THROUGH the years Clongowes Wood College and their great rivals Blackrock College have fought many memorable matches in the Leinster Schools Senior Cup. At Lansdowne Road yesterday they produced another superb encounter in the semi-final and it was CIongowes who prevailed.

So Blackrock, holders for the past two years and favourites to win yesterday, surrendered their title, and Clongowes' reward is a meeting with Terenure College on St Patrick's Day.

It was a match that held the attendance enrapt from the hectic start to the thrilling finish, a game to lift the heart and elevate the spirit and left in its wake the warm glow of having been fortunate to have been present.

One left the ground with renewed faith in Irish rugby. It was that kind of match, and one that reflected the utmost credit on both these great rugby colleges.

Blackrock will feel that they should have won on the basis of possession and territorial advantage. Yet the manner in which Clongowes defended the tenuous two-point advantage they had in the closing stages was typical of the tenacity that has long been the hallmark of the teams they send out from the college.

Their defence in the closing stages was an object lesson, and the manner in which they defended the blind side could with profit be followed by the current Ireland senior team.

With the match in the 70th minute Blackrock got a penalty 33 yards out near the left touchline. Dara Kavanagh, who had kicked three goals, had the task of taking this pressure kick. His kick went wide as every Clongowes heart missed a beat, including no doubt that of the Taoiseach, John Bruton, who was present to see his old school triumph.

Nothing illustrates Clongowes resolution and courage more than the manner in which they held Blackrock out after a lineout two yards from their line in injury time after Blackrock won possession. It was heart-stopping fare.

Those final minutes were incredible. Brian O'Driscoll, Blackrock's accomplished outside-half, who had been wide with three dropped goal attempts in those closing stages, sensed his best opportunity in the third minute of injury time, Blackrock got a scrum five yards from the Clongowes line, and won the ball, but O'Driscoll's kick hit the outside of the upright and Clongowes had survived.

Blackrock, playing into the wind, went three points up after three minutes when Kavanagh kicked a penalty from in front of the posts. But the response was rapid as David Hourihane equalised within two minutes with a fine kick from out near the left touchline.

Within another two minutes, Clongowes struck again, this time with a try. The prelude to that was a great run by Clongowes full back Gordon D'Arcy, carried on by centres Rory McEneaney and Richard Hurley. That established the attacking position near the Blackrock line and scrum-half Bobby Quigley got in for the try after a ruck. Hourihane kicked a fine conversion and Clongowes led 10-3.

Things got even better for Clongowes when outside-half Ciaran Finane dropped a lovely goal in the 16th minute and so they led 13-3.

But Blackrock hit back with an excellent try. O'Driscoll fed full back Michael Price, who played very well, Price made vital ground and space and Andrew O'Neill finished off the movement wide on the right.

After an exchange of penalties, Clongowes faced the second half with a 16-11 advantage and when Kavanagh kicked his third penalty after six minutes of the second hall, the odds very much favoured the holders. But it was not to be.