McCallion settles tight affair
It's a measure of how advanced defences have become that over the course of the 60 minutes at Donnybrook yesterday, a solitary score separated these two.
The game was just four minutes old when Blackrock registered the only score of the game when Mark McCallion converted from inside the Belvedere '22'.
Blackrock came close to going over, but Belvedere managed to retrieve possession after second-row Niall Wilson made a good charge through the middle.
Belvedere continued to take the hits after that, courtesy of some terrific defending from the pack.
The final action of the first half saw Belvedere winger Jordan Mulvaney pull his left-footed kick from inside the Blackrock '22' narrowly wide of the posts.
And it was to prove a frustrating second half for Belvedere too, with Blackrock's defence holding firm despite some late pressure.
Belvedere College -- S Long; D Boylan, A O'Brien, N Groome, J Mulvaney; C Jennings, G O'Kelly (P Wade 58); M Sweeney, A Hynes, E Meade; S Smyth (I O'Domhnaill 40), A McClean; C McCaffrey, D McCaffrey, F Dillon-Kelly.
Blackrock College -- J Fennelly; M O'Callaghan (R Egan-Barron 38), M McCallion (F O'Reilly 40), M O'Brien, C Delaney; C Dean, J McGowan; M Reidy, H Kean, G O'Meara; D Mullane, N Wilson; A Cassidy (H Egleston 59), P West, R McMahon.
Ref -- N Correll (Leinster).
Irish Independent
