LEINSTER SCHOOLS SENIOR CUP
Blackrock College 41 King’s Hospital 3
The slight favourites Blackrock are undoubtedly a team of talents as they moved comfortably into the quarter-final at Donnybrook on Monday.
They started like a team on fire as tighthead prop Joe Byrne stormed away on the left for the backs to exploit space for centre Gavin Jones to send fullback John Gallagher over in the third minute.
This was quickly followed by a similar feat from loosehead prop Giuseppe Coyne's burst from deep and seamless execution of a two-on-one for scrumhalf Patrick Patterson to slip the attention of fullback Ian West for outhalf James Moriarty's conversion to make it 12-0 in the seventh minute.
The words “whitewash” and “cricket score” started to emerge when the defensive work of prop Sean Goodburn and captain Sam Wrafter failed to prevent centre Tom Roche from a flying finish for 19 points in as many minutes.
Make ground
KH were able to make ground through an individual moment from Goodburn, outhalf Fionn O’Loughlin and scrumhalf Scott le Roux without having the calm and accuracy to make the break-back.
They had to settle for a penalty by centre Edward Mahood before 'Rock came alive again for secondrow Andrew Murphy to find the line for 24-3 at the break.
The fear was that Blackrock would get on a roll and just not stop.
But, KH increased their line-speed in defence and tenacity in the tackle, centres Mahood and Ross Hackett leading the way, to break-even, in terms of territory.
They may have even been edging it when number eight David Boles was binned by referee James Fitzgerald, who had allowed ’Rock to commit several indiscretions without going to his pocket.
The one-man advantage was used to clinical effect as number eight Cian Reilly (2) and left wing David Heavey completed the set of seven tries.
BLACKROCK: J Gallagher; T Maher, T Roche, G Jones, D Heavey; J Moriarty, P Patterson; G Coyne, S McLoughlin, J Byrne, A Murphy, C Ryan, J Fairley, A Francis, C Reilly (capt). Replacements: P O'Reilly for Gallagher (7 mins), M McGagh for Fairley (42 mins), T Clarkson for Byrne, M Phelan for Maher (both 44 mins), R Fahy for Patterson (60 mins), J McShane for McLoughlin, C Delaney for Coyne, J Burke for Ryan (all 63 mins).
KING'S HOSPITAL: I West; C Howley, R Hackett, E Mahood, C Wokocha; F O'Loughlin, S le Roux; S Goodburn, F Campbell, N Sibanda, R Edgehill, Z Bursey, S Wrafter (capt), O Evbodaghe, D Boles. Replacements: P O'Boy for Hackett (44 mins), K Smith for Sibanda (51 mins), H Mahood for Mahood (62 mins), A Bennett for Campbell, A Irwin for Goodburn, D Carroll for le Roux, L Corr for Edgehill (all 66 mins).
Referee: J Fitzgerald.
