Terenure College...14 Belvedere College...9Conditions may have militated against an expansive showcase but did guarantee that given the number of mistakes, it would be a tense encounter.
With a strong wind, rain and a cloying surface negating to some degree the skill factor, yesterday's Leinster Schools' Senior Cup semi-final instead was decided by more mundane qualities like character, desire and organisation.
It also placed a premium on an intelligent interpretation of the prevailing conditions and in this respect Terenure College proved the more adept. They won this match for their first-half performance, when playing against the wind they turned over 11-6 ahead at the interval. It was a crucial buffer and one they managed to keep intact at the finish.
Terenure possessed the sharper bite to their play for all but five of the first 35 minutes, adhering to a simple game plan and profiting from several outstanding performances. Full back Robert McCarthy counter-attacked powerfully, second row Brian Moroney galloped at the Belvedere midfield and captain and number eight Alex Dunlop, hooker Keith Molloy and prop Niall McCann made the hard yards in a fine display by the pack.
Outhalf Conor Gildea varied the game shrewdly, his use of runners and the boot mixed nicely to keep Belvedere guessing. It was a marked contrast to Belvedere who seemed to have memorised the playbook but couldn't adapt it to the conditions or their opponents.
On too many occasions outhalf, Colman O'Loughlen, who had a good game, drifted across the pitch looking for cutbacks or switch options but the intended recipients were too deep, too far away from the gain line and therefore easy to pick up for the Terenure defence.
Belvedere were guilty of trying to play too much rugby in their own half when backed by the elements. Ironically when they turned to play into the wind they mixed their patterns and were far more productive.
In some respects, and the first five minutes notwithstanding, the requisite urgency was only injected into Belvedere's play when the prospect of defeat loomed large.
They did start well, full back Eamon Fitzgerald kicking two penalties in the first seven minutes, a period of domination that could have yielded a try. Terenure though first established a foothold and dominated the rest of the half.
It was only some tremendous tackling by Belvedere centre Cian O'Shaughnessy and the accurate lineout throwing of Niall Gallagher that kept ambition afloat as Terenure's pressure intensified. On 19 minutes Terenure hooker Keith Molloy burrowed over from a couple of yards after a well orchestrated back-row move from a five-metre scrum.
Centre Gary Byrne kicked a penalty and nine minutes into injury time at the end of the half, referee Donal Courtney spotted a Belvedere hand in a ruck inside their own 22. Gildea was successful from a 22-metre penalty to put his side 11-6 in front.
Terenure temporarily abandoned the common-sense approach that had served them so well in the first half after the resumption and this allowed Belvedere a little more latitude. However, their desire to get the ball wide without first committing Terenure players to the rucks meant heavy traffic in the back line.
Kevin Barden tried manfully, so too Cliff Murphy and the excellent Dan O'Kane but indifferent passing and superb Terenure defence denied them a definitive break.
Fitzgerald kicked his third penalty on 53 minutes but with Belvedere again pressing in the Terenure defence the latter's scrumhalf David Brophy came up with a great play from a scrum that took play 75 metres.
Gildea kicked a second penalty to edge his side 14-9 in front and Belvedere girded themselves for a final assault. Despite a couple of white knuckle moments, Terenure survived.
TERENURE COLLEGE: R McCarthy; C Doyle, G Byrne, R Harrison, A Sherlock; C Gildea, D Brophy; M Hamilton, K Molloy, N McCann; B Murphy, B Moroney; K O'Malley-Farrell, A Dunlop (capt), A Donoghue. Replacements: T Small for Molloy 64 mins; C O'Hagan for Donoghue 64 mins.
BELVEDERE COLLEGE: E Fitzgerald; K Barden, M McAllister, C O'Shaughnessy, I Flynn; C O'Loughlen, B O'Neill; H Duffy, N Gallagher, C Mitchell; B Kennedy, L McGrath; C Murphy (capt), D O'Kane, R Bowe. Replacements: C Hayes for McAllister 31 mins; N Taaffe for Duffy 41 mins.
Referee: D Courtney (Leinster).
SCORING SEQUENCE: 4 mins: Fitzgerald penalty, 3-0; 7 mins: Fitzgerald penalty, 6-0; 19 mins: Molloy try, 6-5; 27 mins: Byrne penalty, 6-8; 35(+9) mins: Gildea penalty, 6-11. Half-time: 6-11. 53 mins: Fitzgerald penalty, 9-11; 63 mins: Gildea penalty, 9-14.
