SCHOOLS RUGBY LEINSTER CUP DRAWS:THE Powerade Leinster Schools Senior Cup last night threw up a top heavy draw for the second year running.
There are two tournament-defining matches in the opening round. Clongowes Wood’s quest for the three in a row is confronted by the immediate roadblock of fellow Jesuit college Belvedere, while 66-times champions Blackrock must overcome a decent Terenure side.
Of the other leading contenders, St Michael’s appear to have the safest passage into the final, although Daniel Leavy’s men have a tough opener against last year’s runners-up Cistercian College, Roscrea.
If everything goes according to form, the final on Sunday, March 18th could be a repeat of the 2007 and 2010 deciders contested by Clongowes and St Michael’s.
Three veterans of the competition were present at last night’s draw. Jamie Heaslip didn’t have much success with Newbridge College, while Fergus McFadden lost the 2004 final to Blackrock when playing for Clongowes. Eoin O’Malley, however, played an instrumental part in Belvedere’s 16-10 defeat of Blackrock in 2005. It was their first success since Ollie Campbell’s 1972 team.
“The key man for us that year was Cian Healy – he was pretty much the same size then as he is now,” said O’Malley. “No one could cope with him, really, and the rest of us were happy to jump on the bandwagon. It was great to be part of, and I’d have particularly fond memories of the day after we won when we all met up on O’Connell Bridge along with many past pupils and held up traffic before we marched down O’Connell Street with the Cup.”
2012 Leinster Schools' Senior Cup first round
Blackrock College v Terenure College
Gonzaga College v St Gerard's College
St Mary's College v Castleknock College
Belvedere College v Clongowes Wood
CBC Monkstown v CUS
Qualifier 1 v Kilkenny College
St Michael's College v Cistercian College, Roscrea
Presentation Bray v Qualifier two.
Second round:
A: Blackrock/Terenure v B: Gonzaga/St Gerard's
C: St Mary's/Castleknock v D: Belvedere/Clongowes Wood
E: CBC Monkstown/CUS v F: Qualifier 1/Kilkenny
G: St Michael's/Cistercian, Roscrea v H: Presentation Bray/Qualifier 2.
Semi-finals
A/B v C/D
E/F v G/H
Final
Sunday, March 18th, RDS (3pm)
2012 Leinster Schools' Junior Cup first round
Clongowes Wood v CBC Monkstown
Belvedere College v Blackrock College
Presentation Bray v Wesley College
Castleknock College v St Michael's College
Newbridge College v Cistercian College, Roscrea
Qualifier 1 v St Mary's College
King's Hospital v Gonzaga College
Terenure College v Qualifier 2.
Second round
A: Clongowes Wood/CBC Monkstown v B: Belvedere v Blackrock
C: Presentation Bray/Wesley v D: Castleknock/St Michael's
E: Newbridge v Cistercian, Roscrea v F: Qualifier 1 v St Mary's College
G: King's Hospital v Gonzaga v H: Terenure College v Qualifier 2.
Semi-finals
A/B v C/D
E/F v G/H
VINNIE MURRAY CUP(senior qualifier): Templeogue College v Wesley College (Bye into quarters); Qualifier 2 v Newpark Comp; St Andrew's College v Skerries CC; Newbridge College v Qualifier 1; De la Salle Churchtown v Qualifier 4; High School v Qualifier 3. Bye – The King's Hospital.
JUNIOR CUP: Clongowes Wood v CBC Monkstown; Belvedere College v Blackrock College; Presentation College, Bray v Wesley College; Castleknock College v St Michael's College; Newbridge College v Cistercian College, Roscrea; Qualifier 1 v St Mary's College; The Kings Hospital v Gonzaga College; Terenure College v Qualifier 2.
FR GODREY CUP(junior qualifier): Kilkenny College v St Gerard's School (winners play St Patrick's Classical School); St Finian's College v CUS; Skerries CC v High School; Templeogue College v St Andrew's College.
