Rugby

Maloney guides Newbridge into last eight of Leinster Senior Cup

Outhalf pulls the strings to guide Kildare academy to victory over outclassed Pres Bray

Bandon Grammar School’s Louis Archer celebrates after scoring the decisive penalty against Castletroy College to secure a 17-15 victory in the Munster Schools Junior Cup quarter final. Photograph: Tommy Dickson/Inpho

Wed Jan 31 2018 - 20:07

Newbridge College 36 Pres Bray 0

Newbridge College’s passage into the Leinster Schools Senior Cup quarter-final was never in doubt at Donnybrook yesterday.

Pres were simply frozen to the spot from the start in what was expected to be a 50-50 contest.

They could not generate any kind of continuity up front, despite best efforts of prop Keld Sredojevic, captain Jack McGrath and number eight Joseph McLaughlin.

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There were glimpses of talent in behind as half-backs Ben Murphy and Elliot Ryan and centre Mick O’Gara struggled on the backfoot.

The sharp running of Newbridge fly-half Luke Maloney was a feature of the first half, showing up twice for his opening try in the seventh minute.

The second came off the back of sure continuity and a delayed pass from flanker Oisín Halpin which was taken to the house by centre Karmon Fitzgerald, Maloney’s conversion making it a dozen points on the board.

The Bray school’s only glimpse at hitting back came from centre Mick O’Gara’s long-distance penalty which was held up in the wind.

It wasn’t long before Jack Doyle’s favourite weapon, an inside pass, set captain Cian Prendergast off and he had the pace to evade three tackles on his way to the posts for seven more to make it 19-0 at the interval.

Thereafter, Maloney stretched the lead from a penalty in the 42nd minute.

Centre Karmon Fitzgerald doubled up when latching onto a loose ball and speeding to the posts for Maloney to convert in the 46th minute.

That man Maloney’s trickery opened up Pres for replacement Robert Scully to put a seal on it with a finish into the left corner, Maloney converting from the left touchline.

NEWBRIDGE COLLEGE: D Conroy; C Creedon, K Fitzgerald, E Conroy, T Sheedy, C Creedon; L Maloney, J Doyle; T Grant, L Kelly, L Rigney, D Morrissey, C Prendergast (capt), O Halpin, H O'Neill, M Cleary.

Replacements: C McGroary for O'Neill, T Sheedy for E Conroy (both 53 mins); R Scully for McGroary (56); G McNeilis for Kelly, M Moynihan for Halpin, R Finn for Maloney, S Cahill for Doyle, J Shanahan for Fitzgerald (all 65).

PRES BRAY: D Maloney; A Walsh, S O'Dowd, M O'Gara, J Pyper; E Ryan, B Murphy; K Sredojevic, T Harbinson, B Brady, J McGrath (capt), L Lupton-Smith, S Graham C McNulty, J McLaughlin.

Replacements: D Magee for Brady (h/t - temp); D Magee for Sredojevic (42 min)s; C Williams for Harbison (57); Jordan Mortell for Walsh (64); R McDonald for Lupton-Smith (65); N Groves for Graham, S Roche for Murphy (both 67).

Referee: G Sheridan, Leinster Branch.

Munster schools Junior Cup – Quarter-finals: Rockwell College 3-18 CBC; Castletroy College 15-17 Bandon Grammar; Crescent College 14-25 PBC.

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