Schools Rugby/Leinster Junior Cup/Blackrock College 17 CBS Monkstown 3: Blackrock came up against a tough CBC Monkstown outfit, but tries in each half from wing Darren Westman helped them to a 14-point victory in yesterday's Leinster Schools' Junior Cup quarter-final at Dr Hickey Park.
In very windy conditions, a very heavy shower midway through the first half threatened to turn this game into a bit of a lottery.
The rain eventually subsided with both teams turning in a committed display up front. Blackrock played with the breeze in the first half, and their outhalf, Ben Geraghty, put Monkstown on the back foot early on with a kick that found touch inside the 22.
And with number eight David Walsh prominent in the loose, Blackrock threatened to steamroll their opponents in the early stages.
With their pack playing well as a unit, Blackrock went in front midway through the half when secondrow Jack Kelly scored off a maul.
Centre Seán Barron added the conversion from the left,
Monkstown at this stage were finding it hard to make it past the gain line.
Just before half-time, Kelly charged down an attempted Monkstown clearance inside the 22. The ball was then moved out wide with Westman coming into the line to score in the right hand corner.
That left it 12-0 at the break, but Monkstown put their opponents under some serious pressure after that.
Having driven the Blackrock pack back into their own 22, they were then awarded a penalty on 50 minutes which Conor Burke converted.
Blackrock, however, finished the game in the Monkstown half and wrapped matters up with a few minutes to go when a crossfield kick allowed Westman to go over unattended on the right.
BLACKROCK COLLEGE: A Conway; C Fitzpatrick, S Barron, G Stevens, D Westman; B Geraghty, M Walsh; S Wijntjes, P Carroll, C Maguire, P Dargan, J Kelly, B McAleer, C Sheehan, D Walsh. Replacements: J Langbrook for Sheehan (13 mins), M Oliver for S Wijntjes, G Brennan for Maguire (48 mins), N McMahon for Conway, D Kilgallen for Fitzpatrick (60 mins).
CBC MONKSTOWN: D O'Brien; C Jordan, R Hallan, J Kearns, C Martin; C Burke, A Sheahan; L White, I Law, A Howard, J Danaher, R Banahan, A Quigley, A Ryan, P Crown. Replacements: K Lawlor for Law (45 mins), S Woods for Kearns, E Gilligan for Martin, R O'Sullivan for Jordan, C O Madagain for Banahan (59 mins).
Referee: N Carter (ARLB)
