P.B.C. Retain Barry Cup

Holders P.B.C. retained the Barry Cup as they came from behind to defeat arch rivals C.B.C. in yesterday’s decider at Lansdowne.

C.B.C. 9, P.B.C. 13.

The howling gale was a deciding factor as all of the home side’s scores came in the opening half and Pres’ won the game with the game’s only try midway through the second half but had to withstand a late rally by the home side.
Playing with the elements in the opening half Christians had the visitors on the back foot from the start and they broke the deadlock in the twenty-sixth minute with a penalty from Olan Hanly.
Both sides traded penalties in the closing stages before half time. First up was Hanly for the home side and Thomas Duggan opened the visitors’ account. Hanly restored Christians’ six point advantage on the stroke of half-time with his third penalty for a 9-3 lead.
Duggan reduced the deficit six minutes into the second half and the decisive score came in the fifty-seventh minute when Pres’ tight head prop Hugh O’Halloran was credited with a pushover try following a series of drives by his pack at the home side’s line and Duggan converted from a difficult angle.
Pres’ had to withstand a late rally as they were camped deep inside their own Twenty-Two for lengthy stages in the final quarter. In this phase Christians right winger Rory Slater was deemed to have been held up on the line by the visitors’ defence. Christians launched a series of drives from the resulting five-metre scrum, but solid defensive work ensured that Pres’ would not relinquish their title.

Scorers C.B.C: Olan Hanly 3 penalties.

P.B.C: Tommy Duggan 2 penalties & 1 conversion; Hugh O’Halloran 1 try.

C.B.C: Olan Hanly; Rory Slater, Henry Donnelly, Richard Roberts, Barry Egan; Cillian Monaghan, Lorcan O’Regan; Tom Walley, Devin Fitzgerald, Shane Galvin; Tadhg Arrigan, Sean Gill; Michael Lordan, Shane Burke, Dylan Stokes.
Replacements: Eddie Roche, Dave Barry, Ethan Ackland, Sean Quill.

P.B.C: Darragh O’Keeffe; William Kennedy, Mark O’Callaghan, James Daly, Peter O’Brien; Thomas Duggan, Ronan Griffin; Aidan Lynch, Aidan O’Brien, Hugh O’Halloran; Gavin O’Herlihy, Andrew Cusack; Ryan Callanan, Kieran Farmer, Matthew Curtin.
Replacements: Andrew Callanan, Colin Buckley, Cillian Downes, David Twomey, Luke Prendeville, Sean Crowley, Gavin O’Callaghan.

Referee: Chris Harrington (M.A.R.)