Beirne on target for the Rock

McCorry Cup Final: Blackrock College - 12 Lansdowne - 8 The simple fact that this McCorry Cup final produced a single try suggests…

McCorry Cup Final: Blackrock College - 12 Lansdowne - 8 The simple fact that this McCorry Cup final produced a single try suggests it was a poor spectacle. It was worse than that at Donnybrook last night.

Neither side could establish any foothold in the set-piece. When scrums didn't wheel through 90 degrees, the front rows stood in unison to relieve the obvious pressure.

There was little or no flow to the game. It was just as well that Blackrock had an able kicker in scrumhalf Peter Beirne. It was a reflection of Lansdowne's opening half that their only route to the scoreboard came through the boot of prop Alex O'Sullivan. It was 3-3 at the break.

Blackrock moved 9-3 in front when Beirne landed penalties in the 43rd and 48th minutes.

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Eventually centre Stephen King breached their defence on the right only for Beirne to respond with what was a match-winning penalty.

BLACKROCK COLLEGE: B McDonald; R Fitzgerald, K Copeland , E Dennehy, I Barrett; T O'Leary, P Beirne; N Crowley, D Gavin, C Murphy, O Cullen, B Scanlon, D O'Dwyer, D Lewis, C Treston. Replacement: J Hearty for Fitzgerald (47 mins).

LANSDOWNE: M Burke; R McCarthy, S King, A Deverell, N Walsh; B O'Shea, A Geraghty; A O'Sullivan, P Flood, D Soden, M O'Donnell, N Ganley, S McCarthy, P O'Connell. D Upton . Replacement: V O'Dowd for O'Connell (58 mins)

Referee: David Phillips (ARLB).