High school could not be faulted for endeavour but in Blackrock College they encountered opposition several stations above anything to which the losers might have aspired.
Occasions such as this at Donnybrook are endured rather than enjoyed and in a small way tarnish the Leinster Schools Senior Cup. To label this tie as a mismatch would be an understatement, Blackrock led 31-0 at the interval, occasionally slipping into third gear in the process. The disparity in ability ensured that the only unknown quantity after five minutes was the final scoreline.
After the interval, Blackrock gave the entire replacements bench (seven) an opportunity to sample Schools Cup fare. The match was secure and therefore coach Alan McGinty was perfectly justified in ensuring that as many first choice players as possible did not risk injury.
Winning in style though extends further than scoring tries, a point which the Blackrock captain would do well to remember. Jeering the opposition whether verbally or through gestures has no place on an occasion like this. It was a minor blemish on an otherwise fruitful afternoon for the Williamstown school as they set up a quarter-final clash with the defending champions Clongowes Wood College.
High School's gallant defiance of the inevitable faltered through several self-inflicted wounds but to their credit they never stopped trying to use possession constructively. In this respect hooker and captain Ross McNally was outstanding, his slight of hand and vision central to his team's better moments.
Jonathan Ellis, Hugh Hogan, Paul Bridges worked hard up front while the defensive qualities of Imran Masood and Alan Dunne saved further punishment on the scoreboard. High School's rucking was excellent and they made serious yardage close to the scrum but when confronted by their opponents more dynamic and potent use of possession the losers were extended to breaking point.
Once Blackrock switched from the frenetic to the composed, the rugby they produced was excellent: intelligent offloading of the ball before and in the tackle and some slick handling behind the scrum. In this respect Tom O'Donohoe, Mark Cooney, John McGovern, big centre Gary Brown and right wing Conor Buckley were especially prominent.
Blackrock's first score arrived after four minutes, Shane Fallon won a lineout and as the maul shuffled towards the High School line, second row Robert Lacey broke ranks and cantered over between the posts. John Ronan converted as he was to do again on 18 minutes when Alex Cahill crossed for a try.
Buckley was next to cross the High School line and two passes later the Blackrock right wing raced over. Ronan missed the conversion, a fate he suffered again on 32 minutes when Peter Dowling was driven over from a lineout.
He did however add the extra points to Brown's try to leave Blackrock ahead 31-0 at the interval.
High School did manage a consolation score in injury time when Masood put replacement wing Julien Frazer over for a try. Mark McCullough's conversion meant that the Rathgar school had outscored their opponents in the second half.
Scoring sequence: 4 mins: Lacey try, Ronan conversion, 7-0; 18: Cahill try, Ronan conversion, 14-0; 22: Buckley try, 19-0; 32: Dowling try, 24-0; 34: Brown try, Ronan conversion, 31-0. Half-time: 31-0. 53: Fallon try, 36-0; 70: Frazer try, McCullough conversion, 36-7.
Blackrock College: A Cahill; C Buckley, G Brown, J Ronan, D Higgins; A Frame, J Walsh; P Dowling, D Laide, J Montgomery; J McGovern, R Lacey; M Cooney, S Fallon, T O'Donohoe (capt). Replacements: A Dalton for Ronan 44 mins; P Martin for Laide 47 mins; P O'Loughlin for Frame 55 mins; N Walsh for Fallon 55 mins; R Molloy for Walsh 59 mins; D Sherlock for Montgomery 59 mins; J Danagher for Dowling 59 mins.
High School: M McCullough; A Dunne, I Masood, G O'Meara, D Campbell; G Black, S Murphy; R Hilliard, R McNally (capt), D Dunne; N Stanley, W Lett; J Ellis, H Hogan, P Bridges. Replacements: J Maher for Hilliard 55 mins; I Logan for Dunne 55 mins; D Downey for Black 65 mins; J Frazer for Dunne 65 mins.
Referee: D Keane (Connacht).
