Blackrock power into the last four

Blackrock Coll 32 Gonzaga Coll 10:Hot favourites Blackrock racked up a half-dozen tries in their Powerade Leinster Schools Junior Cup quarter-final win over a durable Gonzaga at Donnybrook yesterday.

The Williamstown school got straight out of the traps through their lively scrum-half James McGowan. He first released fullback Steven Kilgallen with a short ball and then, from the recycle, sent lock Caelan Doris into the right corner in the second minute.

Gonzaga were slowly working they way into it, led by their steely openside Jack McNamara, when the ball went to ground. It was hacked ahead by Rock’s Conor Dean for the concession of a scrum. Number eight Hugo Burke got a solid platform and powered to the line.

Then, fullback Kilgallen countered spectacularly for good position. The ball was shifted quickly to the hands of right wing Matthew O’Callaghan for their third try in the 25th minute.

However, Gonzaga centre Harry Brennan spun out of a tackle to break right into the heart of the Rock defence. A penalty followed and outhalf Oran James posted a penalty right on half-time.

Scrumhalf McGowan sniped around the side of a ruck for Rock’s fifth unconverted try and replacement Ben Layden added the sixth before Peter O’Reilly kicked their first conversion.

BLACKROCK: S Kilgallen; M O'Callaghan, G Mullin, T O'Brien, N Gleeson; C Dean, J McGowan; H Egleston, E Olden, E Burns, N Marshall, C Doris, R Dunne, J Mion (capt), H Burke. Replacements: B Nolke for Doris (20 mins); R Mouatt for Burns (38 mins); P O'Reilly for O'Callaghan (52 mins); L Gaffney for Kilgallen (55 mins); B Layden for Mullin (59 mins); C Connolly for Olden, A Murphy for Burke both (60 mins). GONZAGA: M O'Kennedy; T Costello, B Goulding (capt), H Brennan, A Browne; O James, R Kelly; F Keane, R O'Donnell, E Ryder, M McGrogan, E Coyle, C Farrell, J McNamara, H O'Grady. Replacements: A Caslin for Kelly (51 mins); M Mulreanny for Costello (52 mins); C O'Doherty for Keane (55 mins); A McEvoy for O'Donnell, P McCormick for McGrogan, J Appleby for Brennan, J Mulcahy for O'Kennedy all (57 mins); S Dempsey for Coyle (59 mins). Referee: B McNiece, Leinster Branch.