Pinergy Munster Schools Boys Senior Cup Round Up

8th February 2023 By The Editor

A view of today's action in Thomond Park between Ardscoil Rís and Crescent College Comprehensive. Photo Credit: Kieran Ryan Benson

There are just four teams remaining in this season’s Pinergy Munster Schools Boys Senior Cup after today’s two quarter-final ties saw PBC and Crescent College Comprehensive progress to the last four.

PBC defeated Rockwell College 52-8 in a one-sided game at Musgrave Park while in Thomond Park, Crescent College edged Ardscoil Rís on a final scoreline of 23-18.

See below for a round-up of both games.

PBC 52 – 8 Rockwell College

The Cork school got off to a fast start with James O’Leary crossing for a try after a few minutes on the clock. At 15 minutes, Pres had their second score, captain Rory O’Shaughnessy crossing in the corner which O’Connor converted from the touchline to give his side a 12-0 lead.

On the kick-off, O’Shaughnessy received the ball and broke through the defence before a side-step saw him beat the last defender to score under the posts. O’Connor’s straightforward conversion gave the Cork school a 19-0 lead after 17 minutes.

Rockwell got some much needed points on the board with a Kian O’Reilly penalty to reduce the deficit to 19-3 but PBC hit back soon after when O’Leary got his second try of the game which was converted by O’Connor.

Rockwell had a good opportunity to score a try at the end of the first half but they were stripped in the tackle and PBC managed to clear to signal the end of the opening 40 minutes which left the Cork school 26-3 in front at the break.

PBC’s Ben O’Connor. Photo Credit: Colbert O’Sullivan

A great carry from O’Leary got Pres on the front foot where Alexander Alderson was on hand to finish off the move to score his side’s fifth try. O’Connor converted to stretch PBC’s lead to 33-3.

Rockwell got their first try of the game when Zac O’Loughlin powered over from close-range. The conversion went wide for the Tipperary school.

PBC finished the game very strongly as Ben O’Connor, Daniel Foley and Luke Sisk O’Mahony all crossed for tries. O’Connor added conversions to each to leave PBC with a 52-8 victory.

Pres will now meet St Munchin’s College in two weeks’ time in Musgrave Park.

PBC: Ben O’Connor, James Wixted, Gene O’Leary Kareem, James O’Leary, Tom Coughlan, Harry Murphy, Liam Tuohy, Maurice Minogue, Michael O’Sullivan, Thomas McCarthy, Daniel Noonan, Cian Murphy, Fionn Roussel, Alexander Alderson, Rory O’Shaughnessy (c).

Replacements: Max Dillon, Peter Wall, George O’Keeffe, Alex Davenport, Oscar Squires, Oscar Nangle, Scott Kelleher, John Wigginton Barrett, Luke Sisk O’Mahony, Daniel Foley.

Rockwell College: Conor Neville, Muiri Lambe, Zac O’Loughlin, Clement McAuliffe, Mathuín Carey, Kian O’Reilly, Will Bermingham; Ben Everard, Ronan O’Connor, Cian Carroll, Conor Bowen, Ralph Kerry, Tom O’Dea, Alex Harold-Barry, Jack Ryan.

Replacements: Rory McKevitt, Daniel Crotty Casey, Andrew Wall, Michael Hayes, Michael Blake, Ruairi Kelly, Sean Leahy, Ronan Powell, Mark McCarthy, Fionn O’Grady.

Referee: Shane Kierans

Ardscoil Rís 18 – 23 Crescent College Comprehensive

Holders Crescent College Comprehensive advanced to the semi-finals of the Pinergy Munster Schools Senior Cup thanks to a hard-fought 18-23 win over Ardscoil Rís in Thomond Park this afternoon.

Crescent took an early lead through prop Mark Fitzgerald who crossed for the opening try of the game which was converted by Eoin O’Callaghan.

Ardscoil responded with a try from Joe Costelloe who crossed in the corner but Aaron Byrnes’ conversion was wide of the posts.

The North Circular Road school then took the lead thanks to a try from Alan Fitzgerald which was converted by Byrnes. That 12-7 lead was reduced when O’Callaghan knocked over a penalty for Crescent before Byrnes missed a three-point opportunity himself to leave Ardscoil 12-10 in front at the break.

An O’Callaghan penalty on the resumption of the second half put Crescent 13-12 in front and it would be a lead they would not relinquish.

Crescent went further ahead with a try from Joe McEnery which was converted by O’Callaghan before back-to-back penalties from Byrnes put just two points between the sides with Crescent leading 20-18 entering the final minutes of the game.

However, the comeback stopped there as Crescent landed another penalty which secured the win and now the reigning champions will look forward to a meeting with CBC in two weeks’ time.

Ardscoil Rís: Harry Cowton, Joshua Dillon, Sam Brown, Alan Roche, Alan Fitzgerald, Aaron Byrnes, Evin Crowe; Joe Costelloe, Aaron McNamara, Emmet Calvey, Matthew Danaher, Samuel Connolly, Scott Gleeson, Alex Kennedy, Luke Murphy.

Replacements: Darragh Glennon, Jibril Koura, Killian McNamara, Adam Shawyer, Kieran Shvaibovich, Colin McCarthy, Marcus O’Donoghue, Adam Jordan, Oisin Quinlivan, Conor Dowling.

Crescent College Comprehensive: Jed O’Dwyer, Eoin O’Callaghan, Joe McEnery, Ben Gallagher, Sean Morrissey, Ryan Godfrey, Marcus Lyons, Mark Fitzgerald, Conor Clery, Denis O’Dwyer, Jack Somers, Sean Magee, Fionn Casserly, Andrew Ahearne, Cillian Kelly.

Replacements: Jonathan Byrne, Alex McNamara, Cathal Lanigan Ryan, Conor Ryan, Jordan Power, Charlie Fenton, Cormac Quinn, Michael O’Mara, Evan Bennett, Mark Molloy.

Referee: George Clancy