Good start for St Michael's pays off

Schools' Rugby/Leinster Junior Cup quarter-final/St Michaels College 25 Clongowes Wood 0:Despite dominating most of the second half, Clongowes came away scoreless from Donnybrook in yesterday's Leinster Schools Junior Cup quarter-final.

St Michael's had got off to a great start with fullback Sam Green kicking them ahead inside the first minute from a penalty to the left of the posts. Green was unsuccessful with two subsequent efforts in as many minutes.

But from a move initiated by Green, St Michael's strung together several phases before wing forward Chris Kenna scored just to the left of the posts on 11 minutes.

Clongowes made a good start to the second half with fullback Stephen McAuley cutting through the defence before moving the ball out wide.

David Quirke then fed Sean Caroon but the wing, having chosen to go back inside, was engulfed by the St Michael's defence.

The play then switched wings with Dermot O'Meara just inches away from making the corner.

St Michael's, having soaked up a good 10-minute spell of pressure, then killed off the game when a clever inside pass by Max Ludwig saw Robert Owens come off his shoulder to score in the right-hand corner on 53 minutes.

Green converted and then Alex Kelly scored under the posts with five minutes to go.

ST MICHAEL'S COLLEGE: S Green; R Owens, A Kelly, M Craig, C Diamond; C Marsh, L McGrath, M Ludwig; F Barry, C Cusack; S Farrell, P Dix; S McGarry, C Kenna, C Mallon. Replacements: J Kelleher for Mallon (41 mins), N Van der Laan for Green (53 mins), K Jones for McGrath (56 mins), D Reynolds for Cusack (57 mins), K Corbalis for Owens (58 mins).

CLONGOWES WOOD COLLEGE: S McAuley; S Caroon, D Smyth, A Thompson, E Lewis; D Quirke, D O'Meara; JM Geehan, S O' Keefe, F Nolan; R Hynes, T Beirne; S Burke, H Fehily, J Dilger. Replacements: A Mahon for Geehan (40 mins), B Connolly for Fehily (40 mins), N Connolly for Caroon (55 mins), J McMahon for O' Meara (57 mins), B Grehan for Hynes (58 mins).

Referee: K Beggs (ARLB).