This is something truly daunting about Blackrock's presence at Donnybrook. The colours, the extra decibels in the stand, and even the verve of their warm-up could so easily intimidate the opposition.
Yet for about half an hour of yesterday's third quarter-final, King's Hospital were anything but overawed. A significant try by Ruairi Kerr, however, gave Blackrock confidence and then came a second-half display that can only be described as devastating. Two tries within five minutes suddenly put the result beyond any doubt.
Inspiring an assured start for King's Hospital was outhalf Philip Caldwell, who injected tremendous pace into their attack whenever he got the chance. But unfortunately for them, he missed two key penalties and then fell a little short in their first and only true opportunity for a try.
Instead, the solitary reward was his drop goal after 12 minutes. It was a poor return for all the hard work, where Keith Sothern and Onye EkumaNkama were particularly effective.
On 18 minutes came the first signal of Blackrock's pending metamorphosis. Kerr produced a stunning run through the middle of the field and after a brief exchange with Andrew O'Reilly, he darted over the line. Keelan McGowan converted.
A series of breaks in play (including an injury to the referee) didn't help Blackrock but late in the half they pulled further ahead. Conor Sharpe once again displayed the difference in class by bursting through almost interrupted for the second try.
Just a minute after the restart, all further doubts about the result vanished. Andrew O'Reilly laid on a perfect pass for scrum-half Daragh Geraghty and he cruised under the posts. Five minutes later, Eoin McBennett came up with the ball after the pack pushed their way over the line. McGowan landed the difficult conversion.
In injury time, Geraghty added his second try with another bursting run under the posts. Sharpe added the points - and so it ended, King's Hospital exhausted by their efforts, and Blackrock's progress hardly dented at all.
Scoring sequence: 12 mins: Caldwell drop goal, 0-3; 18 mins: Kerr try, McGowan conversion 7-3; 39 mins: Sharpe try, 12-3; second half: 36 mins: Geraghty try, McGowan conversion, 19-3; 41 mins: McBennett try, McGowan conversion, 26-3; 72 mins: Geraghty try, Sharpe conversion, 33-3.
BLACKROCK COLLEGE: A Henry; R Kerr, J Quigley, C Sharpe, J O'Leary; K McGowan, D Geraghty; E McBennett, J Mannion, M Whelan, D Gannon, A O'Reilly, G Noonan, D Price, C Treston. Replacements: BJ Leahy for Whelan (44 mins), G Fitzgerald for McBennett (45 mins), J Hearty for McGowan (53 mins), D McEvoy for Mannion (57 mins), C Willis for Kerr, D O'Donovan for Treston (both 63 mins), K Copeland for Quigley (66 mins).
KING'S HOSPITAL: S Rand; C Glynn, L Russell, W Cunningham, F Gillespie; P Caldwell, K Sothern; K Shaw, S Cooke, D Myers, J Broadhead, R Collender, O Ekuma-Nkama, C McClean, A Trenier. Replacements: J Wynne for Gillespie (40 mins), G Foley for Cooke (45 mins), P Hosie for Trenier (68 mins), M Pitt for Rand (70 minutes).
Referee: K Dexter (ARLB) injury 33 mins, then J Nolan (ARLB).
