Leinster Schools' Junior Cup Semi-final replay/ Terenure College 20 CBC Monkstown 13: This was Terenure's day. Replays usually belong to the school that's been around the block a few times. Considering their seniors were already dumped out by the giant-killing act of St Gerard's, defeat here would have signalled an absolutely disastrous year for Terenure College.
The first meeting last Tuesday, belonged to CBC Monkstown accept they failed in one salient area: to breach the opposition try-line.
Yesterday, they crossed for two tries but Terenure got three. If they had got four tries, Terenure would probably have got five. The referee was smiling on them but not the gods. Even with a mystifying eight minutes of injury time they still couldn't reel in the big fish and a great chance to make the last four drifted away.
This greatly improved Terenure performance brings them back to Donnybrook next Monday to face St Mary's College with renewed hope. They should know later today who they would play in the final as Belvedere take on Blackrock in the other semi-final - incidentally a replica of the St Patrick's Day senior decider.
What will really leave a lump in the Monkstown throats was that they initially looked set to repent for the missed opportunity of last week. On 10 minutes, their inspirational leader Gary Foley took a pass at pace from Killian Horgan. He broke the first line of defence, stepped over the second tackler before pinning his ears back for the corner.
Just before half-time, Terenure threw themselves a lifeline when they eventually shunted lock Robert Duke over out wide.
Foley landed a mammoth penalty from near the 10-metre line four minutes into the new half but Terenure were ahead a minute later.
Prop Kieron Moloney played no small part but it was the delivery of fullback Matthew Boland that sent Stephen Kinsella over. Just to prove the stuff they are made of, Terry Jones nailed the touchline conversion.
Entering the final quarter, Jones again took centre stage with an elementary penalty to make it a seven-point gap.
CBC emptied half their bench with Foley moving to the conductors chair and they did seem hard done by when Kevin Nolan skidded over only to be pulled back for a CBC penalty.
But Terenure held true in defence before hitting them on the counter attack two minutes from time as Bolland gratefully accepted a pass from Conor Allen before touching down. Alex Ging's late try was just that, although it did give a more accurate reflection to the scoreboard.
Scoring sequence: 10 mins: G Foley, 0-5; 27 mins: R Duke try, 5-5. Half-time: 5-5. 34 mins: G Foley pen, 5-8; 35 mins: S Kinsella try, 10-8; T Jones conv, 12-8; 48 mins: T Jones pen, 15-8; 58 mins: M Boland try, 20-8; 65 mins: A Ging try, 20-13.
TERENURE COLLEGE: M Bolland; S Kinsella, R Williamson, C Allen, M Russell; T Jones, G Flanagan; K Moloney, B Ledger, J Clarke; R Duke, K Flanagan; C Farrell, P Ryan, C Fitzgerald (capt). Replacements: A Carey for C Farrell (46 mins), R Byrne for B Ledger (55 mins).
CBC MONKSTOWN: A Ging; E Cunningham, G Foley (capt), K Jenkinson, E Gallagher; K Horgan, S Roberts; S Devine, S Boucher, D Lewis; R Ivers, S Flood; B Dunne, K Nolan, S Grannell. Replacements: M Adam for S Grannell (30-31 mins), R Kearney for S Devine, J O'Connor for K Horgan, S O'Connor for S Roberts (all 52 mins).
Referee: A Adams (ARLB).
