Late-Late Try Earns CBC 18th Title

A thrilling Clayton Hotels Munster Schools Junior Cup final saw Ronan O’Sullivan’s late-late try, followed by George Coomber’s penalty snatch Christians’ 18^th title and extract revenge for their final defeat to Crescent Comprehensive last year.

Some exhilarating running rugby was the perfect conclusion to this years’ schools rugby season, and neither side could have been denied the title of deserving winners for two fantastic collective performances.

These sides were contesting the latest in a trio of Munster Schools Junior Cup finals, tied one apiece with Crescent coming in as holders; a replay required to secure the title in 2016.

After last Friday’s attritional contest in Limerick, this afternoon saw Crescent again commit to the running brand of rugby that saw them run in points for fun throughout the competition on a pristine surface at Irish Independent Park, despite a flurry of snow that morning. Despite missing an early penalty they kept at it, and were rewarded twelve minutes into the contest, albeit rather fortunately.

Ironically it was the Cork outfit who were spreading it out wide, when a misplaced Cian Whooley pass bounced kindly into the path of Jack Delaney, who seized the opportunity and turned on the afterburners to try under the posts, before catching his breath to convert the extra two.

The try served to galvanise the Sidney Hill outfit, who were able to enact their physical game in the scrum, despite Crescent opting not to contest the mauls. Tommy Crowe’s side have shown composure on the line in abundance in the past, and again held their nerve through the phases for O’Sullivan to cross for his first try, before Coomber slotted the extras.

That’s the way it stood at the break, but the Cork side held their momentum through half-time and found themselves deep in enemy territory early in the second-half, but after Mark O’Connor’s clever inside ball, Harry O’Riordan was held-up on the line.

They stuck at it however, and in a game shaping up as a classic, Finn MacFhlannchadha burrowed his way over following the sustained pressure, and Coomber again made the score worth its maximum value.

Reigning champions Crescent weren’t prepared to give up their title too easily, however, and having made 50 yards from Tony O’Sullivan’s incisive break, the ball went through the hands and despite claims of a forward pass, eventually it was Dara O’Shea who crossed in the corner.

An extremely difficult kick was missed just left by Delaney, maintaining an ever-slender two point Christians lead, but the fly-half hadn’t long to ponder as he was lining up another conversion only five minutes later.

No doubts about this one, as Crescent sucked in the Christians defence before substitute Ben Davey’s brilliant line saw him break through the CBC defence and dive under the crossbar for Crecent’s third try, fly-half Delaney’s follow-up almost charged down by two advancing red bodies, put over for a crucial four-point lead heading into the final stretch.

Christians surrendered a late lead to PBC in their first semi-final, but in the final saw the tables turn when it mattered most, when, having elected to scrum from two consecutive penalties given, Ronan O’Sullivan touched down with extra-time ticking down to bring the scores level.

Coomber held his nerve to slot the winning conversion, and a deep kickoff saw CBC retain possession before booting the ball out, before referee Chris Harrington confirmed their latest Junior Cup title, and the end of a fantastic 2017 Schools rugby season.

Crescent College Comprehensive: Colm Quilligan; Gary Kelly, Tony O’Sullivan, Seamus Hurley, Dara O’Shea; Jack Delaney, Jake Connolly; Ethan O’Sullivan, Joshua Skehan Fitzgerald, Jamie Cross, David Doyle, Sean Malone, Barry Scott, James McKeogh, David Rickard.

Replacements: Dara Spillane, Joe Rickard, Ben O’Sullivan, Aodhan Herbert, Oisin Evans, Luke Burke, Ben Davey, Ben Cosgrove, Eoghan Cantillon Mann, David Hickey.

Christian Brothers College: George Coomber; Mark Buckley, Harry O’Riordan, Leo Daly, Aaron Leahy; Cian Whooley, Mark O’Connor; Conor Lavin, Ronan O’Sullivan, Finn MacFhlannachadha, Mark McCarthy, Robbie Kelleher, Mark Donnelly, Sean Rall, Alex O’Regan.

Replacements: Robert Horgan, David Shanahan, Brian O’Donnell, Patrick McBarron, Bobby Kahn, Andrew Cremin, James Moylan, Jack Ryan, Robbie Shalloe, Patrick O’Hara.