Schools Rugby Leinster Junior Cup V/Terenure College 5 St Mary's College 3: Many's the expert drew a line through Terenure as genuine Junior Cup contenders when they struggled to fend off Pres Bray last month.
Yet, next Sunday they will be seeking a first title since 1989, albeit against a fancied Belvedere.
In the quarter-finals they met a competent CBC Monkstown outfit who proceeded to bombard their line over two games.
But defence, the first required attribute of any good team, has proved to be this Terenure side's saving grace. With each match Ciaran Fitzgerald's team have markedly improved. Yesterday, they denied a fancied St Mary's team after spending the whole first half camped underneath their own goal-posts.
Such was the tenacity of their defending, all St Mary's had to show at the break was a Gareth Redmond penalty as time and again Terenure turned ball over for full back Matthew Boland to clear downfield.
What made the performance even sweeter was they coped without their injured conductor Terry Jones. Chris Garvey came in at outhalf to good effect. He was ably assisted by the fearsome centre pairing of Conor Allen and Ross Williamson, a converted flanker, who punches up the middle to great effect.
For St Mary's, the pace of winger Ian O'Neill was a constant threat, while lock David McGann proved the ideal target runner close in.
The first sign of a dramatic revival came five minutes into the second half as Allen's delicate chip bounced just before the try-line, forcing Hudson to carry it over for a five-metre scrum.
Three minutes later Terenure attacked the same channel, but this time through a perfectly controlled rolling maul. They flooded over the St Mary's line with openside flanker Patrick Ryan arising with the ball.
At 5-3, and judging from St Mary's earlier dominance, another score seemed imminent, but instead the defensive steel again proved the difference. Also, indiscipline began to creep into St Mary's game.
The best chance to turn the tide back in their favour came with 11 minutes to go when the ball spilled out of a ruck for left winger Daniel Barnwell to kick down the tramline. With no cover on hand a try was denied by the ball deciding to bobble left and into touch. Such are the breaks that decide close encounters.
Scoring sequence: 18 mins: G Redmond pen, 0-3. Half-time: 3-0. 38: P Ryan try, 5-3.
TERENURE COLLEGE: M Boland; S Kinsella, R Williamson, C Allen, M Russell; C Garvey, G Flanagan; K Moloney, B Ledger, J Clarke; R Duke, K Flanagan; C Farrell, P Ryan, C Fitzgerald (capt). Replacements: W Crawford for R Williamson (37-39 mins), A Carey for P Ryan (39 mins), R Byrne for B Ledger (46 mins).
ST MARY'S COLLEGE: D Hudson; I O'Neill, R Crotty, P Finnigan, D Barnwell; G Redmond, M Conway (capt); J McGrath, S Culligan, N Murphy; D McGann, R Field; C Franklin, I O'Sullivan, R Bent. Replacements: J O'Donoghue for D Barnwell, R Ferris for J McGrath, W Andreucetti for S Culligan (all 59 mins).
Referee: K Henley-Willis (ARLB).
