SCHOOLS' RUGBY: It was a cracking contest that vindicated the new format of the Leinster Schools' Senior Cup, two well-matched teams producing highly entertaining fare at Donnybrook yesterday.
If CBC Monkstown were marginally the more accomplished team, then their opponents played with a heart and commitment, allied to a technically superior pack, that took them to within a whisker of victory.
St Paul's rucking allowed them to plunder countless turnovers and none was more effective than their outstanding openside Gareth Reynolds who was ably supported by his pack and number eight Mark Hickey in particular.
Centre and captain Conor Keegan trained with the Leinster schools' team at the start of the season, recognition thoroughly merited on yesterday's performance. His strong, straight running attracted several tacklers and it was the collective rather than individuals that stopped him inflicting serious damage.
Unfortunately for St Paul's they lacked cohesion and variety in the back play and therefore the excellent work of their pack never quite received their just rewards. Their two tries came from turnovers.
Keegan latched on to a misplaced pass, racing 60 metres and despite being hauled by a magnificent tackle from CBC Monkstown full back John Lynn, he scrambled over the line. Referee Robert Doyle didn't consider it a treble movement.
It was fitting those two players came together in that cameo for they were the game's outstanding contributors. Lynn was magnificent at full back, scoring one of his team's two tries and amassing 16 points in total. His angles of running, strength and pace marked him as a constant threat.
Monkstown, backed by a strong wind, led 11-0 at the interval; Lynn kicked two penalties from four opportunities and hit a post when converting his own try. The latter was an excellent individual score that saw him ward off three tacklers over a 45-metre sprint.
It never looked enough of a buffer and St Paul's made short work of getting back into the match. Keegan kicked a brace of penalties and added the intercept try to leave the game poised at 11-11. When flanker Liam Fannin crossed for a try after 52 minutes, converted by Keegan, it appeared there would be only one winner. To their credit Monkstown raised their performance up front with hooker Mark Cooney and number eight Ron Boucher to the fore and it was captain and second row Richard Taaffe who was driven over from a ruck close-in.
Lynn converted and the width that had been a hallmark of their patterns in the first half returned to Monkstown's game. Left wing Neil Walsh was once again heavily involved as CBC chased a winning opportunity. It came on 70 minutes when St Paul's were penalised in the shadow of their own posts and Lynn posted the penalty. Monkstown will next face St Gerard's in the elite section.
SCORING SEQUENCE: 15 mins: Lynn penalty, 3-0; 21 mins: Lynn try, 8-0; 36 mins: Lynn penalty, 11-0. Half-time: 11-0. 37 mins: Keegan penalty, 11-3; 44 mins: Keegan penalty, 11-6; 47 mins: Keegan try, 11-11; 52 mins: Fannin try, Keegan conversion, 11-18; 56 mins: Taaffe try, Lynn conversion, 18-18; 70 mins: Lynn penalty, 21-18.
CBC MONKSTOWN: J Lynn; K Casey, P Flynn, P Nolan, N Walsh; G Widger, D Walsh; R Wolfe, M Cooney, I Phillips; N Staines, R Taaffe (capt); C Mion, R Boucher, C Byrne. Replacements: D Simington for D Walsh (54 mins); F Beirne for Casey (54 mins); L Murray for Phillips (60 mins); N Doyle for Flynn (70 mins).
ST PAUL'S COLLEGE: A Menton; A Nangle, M Fitzmaurice, C Keegan (capt), B Gallagher; R Grimes, K O'Siochan; F Donnelly, D O'Conorain, J O'Connor; K Campbell, K Gaffney; L Fannin, M Hickey, G Reynolds. Replacements: R McHugh for Gaffney (40 mins).
Referee: R Doyle (Leinster).
