Four minutes from the final whistle, David McAllister surveyed a 45-metre penalty opportunity, the Terenure outhalf aware that his side trailed by a single point, 19-18. A case of deja vu: a little over 12 months ago he faced a difficult penalty opportunity. McAllister missed and Clongowes won the Leinster Schools' Senior Cup final.
Yesterday at Lansdowne Road, he found himself in a similar position, the destiny of the final entrusted to his right boot. He struck the ball magnificently, the touch judges raised their flags and to watch the player wheel away in delight was to witness a great sporting moment. It was the decisive score in a pulsating finale, though it was not the final act.
Blackrock demonstrated great character and resilience, traits that had brought them to within touching distance of the trophy. Referee Donal Courtney awarded them a penalty for Roy McDonnell's high tackle on John Ronan, 28 metres from the Terenure line. Into a strong breeze and denied the presence of first choice place-kicker Keelan McGowan who had been replaced, Blackrock had little option.
Scrumhalf Daragh Geraghty kicked for the corner, the lineout was secured and the Blackrock pack rumbled to within five metres of their opponents' line. Three times ball carriers hit the deck in the tackle and from the fourth, second-row Andrew O'Reilly was obliterated in a double tackle, the ball squirting forward.
Blackrock were penalised from the ensuing scrum and when McAllister delightedly hoofed the ball into the upper echelons of the West Stand, he concluded a wonderful final. It was a classic confrontation. The pundits had suggested that there was nothing between two fine sides; the game reinforced that supposition.
At one stage it didn't look as if there would be any doubt about who was going to prevail. Eight minutes remained, Terenure led 18-9 and for all Blackrock's domination of possession and the powerful mauling and driving of their pack, they appeared to lack the inspiration and the patience to unravel the Terenure defence.
From the precipice of defeat, Blackrock dug deep and found a chink. Conor Sharpe, who had moved to outhalf on McGowan's departure, was held up inches short of the line but Terenure had transgressed. From the ensuing tap penalty the colossal frame of O'Reilly cut a swathe through the defenders. The television cameras suggested that he may have lost the ball over the line but Courtney was closer, satisfied that he did not.
Left wing Alan Henry, who had a fine game, kicked the conversion and two minutes later, Sharpe added a neat drop goal to nudge Blackrock in front, 1918. It was a remarkable comeback and spoke volumes about the character of the team. But they may rue several handling errors behind the scrum, over complication of attacking gambits and an inability to translate the progress of the forwards into points.
The Blackrock pack as a unit had a towering game, none more so than second-row David Gannon, O'Reilly and outstanding number eight Colm Treston. Yet a reliance to rumble their way from their own 22 at times suggested a tactical naivety. They did make headway but each yard was hard fought.
Terenure, though physically lighter, battled tenaciously up front and managed to completely disrupt the Blackrock lineout, particularly through Roy McDonnell, whose performance matched his stature. But Terenure's outstanding player up front was there blindside flanker Jonathan Barretto, who quite apart from his try, had a huge presence both in attack and defence.
Behind the scrum McAllister produced another top-quality performance, his pin-point accuracy a festering sore on the Blackrock consciousness. He kicked two penalties, a conversion and a superb 35-metre drop goal. Outside him Killian Coleman conjured a magnificent individual try and was another to produce a towering display.
With Terenure leading 8-6, Coleman received a short pass, running an angled cutback. He barged his way past three tacklers, accelerated away from Ruairi Kerr and handed off Sharpe on a journey that spanned 45 metres. McAllister's conversion and drop goal took his side to an 18-9 lead but when their world threatened to crumble in on top of them when Blackrock surged back to take the lead, Terenure responded like worthy champions.
Scoring sequence: 1 min: McAllister penalty, 3-0; 4: McGowan penalty, 3-3; 10: Barretto try, 8-3; 13: McGowan penalty, 8-6; 22: K Coleman try, McAllister conversion, 15-6; 37: McGowan penalty, 15-9 (half-time); 59: McAllister drop goal, 18-9; 62: O'Reilly try, Henry conversion, 18-16; 64: Sharpe drop goal, 18-19; 66: McAllister penalty, 21-19.
TERENURE COLLEGE: D Cazabon; O Pugh, K O'Toole, K Coleman, J Donnelly; D McAllister, P Coleman; J Anthony Lee, G Doyle, F Cronin; E Wallace, R McDonnell; J Barretto, D Dunlop (capt), C McGinn. Replacements: A Dunlop for Wallace (63 mins); R Hegarty for Doyle (65 mins).
BLACKROCK COLLEGE: C Sharpe; R Kerr, J Quigley, J Ronan (capt), A Henry; K McGowan, D Geraghty; E McBennett, J Mannion, M Whelan; D Gannon, A O'Reilly; G Noonan, C Treston, D Price. Replacements: O Busteed for Price (33 mins); J Waldron for McGowan (52 mins).
Referee: D Courtney (IRFU).
