Leinster Schools Senior Cup quarter-final: St Fintan’s High School 29 Castleknock College 27
Michael Bolger sent St Fintan’s to their first Leinster Schools Senior Cup semi-final after a crackerjack contest against Castleknock College at Energia Park on Thursday.
The secondrow went over for two tries, the second late on sealing victory for the Sutton school.
It didn’t look likely in the early going as Castleknock’s direct carries from two lineouts, both taken in by Jonny Ginnety, culminated in Ben O’Toole’s try in the 10th minute. There was no respite for St Fintan’s as Jaydon Carroll escaped up the left, with Alex Tilly in support. But Tadg Young squeezed out a penalty on the floor for St Fintan’s.
They turned the tide in the 25th minute when backs and forwards blended beautifully for Bolger to dummy and blast over for his first score. The bravery of Rohan O’Shea to counter, Bolger’s burst and Oisín Kelly’s kicking were building blocks to something greater.
Number eight Simon Cantwell then muscled through three tackles for a cracking try, converted by Ben Barnes for a 12-5 lead for St Fintan’s at the break.
Castleknock squared things up as 12-12 in the 42nd minute after a masterful move was given impetus by O’Toole, Finn McLoughlin and Brian Fallon before O’Toole cracked open the fringe defence for Matthew Brennan to score.
Soon after, Brennan’s offload and Luke Mooney’s dexterity created just enough space for Jaydon Carroll to get over, with Brennan landing the conversion for Castleknock to go 19-12 ahead.
Straight away, St Fintan’s moved right for winger Young to sprint fully 60 metres, turning Mooney and fending off Tilly for a wonder try in the 52nd minute.
The game swung back to Castleknock when Brennan’s precise kick was grounded by Avaro Moreno-Gallardo for a 24-17 in the 57th minute.
St Fintan’s dominant maul secured a penalty try from referee Dermot Blake in the 62nd minute to level the score at 24-24, with Ginnety receiving a yellow card.
Then a brilliant contest for the ball went the way of Castleknock’s Finn McLoughlin for Brennan to make it 27-24 in the 63rd minute.
But St Fintan’s had something monumental in reserve as a blur of forwards and backs rolled through the phases. More than once, a forward rumbled on when the backs were screaming for the ball and that tactic paid off when Bolger got over for his second try to secure a historic win for St Fintan’s.
SCORERS – St Fintan’s: M Bolger 2 tries; S Cantwell, T Young; pen try; B Barnes con. Castleknock: B O’Toole 2 tries; J Carroll, A Moreno-Gallardo try each; M Brennan pen, 2 cons.
ST FINTAN’S: R O’Shea; T Young, S O’Leary, G Nostro, F MacDonald; B Barnes, O Kelly; T O’Connor-O’Hehir, R O’Connor-O’Hehir, P Palazzetti; R Harvey, M Bolger; L Sanfey, B Dillon, S Cantwell.
Replacements: Luca Macari-Kelly for Cantwell, Marcel Haas for O’Leary (both 47 mins).
CASTLEKNOCK: L Mooney; A Moreno-Gallardo, A Tilly (capt), F Watt, J Carroll; M Brennan, H Reilly; E Shanahan, PJ Matthews, B Fallon; R McEntaggart, F McLoughlin; J Ginnety, O Clinton, B O’Toole.
Replacements: J Brennan for Matthews (36 mins); J O’Loughlin for Clinton (56); T Quigley for Mooney (63).
Referee: D Blake (Leinster).
