The year Terenure upset the old order

1997 Leinster Schools' Cup final: St Patrick's Day was anti-climatic stuff, especially after what transpired in the two epic semi-finals. You see, in the Leinster Senior Cup final the favourites nearly always prevail.

They might meet one significant opponent. One team that aren't intimidated by lofty reputations. Most years it's a two-horse race.

That's probably why Blackrock are always so successful. Of course, they produce quality sides but just the sight of the light blue and white can unnerve some players. It happens.

It certainly didn't in 1997, however.

The draw was perfect. Belvedere and Blackrock, who dominated the Leinster schools team, would meet in the final. The schools had played out a magnificent Junior Cup final three years previously, Belvo prevailing thanks to a last-gasp Shane Moore drop goal.

Many of the cast had returned, with the exception of Blackrock lock Bob Casey who had already begun the climb towards a successful professional career.

Belvedere had a ferocious pack and several players who eventually cut their teeth in the pro game like Moore and Andy Dunne (currently with Leinster). Blackrock included future Irish scrumhalf Ciarán Scally and a handy stand-off named Brian O'Driscoll.

THE SEMI-FINALS: Over the space of 24 hours the pre-cup script was shredded at Lansdowne Road. First, an unbelievably underrated Terenure duked out a 9-6 victory over Belvedere.

Dave Blaney was their inspirational captain and a hooker who was attempting to follow the footsteps of brothers James and Dermot, who won the cup in 1992 and 1993 (younger sibling Brian, now the Leinster hooker, lost the 2000 final).

"To be honest, we were absolutely blessed to win that game. I remember being at the bottom of a couple of rucks and seeing lads put their heads where you wouldn't put your foot. It was one of those games.

"There were a couple of lads who stood out, like Dan Parkinson, Dermot Quinn and John English. They all had awesome games.

"Belvo were special. I could still name their team. They had Fergal Swords on the wing. Ciarán Leyden, Shane Moore, John Logan, Andy Dunne, Kevin O'Malley. Donal Martin was their fullback. All brilliant players. Blackrock were an awesome team as well. I played with Skids (Scally), Drico and Neil Coughlan for schools teams and in UCD."

The next day a young Clongowes fullback called Gordon D'Arcy played a significant supporting role in ending Rock's progress in a 16-14 thriller. It was the first time O'Driscoll came to prominence on a rugby field as he struck the post with a drop at goal in the dying seconds.

"He's made up for it since."

Scally was like an "unstoppable rebel force" (to quote Robert de Niro) from five yards. Along with fullback Mike Price, he had two SCT medals in the back pocket but as captain and in his final year this meant that little bit more.

The late Vinnie Murray was the Clongowes coach that year, a true visionary who coached all the leading players in the competition at Irish schools level, and he devised a plan to counteract Blackrock's main weapon.

In the lead up to the match, the Clongowes backrow (Richie Kearney, Ian Sheehy and Greg Lynch), along with scrumhalf Bobby Quigley, would stay back after training and line up along the try line on their knees. The biggest seconds team forwards would sprint from the 22 with Murray blowing his whistle as the runner reached the five-yard line. The four defenders would leap up and bury him. Then repeat the process.

Again and again.

Two minutes into the semi-final 'Rock bombarded the Clongowes line. They won a five-yard scrum. Scally, all 15 stone of him, picked and drove for the line. He was halted on the gain line.

The game was lost elsewhere but imagine the confidence levels of the Clongowes players thereafter.

THE FINAL: Anti-climatic final or not, Terenure didn't care. Despite conceding an early try they dominated Clongowes, crossing for two second-half tries that killed off the contest long before the final whistle.

Blaney crossed under the posts, a nice little shimmy for a hooker - then you remember his cousin Greg brought the Sam Maguire back to Down in 1994 - that English converted for 17-8. Scrumhalf Barry Healy followed it up after a neat intercept and decent support from Cormac Long. 22-8. Game over.

Blaney breaks into hysterics when explaining what happened next.

"Then there was a massive pitch invasion. I just thought it was the most hilarious thing ever. Typical Terenure. All my mates were trying to give me a King's Chair with 12 minutes to go in the game. It was surreal. I was there 'lads, get off the pitch.' But they were there 'It's okay Blanes, we've won. We've won.' "

In actual fact, it was far earlier in the match that Blaney realised it was going to be Terenure's day.

"The turning point in the whole game came early enough. Simon Coleman came in off his wing and hit their winger David Hourihane. He nearly killed this fella. Everyone got that feeling you know? Job done here. He was their goal-kicker."

Hourihane had kicked excellently throughout the competition, especially against Blackrock, but he missed three penalties and a conversion that day.

"We kind of singled out a couple of their lads in the game for special attention. We had their scrum all ends up at times. That hit was a turning point. He was a good kicker but it ended up that Darce had to have a pop."

Clongowes came into the final with a similar attitude to Terenure after the confidence gained in denying Blackrock the three in a row. Their scrumhalf, Bobby Quigley, even crossed for an early try.

"I remember being under the posts saying 'lads that was a once off. It won't happen again.' Our defence had been rock solid all season. We had only let in two tries in the whole campaign. We had such belief in our defence.

"We locked it all up after that."

Clongowes lost five finals in the 1990s. Twelve months later they lifted the curse and began one of the most comprehensive run of victories seen in modern schools rugby.

THE END OF THE ROAD: In the competition's 120-year history this was a remarkable year because Terenure were not supposed to win. Why? One reason the fisherman caught more fish than anyone else was his flies were in the water more than anybody else's.

"Our lads were work horses. Mad keen to win. I'll always remember our fitness sessions. We trained twice a day, pretty much every day including Sundays and then a game on Saturday."

Blaney also remembers the dressingroom moments after the final. It was just like any winning dressingroom they had shared over the previous six years. Banter. They could have been anywhere. Just another game.

Then it dawned on them.

"I remember looking around and getting kind of emotional. I realised I'm never going to play with these guys again. I don't know how to explain it but it was like a double-edged sword. At one stage I was going 'this is the best day ever . . .'

"I remember everyone sitting around talking saying 'I wish we could play a few more games.' Everyone was going: 'They should organise some sort of All-Ireland and we'll go up and play Campbell College!'

'We can't not play anymore. Study or rugby . . . shit, we've got to come back to reality here."

There is a 10-year reunion later this year. Perhaps, one last chance to drift out of reality.