Sport

St Fintan’s make first Leinster Senior Cup quarter-final with comprehensive win over Temple Carrig

St Fintan’s claim eight tries to set up quarter-final clash with St Vincent’s Castleknock

Rory O'Connor-O'Hehir gets past Temple Carrig’s Joshua Burke Emery to score for St Fintan's. Photograph: Morgan Treacy/Inpho
Rory O'Connor-O'Hehir gets past Temple Carrig’s Joshua Burke Emery to score for St Fintan's. Photograph: Morgan Treacy/Inpho
Tue Feb 04 2025 - 18:28
ST FINTAN’S HIGH SCHOOL 48 TEMPLE CARRIG 15

St Fintan’s earned the last remaining place in the Leinster Schools Senior Cup quarter-finals for the first time after beating Temple Carrig 48-15 on Tuesday afternoon.

Temple Carrig, who were charting a similar course, played into the wind in the first period, sending the hulking Joshua Burke-Emery through the gain line at every opportunity.

But the warning signs were ominous for them from early on, however, as St Fintan’s looked to strike quickly, scrumhalf Oisin Kelly delaying a pass to send Simon Cantwell galloping for a try in the ninth minute.

A tremendous left-handed pass by Ben Barnes then sent Marcel Haas away down the right and Kelly’s support line was rewarded with a try, converted by Barnes to make it 12-0 in the 15th minute.

READ SOME MORE

Temple Carrig exploited the short-side when Burke-Emery bounced out of a tackle on the way to the line for 12-5 two minutes later.

St Fintan’s were not interested in scoring in threes, Barnes turning down a shot at the sticks for a lineout. Captain Rory O’Connor-O’Hehir connected with Michael Bolger and got the ball back to make the left corner to extend their lead to 12 points.

When St Fintan’s opted to run out of defence, Ryan Griffiths was on to the ball in a flash to earn a penalty which outhalf duly Shanahan landed.

But Temple’s failure to deal with the restart allowed O’Connor-O’Hehir to execute the same move from the lineout to perfection, Barnes converting from the touchline to make it 24-8.

Winger Tadg Young was checked off the ball to draw the penalty which saw St Fintan’s inside the 22 again. The lineout to Simon Cantwell worked a treat for Bolger to crash over, Barnes’ conversion making it 31-8 at the break.

After the restart Temple Carrig had to respond and Burke-Emery made early metres. From a lineout, hooker Benjamin Griffiths then claimed a much-needed try which Shanahan converted.

But Temple’s rising didn’t last long. A rehearsed move from St Fintan’s started with Bolger, the offload finding Ponamu Palazzetti who went over at the posts, Barnes' conversion making it 38-15 with 42 minutes on the clock.

Sam O’Leary’s fresh legs for Fintan’s really told when the replacement cut loose down the right, beating two defenders for an exceptional try in the 58th minute before their eighth and final score was dotted down by Haas to end the game 48-15.

St Fintan’s will now face St Vincent’s Castleknock College in the quarter-final at Energia Park on Thursday, February 13th.

ST FINTAN’S: R O’Shea; T Young, M Haas, G Nostro, F MacDonald; B Barnes, O Kelly; T O’Connor-O’Hehir, L Macari-Kelly, P Palazzetti; L Sanfey, M Bolger; S Cantwell, B Doran, R O’Connor-O’Hehir (capt).

Replacements: S O’Leary for Young, J Burke for Barnes (both 50 mins); Yi Lin for Palazzetti (60); F Cullen for R O’Connor-O’Hehir (62); N Sheridan for O’Shea (65); S Hanratty for MacDonald (66); H Curley for T O’Connor-O’Hehir (67).

TEMPLE CARRIG: C O’Brien; D Bourke, O Ivory, M Homan, R Griffiths; D Shanahan, C Lambert; F Ascoli, B Griffiths, D Keogh (capt); O Warnock, J Burke-Emery; N Stewart, C Sammon, M Smullen.

Replacements: C Duggan for Griffiths (39 mins); T O’Mahoney for Warnock, L O’Gorman for Ascoli (both 50); N Corrigan for Stewart, T Lynch for Sammon, B Harrison for Smullen, R Morgan for O’Brien (all 65); T Scully for Keogh (68).

Referee: C O’Flynn (Leinster Branch).