If possession is nine-tenths of the law, then CBC Monkstown must have felt like the victims of a real mugging in the second round of the Leinster Schools Senior Cup at Donnybrook yesterday. No matter which of these sides qualified for a quarter-final meeting with Cistercian College, Roscrea, they were guaranteed only the tag of outsiders to go all the way in the competition. With this in mind, there was a refreshing openness in both teams' attitude to play rugby. St Paul's were first to show their wares, using number eight Declan Walshe and flanker Kevin Woods as ball-carriers up front and centre Gareth Rossi further afield.

It was Walshe who shattered the CBC defence in the ninth minute when he made his way over from close in. Full back Niall Glackin converted. Monkstown recovered their composure quickly and improved by the minute, with props Simon O'Donovan and John McKenzie, number eight Killian Lynch and, in particular, centre Ken Walsh, making their presence felt. Their reward was a 27th minute penalty from scrum-half Enda Cawley.

Just before the interval, and for much of the game thereafter, Monkstown's creative passing and running had Paul's on the backfoot - until, that is, they got a sniff of the line. CBC battered away at the northsiders without gain, and as with so many of these situations, Paul's came away late on for out-half Michael O'Shea to go over on a diagonal run from a five-metre scrum.