Blackrock College...19 King's Hospital...13Two late tries suggests that King's Hospital's defiance was largely cosmetic, but that would be a bit misleading. They deserved those tries, and with a smidgen of good fortune in the first half could have made Blackrock's afternoon even more uncomfortable.

Instead they trailed 12-3 at the interval and, having had first use of the wind, it seemed that King's Hospital faced into a second 35 minutes generally in sight of their own line.

That script came partially true, but dogged perseverance and some excellent defence kept their line intact, save for one breach conceded to Blackrock outhalf Andrew Geraghty.

King's Hospital brought more than tenacity and passion to the occasion; their patterns and structure betrayed a well-coached team under the baton of Brett Igoe.

A young side, they couldn't match their opponents physically, particularly in contact situations, but individuals rose from the collective will to make vital contributions.

Captain and number eight Shane Young had a colossal game, flanker Graham Carleton was an excellent lineout option and hooker Stephen Gray was a hero in the loose. Halfbacks Jonathon Orr and Killian Lett had fine games, centre Conor Donohue was a handful for the Blackrock midfield and left wing Ross Scully proved elusive and quick.

These individuals stood out in a superb team effort.

It would be wrong to convey the impression that King's Hospital were clinging on for dear life, quite the contrary, particularly in the first half which they dominated for long periods. Wave after wave of attacks foundered on disciplined and well-organised Blackrock defence.

On a couple of occasions human frailty cost the losers try-scoring opportunities, with wrong options chosen or a route not taken.

Credit too must go to Blackrock as they conceded just one kickable penalty. And when they did lift the siege they struck with remorseless precision.

On 11 minutes second row Raymond O'Hara won a lineout on the King's Hospital 22, the pack mauled the ball to within five metres of the line and two rucks later scrumhalf Cillian Willis scampered under the posts unmolested. Geraghty tapped over the conversion.

It effectively diluted their opponents' bravura opening to the match that yielded a penalty to outhalf Killian Lett, the very least King's Hospital deserved from that period of the game.

Undaunted by Willis' try, they once again corralled Blackrock in their own 22 but without reward.

Five minutes from the interval Blackrock struck again. Another catch and drive from a lineout rumbled 20 metres and from the ruck quick, precise hands allied to two decoys running cutbacks allowed right wing David Nyhan to cross in the far corner. It was classic back play..

Geraghty couldn't add the conversion but it hardly seemed to matter as Blackrock would have the benefit of the elements in the second half.

In pretty much a case of role reversal it was King's Hospital restricted to their 22 with little respite. Inches denied Blackrock on several occasions as the pack opted for the direct route. Ironically it was from a fairly innocuous ruck on the King's Hospital 10 metre line - an unfamiliar area of the pitch for the losers in that third quarter - that Blackrock delivered the coup de grace.

Geraghty's show of the ball and neat change of direction was enough to flummox the first up defence and the outhalf's pace made short work of the journey to the posts. He added the conversion and most of the crowd awaited the last eight minutes to peter out.

King's Hospital, though, decided on a final flourish, with Young grabbing a try with two minutes remaining and then scrumhalf Orr making a 45-metre break from a ruck, Gray surging into the Blackrock 22 in a passage of play that eventually finished with right wing Tim Stone scoring in the corner. Lett's second difficult conversion attempt, the second he faced in as many minutes, was to prove the last action of a thoroughly entertaining match.

Blackrock go forward to meet either Kilkenny or St Gerard's in the next round and will certainly have benefited from such a demanding work-out. They will hope that captain Keelan O'Toole, who missed yesterday's match, is fit to resume the next day.

For many of this King's Hospital team next year can't come quickly enough.

BLACKROCK: D Blain; D Nyhan, M Kavanagh, B Canavan, B O'Farrell; A Geraghty, C Willis; K O'Neill, J Coady, S McClafferty (capt); S O'Dwyer, R O'Hara; D O'Reilly, N Corkery, D Laffan. Replacements: G Walsh for O'Neill (44 mins); C O'Daly for Geraghty (63 mins); R Tevlin for O'Hara (69 mins).

KING'S HOSPITAL: S Caldwell; T Stone, C Donohue, C Sale, R Scully; K Lett, J Orr; G Moran, S Gray, G Satchwell; A Wall, J White; R Morrow, S Young (capt), G Carleton. Replacements: B Cunningham for Satchwell (51 mins); N Wilkinson for Carleton (63 mins); C Telford for Wall (66 mins).

Referee: D Tyndall (IRFU).