Terenure celebrate in style
Outstanding Brewer inspires victory over luckless St Michael's
Terenure College captain Rob Somerville and vice-captain Stephen O'Neill, left, lift the Leinster Schools Junior Cup
Monday March 22 2010
"Yes we can" sang the Terenure College supporters -- and so they did as for the second year running the title made its way back to D6W.
In the most perfect conditions, this talented Terenure group produced pretty much the complete team performance when overwhelming St Michael's at Donnybrook yesterday.
It was difficult not to feel for the Ailesbury Road School. Having lost the Senior decider to Clongowes on Wednesday, they completed a most unwanted double yesterday, in the process also making it four Junior final defeats in a row.
And much like the Scots at Croke Park the previous day, they had started well, laying down an early marker by way of a successful Ross Byrne penalty just two minutes in.
From then almost to the break, inspired by runaway express Silvio Borza, skipper Rob Somerville, workaholic flanker Patrick Thornton, clever scrum-half Gary Clarkin and powerful centre Hilary Nwankwo, 'Nure took complete control.
Out-half Jordan Lynch almost crossed in the seventh minute, before Harrison Brewer and Nwankwo provided the groundwork from the resulting scrum for Clarkin to eventually burrow in.
Stephen O'Neill struck the conversion with unerring accuracy and the title defence was well and truly under way.
Ten minutes later full-back Ronan Church was almost in at the same spot. From the subsequent line-out a clever ploy at the front, between Jody Carroll and Mike Murphy, resulted in Clarkin racing clear up the tram line for his and his side's second try. O'Neill bisected the posts from the touchline.
The ever-influential Brewer then burst through for a 24th-minute try from a pre-rehearsed penalty move, and when O'Neill again added the extras, Michael's fate was all but sealed with the score at 21-3.
To their credit, with Stephen Harold, Mick Craig, Conor Duffy and Cian Kelleher to the fore, they battled gallantly, particularly either side of the break. But two further Byrne penalties was as good as it got for them.
The outstanding Brewer provided the scoring pass for Neil O'Connor to cross for a try on 50 minutes and then adding the coup de grace when scoring his second and the 'Nure's fifth try of the day.
The most complete team in the competition had produced pretty much the complete team performance, celebrating the school's 150th anniversary and 10th Junior Cup in the most appropriate style.
Terenure -- R Church; T O'Brien (J McCormack 70), S O'Neill, H Nwankwo, N O'Connor (A Hyland 70) ; J Lynch, G Clarkin (R Murphy 70); S Borza, J Carroll (T Creagh 70), K Colgan (C Dignam 70); M Murphy (E Haddock 70), R Somerville (Captain); N O'Sullivan (S Caffrey 70), P Thornton, H Brewer.
St Michael's -- C Kelleher; D Greene, A Comerford, M O'Keefe (G Morgan 25), A Leavy; R Byrne (Captain), N McCarthy (L Martin 30); D Gibbons (N Quane 58) , R Allen (S Mosnier 56), D Coulson; S Harold, R Moloney (J Murphy 25) (G Kane for Murphy 35)); J O'Connell, M Craig, C Duffy.
Ref -- J Montayne (ARLB).
Irish Independent
