CBC Monkstown - 13 St Andrew's College - 6:SCHOOLS RUGBY/Leinster Senior Cup: It was more of a stagger than a glide for CBC Monkstown as they just about coped with a game St Andrew's College team at Stradbrook yesterday to earn a place in the quarter-finals against champions St Mary's College.
Monkstown clung on desperately in the closing stages of this match, with much of the unease self-inflicted as handling errors peppered their attacking gambits. Where patience and precision were required, individuals chose the more cavalier approach.
That they were the better side, or at least endowed with a more pronounced cutting edge, would probably be supported by non-partisan interests, and that just about sufficed on the day. St Andrew's started and finished the match completely outplaying their opponents, but crucially lacked the incisiveness to capitalise on good approach play.
There were a handful of occasions when they had backed up Monkstown to their line but lacked the craft to convert when the battering ram approach failed. Captain and centre Jack Doran epitomised their desire, but despite a couple of half-breaks he was well shackled.
Credit, too, must go to Monkstown's defence which bent but never broke. Flankers Mark Jenkinson and Conor Byrne tackled tenaciously, but none to great effect or with more assurance than outhalf Graham Widger.
The pack produced a typically effective performance, with number eight Ron Boucher, Niall Staines in the lineout and Mark Cooney to the fore, and they certainly offered the backline a decent platform.
However, despite some fine cameos from excellent full back John Lynn, Ken Casey and Neil Walsh, they had a tendency to crab across field and deny each other space. Rank option-taking must also be rectified by the St Mary's game.
St Andrew's, too, offered some good individual displays, not least from full back Jonathan Mawhinney, Mark Ennis and Kirwan Waters. They dominated the opening, except for one missed penalty opportunity conceded to Monkstown full back Lynn.
Gradually Monkstown asserted some force up front and on 28 minutes seized the initiative on the scoreboard. Having kicked a penalty to touch, Staines won the lineout, the pack drove 20 metres and from a ruck centre Neil Walsh pirouetted out of a tackle to score under the posts. Lynn converted and added a penalty either side of half-time to nudge Monkstown to a 13-0 lead.
When Waters reduced the deficit with a penalty on 55 minutes, St Andrew's started to dominate once again. A second penalty eight minutes later cut the deficit to 13-6.
Monkstown continue on two fronts. They have still to play the final of the Vincent Murray Cup against Wesley, but looming a little larger is a tilt at the defending champions St Mary's College in Donnybrook on Saturday week. Unburdened by expectation, they possess enough quality to pose a few questions.
CBC MONKSTOWN: J Lynn; K Casey, N Walsh, P Nolan, F Beirne; G Widger, D Walsh; R Wolfe, M Cooney, I Phillips; N Staines, R Taaffe (capt); M Jenkinson, R Boucher, C Byrne. Replacements: A Sykes for D Walsh (57 mins); L Murray for Phillips (65 mins).
ST ANDREW'S: J Mawhinney; P Ashby, P Hamilton, J Doran (capt), C Winton; R Glynn, R Mackey; S Thornburgh, J Counihan, C Nolan; P Devlin, G Roe; M Ennis, K Waters, R Rees Brennan. Replacement: K Austen for Thornburgh (h-t).
Referee: J Breen (Leinster).
