SCHOOLS' RUGBY/Leinster Junior Cup semi-final: In terms of value for money the students of Blackrock College are enjoying a bumper year.
Like their senior counterparts the Blackrock juniors must now face a replay after yesterday's semi-final at Donnybrook ended in stalemate. The combatants must do it all again at the same venue on Tuesday (4.15).
Few would quibble with the result, two well coached teams buoyed by some fine individual contributions, enjoying an equal opportunity afternoon in terms of possession and territorial dominance. Blackrock settled the quicker, evidenced by a try from number eight and captain David O'Connor after just two minutes.
A strong run by their impressive left wing Vasya Artemiev, took Blackrock into their opponents' 22 and quick ball and assured handling allowed O'Connor to outflank the cover and score in the corner. Outhalf Eoin Fleck couldn't add the touchline conversion, nor did he convert an easier opportunity from a penalty on 12 minutes.
Belvedere gradually muscled their way into the game and responded with a gem of their own. From a scrum on the Blackrock 10 metre line, fullback David Mongan sliced through a gap and his perfectly timed pass sent left wing Johnny McDevitt racing clear.
There was still plenty of work to do in terms of avoiding a gaggle of defenders trying to head off the wing but McDevitt demonstrated impressive foot speed to outrun his pursuers. Outhalf Eoin O'Malley couldn't post the extra points with a touchline conversion attempt.
Blackrock had enjoyed the benefit of the breeze in the first half and would have been slightly concerned at the interval that they didn't manage to winkle out a lead of some description.
A high tackle by O'Connor on O'Malley eight minutes after the resumption gave Belvedere a penalty on the Blackrock 10 metre line.
O'Malley indicated he would kick at goal; his effort didn't quite reach the posts. Mongan made one or two neat breaks from fullback, Colin Murphy was an impressive figure in the centre. Blackrock's Luke Fitzgerald and Artemiev ran strongly but there wasn't a definitive break, despite several narrow escapes for Belvedere.
On one occasion Artemiev charged into the Belvedere 22, offloading to Fitzgerald five metres out but the Blackrock centre lost the ball close to the line when hit with a ferocious double tackle. Andrew Cullen was forced to cough up the ball close to the line, again by virtue of excellent defence.
Belvedere lifted the siege with a great break out of defence by David Gibbons but that move petered out while another surge by Jonathan Slattery from a lineout proved something of a last fling for the Great Denmark Street school.
It should be equally difficult to separate the sides on Tuesday, although the Leinster Branch will be hoping for a resolution to both that and Sunday's Senior Cup replay between Blackrock and St Mary's with the finals of both competitions looming ever closer.
SCORING SEQUENCE: 2 mins: O'Connor try, 5-0; 15: McDevitt try, 5-5.
BLACKROCK: C O'Toole, N Morris, L Fitzgerald, E Cody, V Artemiev; E Fleck, D Moore; J Allen, D O'Brien, W Kavanagh; P Ryan, E Costigan; A Cullen, D O'Connor (capt), J Manahan.
BELVEDERE: D Mongan; P Dunne, C Murphy, D Gibbons, J McDevitt; E O'Malley, P O'Donohue; C Healy, S Ryan, P McCabe; K Leyden, J Slattery; C Farrelly-Pendred, C McGinn, E O'Carroll (capt).
Referee: N Carter (Leinster).
