Leinster Schools Senior Cup:Blackrock College 43 CBC Monkstown 6 THERE ARE significantly greater challenges ahead, but Blackrock's class of 2009 showed just how serious they are about reclaiming the Leinster Schools Senior Cup with an emphatic, six-try destruction of a brave yet ultimately inferior CBC Monkstown.
What really must be commended is the handling ability of this Blackrock team and the comfortable inter-changing of backs and forwards. Few teams will be able to live with such relentless intensity.
The writing was on the wall from the fourth minute when former Dublin minor footballer Liam McHugh, committed to oval ball duties this season, gathered a fine offload from Brendan Macken, son of head coach Frank, to stealthily cut inside fullback Chris O’Brien for the opening try.
This is a special Blackrock backline, even by their high standards. Macken and the supremely gifted fullback Andrew Conway are stalwarts from last year’s side. Both possess the strength and pace to alter a game. And in Brian Kingston they have an outhalf with enough maturity to control matters, even under the pressure that comes with the Donnybrook spotlight. He can place-kick too.
There was a healthy, four-figure attendance yesterday and surely more will sneak out of work early for the anticipated showdown with St Michael’s on February 8th. The later 3.30pm kick-off should help swell the numbers.
But back to the exhibition, because that’s what it became once Conway literally broke through CBC’s resistance with the second try after 23 minutes.
Up to that point, a combination of adrenaline and spirit kept the Monkstown school in touch, with O’Brien slotting two penalties after almost 10 minutes of territorial dominance.
Conway took a straight line through midfield (he also possesses the rare ability to step off either foot) and, allied by a powerful hand-off, he sauntered under the posts.
Kingston slotted a penalty to make it 17-6, but any aspirations CBC retained of staying within two scores by the interval were quashed by a brilliant try courtesy of the Blackrock forwards. Workaholic openside Richard Liddy put lock Jack O’Beirne thundering towards the line and his offload out of the tackle was juggled on the finger-tips by number eight Conor Barry before he touched down.
That Blackrock somehow managed to top that score four minutes after the restart is telling. Liddy finished matters off this time after a clean ball off the top of the lineout saw Kingston loop around Karl Curran and streak clear before finding the flanker on his inside shoulder.
Well into their stride by this stage, and sensing a broken opposition, they attacked from miles out. McHugh took a Conway pass to sprint over for his second try.
Not to be out done by his fellow winger, Calum Rowden got in on the act next after some textbook offloading down the left.
CBC Monkstown, it should be noted, were no mugs. The backline barely had a chance to breathe, but their forwards’ competitiveness was typified by captain Shane Gould, a number eight here but a prop at representative level, while the younger players will learn from this and come back stronger.
There is enough decent pedigree coming through for CBC to make it back to the top table.
That said, this result will resound around the province this morning, especially considering Blackrock’s potential to improve. Captain Jordi Murphy is an openside flanker by trade, but after a lay-off through injury he started in the secondrow and was called ashore before the finish; Tom Parsons is another just regaining fitness and was introduced late on.
If they can establish the correct balance, then it will take some highly stubborn resistance to deny them a 66th title and a first since the Luke Fitzgerald-inspired 2006 team.
SCORING SEQUENCE– 3 mins: McHugh try, 5-0; Kingston conv, 7-0; 7: O'Brien pen, 7-3; 13: O'Brien pen, 7-6; 23: A Conway try, 12-6; Kingston conv, 14-6; 28: Kingston try, 17-6; 31: Barry try, 22-6; Kingston conv, 24-6. Half-time. 39: Liddy try, 29-6; Kingston conv, 31-6; 44: McHugh try, 36-6; 65: Rowden try, 41-6; Kingston conv, 43-6.
BLACKROCK COLLEGE:A Conway; L McHugh, B Macken, K Curran, C Rowden; B Kingston, P O'Shea; D Buckley, P Kilcoyne, A Lyons; J O'Beirne, J Murphy (capt); D Fawsitt, R Liddy, C Barry. Replacements: C Fitzpatrick for L McHugh (4-14 mins, temp), T Parsons for D Fawsitt (50 mins), M Duncan for J Murphy (62 mins), C Fitzpatrick for K Curran, M Walsh for P O'Shea, C Sheehan for J O'Beirne, M Rooney for R Liddy (all 65 mins), D Godfrey for B Kingston (67 mins).
CBC MONKSTOWN:C O'Brien; A Woods, D Conroy, J Kearns, R Hallam; A Ging, A Sheehan; B Duggan, R Banahan, A Howard; S Watters, A Steyaert; C O'Mahony, P Crown, S Gould (capt). Replacements: C McDonnell for S Watters (42 mins), A Quigley for C O'Mahony, C Woods for A Woods (both 65 mins).
Referee:P Haycock (ARLB).
