A driving performance from back-row players Rory McArdle and Ben Deacon were instrumental in seeing St Columba's College into the semi-finals of the competition at Merrion College yesterday. These were the two main attacking weapons off the back of a dominant pack in which hooker Niall Flynn and prop James Galvin were prominent. Indeed, Galvin got the first try after a minute to settle his side into a 5-0 lead.

It stayed that way until the 13th minute when number eight Deacon intercepted at halfway to race over under the posts and convert the try himself. He added a penalty in the 25th minute to give Columba's a 15-0 half-time lead.

Newpark must have felt as though they deserved something from the opening 35 minutes. The closest they came to shaking the winners was from an amazing run from full-back Brendan McDaid, who took the ball from deep in his own 22 over halfway and he looked destined for the line before Columba's left wing Michael Wilson-Wright put in a brave and clean tackle.

The second half was not as good, although Deacon struck a 38th-minute penalty for the last score of the game. Thereafter, Newpark did all they could to get back in the game through Adam Ozmun's hard running in the centre and out-half Declan Griffin's astute kicking and passing game.

Scorers: St Columba's College: B Deacon (try, 2 pens, con), J Galvin (try).

St Columba's College: L McCarrick; Z Maenpaa, D Nolan, H Hoare, M Wilson-Wright; M Willil, F Leigh; J Moore, N Flynn, J Galvin, N Dillon, W Turner, A Wilson, R McArdle, B Deacon.

Newpark: B McDaid; C Petcu, A Ozmun, K Craven, S McKeever; D Griffin, C Weinmann; S Doran, R Corrigan, A Costigan, O Moore, N McStay, S Apied, R Lundberg, R Murphy.

Referee: B McGovern (ARLB).