Terenure College 15 Cistercian College Roscrea 10
Speed of foot and mind was suppose to be the difference between these two.
The capacity for Terenure to absorb any amount of physical punishment and strike like an arrow from counter-attack was the only reason they moved beyond a Roscrea outfit fully committed to making it to the senior and junior finals for the first time.
The pre-competition favourites were able to take down Roscrea’s huge, hulking forwards through their commitment to the chop tackle as number eight Conor Shenton led the way.
Centre Adam La Grue and fullback Sam Dardis, younger sibling to Ireland U20 Billy, were able to fix defenders and slip scrumhalf Matthew O’Shea in for a fifth minute try.
Just when it seemed the Roscrea forwards were beginning to take control, they ball broke free for La Grue to take it three-quarters the length of the field and apply the conversion for 12-0 in the 28th minute.
Long way back
It was a long way back from there and Roscrea had to handle the loss of their captain Adi Donovan and standout forward Michael Milne at half-time.
They didn’t seem too bothered by this and hit home for tries by flanker James Corcoran and scrumhalf Liam Crowley in the 35th and 47th minutes.
A lightening raid, sparked by Dardis, resulted in a penalty angled over by La Grue to make it 15-10 in the 52nd minute.
They had enough left in the tank to see it out and set up the prospect of a final against Blackrock on Sunday week.
TERENURE: S Dardis; L Murnaghan, A La Grue, J Walsh, J Nolan; D Henry-Hayes, M O'Shea; B Vaughan, B Bruce, L Vaughan, C Somerville (capt), R McGrath, P Heneghan, L Grady, C Shenton. Replacements: J Cooke for Heneghan (46 mins), C Creed for Henry-Hayes (56 mins).
ROSCREA: R O'Halloran; M O'Leary, J Culliton, A Donovan (capt), R Deacy; E Browne, L Crowley; R Lomas, J Cahir, K Fitzgerald, D Maher, D Power, J Corcoran, M Milne, L Rigney. Replacements: D Loughnane for Milne, B Foley for Donovan (both h-t),S Clancy for Maher (35 mins), T Martin for Culliton (42 mins), B Murphy for O'Leary (50 mins).
Referee: G Glennon (Leinster Branch).
