Leinster Senior Cup quarter-final Clongowes Wood 8 St Mary's 8Pressure tends to dictate the outcome of sporting occasions, especially when the stakes are raised above the norm. One only has to glance back 48 hours at the national team's inability to reach full potential when the weight of history was placed squarely on their shoulders.
Now, those not affiliated with schools rugby will break into hysterics at the comparison of Sunday's Six Nations game at Croke Park to yesterday's Leinster Senior Cup quarter-final. And yet, to the participants it means just as much.
The general feeling of past pupils after yesterday's sometimes enthralling but generally miserable spectacle was a contentment that all involved get a chance at atonement.
The late, long-range penalties aside, neither team looked capable of closing this game out in what may yet prove a beneficial experience for whoever prevails in the replay - a date for which will be announced today.
The error-strewn second-half display from a fancied Clongowes side in particular seemed to stem from a fear of defeat. It overshadowed the most entertaining 35 minutes in this year's competition.
Clongowes exploded out of the traps, regaining possession from the kick-off and immediately spraying the ball wide. This made sense as they have a highly potent three-quarter line while fullback David Kearney - a younger brother of Leinster's Robert - is, with St Michael's centre Conor Cleary, the cup's stand-out performer to date.
Three minutes in and a Clongowes rout seemed certain when flanker Nick Delehanty charged down St Mary's outhalf Gareth Redmond's kick before expertly gathering and offloading in the tackle. Winger Michael Sheehy was denied the opening try by a desperate cover tackle from Paul Early.
Kearney opened the Clongowes account with a penalty before producing two individual cameos that confirmed his ability with ball in hand. A trademark hand-off is allied with a rocket-launching boot.
Clongowes took control when outhalf Ciarán Wade brushed past his opposite number for a try on 24 minutes after the pack mauled St Mary's 30 yards downfield. But just as comparisons to favourites St Michael's began, Clongowes' game plan disintegrated and confidence levels dropped. Redmond recovered from an earlier miss to land a difficult penalty before a wonderfully inventive try levelled matters.
It signified all that is good about schools rugby; well-drilled players taking risks by playing the ball out of the tackle at pace.
It started with number eight David Wilson making inroads into the Clongowes 22. A recycle to the short side saw Redmond straighten before offloading to lock Brendan Shortt who sent Conor McGlade sprinting over near the corner. Eight-all and a fascinating second half seemed certain.
There followed an avalanche of unforced errors. The continuity suffered but it was hardly assisted by the rigid refereeing of Kevin Beggs. For an example on how a schools game should be adjudicated, see Alain Rolland's performance in the St Gerard's v St Michael's game on February 1st.
The game became entrenched between either 22 with a McGlade drop-goal attempt veering left before Redmond (twice) and Kearney saw long-range penalties fall short.
Who will prevail in the replay? Probably Clongowes. It comes down to whichever team best controls the nervous energy that infected this meeting.
SCORING SEQUENCE: 8 mins: D Kearney pen, 3-0; 24: C Wade try, 8-0; 29: G Redmond pen, 8-3; 34: C McGlade try, 8-8.
CLONGOWES WOOD COLLEGE: D Kearney; M Sheehy, T Fletcher, S Kennedy, C O'Callaghan; C Wade, M McLoughlin; C Spelman, T Burns, J O'Connell; H McMahon, N Mullen; N Delehanty, T Joyce, T Conneely (capt). Replacements: M Collis for J O'Connell (52 mins), B O'Keeffe for N Delehanty, S Lennon for C O'Callaghan (both 68 mins).
St Mary's College: R Crotty; D Hudson, C McGlade, S Walsh, N Sheedy; G Redmond, P Early; M McKay, P Barrett, J McGrath; B Shortt, P Gannon; R Bent, S Timmons (capt), D Wilson. Replacements: R Shaffrey for M McKay (half-time), M McKay for J McGrath, M McCabe for R Bent (both 53 mins).
Referee: K Beggs (ARLB).
