La Grue’s late try snatches victory for Terenure

Terenure College 10 Newbridge College 7

Centre Adam La Grue struck for a try six minutes into injury-time at Donnybrook yesterday as Terenure became the first to qualify for the Leinster Schools Junior Cup semi-final.

Newbridge made most of the early running through the power plays of centre Daithi Murphy and number eight and captain Patrick Ryan.

They just couldn’t find the final pass to reward their impressive approach play. The longer this went on, the more confidence Terenure took from their defence in which lock Jack O’Hare and Paddy Heneghan shone as the half drew to a scoreless close.

The first score would be important, the first try possibly definitive. Terenure got over the line without grounding the ball in plain view of referee Brian McNiece. They came again from the five-metre scrum, the last pass to right wing Josh Strahan going forward as he dived over.

It was a let-off Newbridge soon made good on, their own right wing Cian Murphy seizing on an interception for a 40th-minute try, converted by Luke Morris.

This was quickly whittled down by Mark Fabian’s simple penalty when Newbridge were penalised.

This left the door open and Terenure, as they are prone to do, burst out of defence and into attack mode for La Grue to poach the decisive try, converted by Fabian.