroll; D Keane, R Wharton, T Foley (capt), J Murphy; A Tynan, K Kavanagh; L Walsh, E Maher, D Murphy; F Wycherley, A Browne; S Meagher, M Keane, D Trayers. Replacements: K Cahir for A Browne (34 min), B Diffley for M Keane (55 min), P Gavin for S Meagher (63 min), S Kilgallen for R Wharton (64 min), P O'Shea for J Murphy (69 min).

NEWBRIDGE COLLEGE: M Delaney; D Murphy, J Howlett, J O'Brien (capt), C Stapleton; T Murphy, C Doyle; J Duggan, C Johnston, D Breen; A Mahony, B Larkin; T O'Neill, R Buckley, P Ryan. Replacements: R Cleary for D Murphy (1 min), M Joyce for A Mahony (44 min), R Culliton for R Buckley (67 min), D Culliton for C Stapleton (68 min).

Referee: G Conway (ARLB).