Sport

Gilsenan completes stunning comeback

SCHOOLS RUGBY LEINSTER JUNIOR CUP SEMI-FINAL: St Michael's College 27 Newbridge College 23: ST MICHAEL’S mounted a stunning …

Mon Mar 21 2011 - 00:00

SCHOOLS RUGBY LEINSTER JUNIOR CUP SEMI-FINAL: St Michael's College 27 Newbridge College 23:ST MICHAEL'S mounted a stunning comeback and outhalf Matthew Gilsenan's right hand reached out for glory with an injury-time converted try at Donnybrook yesterday to earn a shot at Blackrock in the Powerade Leinster Schools' Junior Cup final.

The Merrion Road school showed bottomless character to haul themselves off the floor from 20-3 in the 38th minute.

Newbridge fullback Chris Healy opened the scoring with an an early penalty. Then number eight Tom Brady’s footwork was good enough to reach the whitewash.

Healy then broke out to set up an attack which he finished off on the left. He also converted.

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McGettigan and centre Adam Leavy led by example for St Michael’s, the latter running determinedly to earn a penalty.

On resumption, the issue seemed to be put to bed when Newbridge raided down the left for wing Joe D’Arcy to slip in.

St Michael’s did not bow to their fate.

When the three-quarters had been closed down, captain Charlie Cregan hammered his way home.

The response was quick, Healy firing between the posts to make it 23-8 in the 58th minute.

A degree of Newbridge naivety invited tighthead Harry Redmond to go at the line from a tap penalty. The conversion cut the difference to eight.

Then, right wing Karl Victory swerved inside two defenders. He was taken down by Barry Finan. The ball was shifted left for number eight Max Deegan to hurtle over. Then Gilsenan grabbed a try he will never forget in the last passage of play.

NEWBRIDGE COLLEGE:C Healy; N Delahunt, P Kyne, J Howlett, J D'Arcy; M Sutton, B Finan; J Phelan, C Doyle, H O'Donnell (capt), T Treacy, S Treacy, C Nugent, M O'Connor, T Brady. Replacements:M Stapleton for S Treacy (half-time), C Conlon for Doyle (44 mins), J Deane for O'Connor (56 mins), R Dromguille-Maguire for O'Donnell, N Fleming for Delahunt (both 68 mins).

ST MICHAEL'S COLLEGE:G Duffy; K Victory, A Leavy, O O'Meara, W Butler; M Gilsenan, S Smith; O Joyce, J O'Connell, H Redmond, C Cregan (capt), J Ryan, A Penny, C McGettigan, M Deegan. Replacements:J Bollard for Joyce (half-time), D Duggan for Smith (62 mins), L Bradbury for Redmond (68 mins).

Referee:J Montayne (Leinster).