Schools rugby:The King's Hospital edged out St Gerard's School 17-16 in a thrilling Leinster Schools Section B Fr Godfrey quarter-final on the back pitch at Donnybrook yesterday.

Number eight Des Merry, previously used in the frontrow, was repositioned in the middle of the backrow to immediate effect with a brace of tries and a ball-carrying performance that caught the eye.

St Gerard's had their own star in fullback Adam Carroll, who scored one try and caused havoc in the opposition defence. Blindside Robin Maxwell also broke through for a five-pointer and Josh Glynn's two penalties kept them right in the game.

Pres Bray number eight David Cleary accounted for two of four tries in a powerful personal display that saw the Wicklow school dominate St Patrick's Classical School 27-10 at North Kildare.

Pres looked strong all-round as wing Finian Greene and centre Ferdia Kelly did not have to be asked twice to take advantage of their forwards' good work. St Pat's did not go down without a fight with tries from wing Aaron Smyth and prop Andrew Keating.

Cistercian College Roscrea and St Andrew's College played out a nil-all draw at Cill Dara. It was a strange game in that the ball never moved too far away from the centre of the pitch in a tricky crosswind. There were few chances created and none taken as the action took part between the 22 metre lines.

Naas CBC relied on the expert finishing of wing Cian Bolton, who scored two tries from no more than three touches of the ball, and a conversion from Adam Denvir to nullify a touchdown from CUS outhalf Mark Fynopp in a 12-5 victory at Arklow.