Blackrock grind out win of bare necessities

BLACKROCK COLLEGE, the defending champions and winners of the Leinster Schools' Senior Cup on 61 occasions, are through to the final yet again. In maintaining their great tradition, at Lansdowne Road, yesterday, Blackrock saw off the challenge of Terenure College, winning by 15 points to six.

The game passed without a try and was marked more by determined effort than flair. For Blackrock, the performance was sufficient for their needs. They had the strength and power up front to lay the foundations for success. They took the chances that came their way from penalty kicks, while they also converted two well-taken drop-goals.

Terenure offered resolute and full-hearted opposition and defended very well, most notably in a 10 minute period just prior to the interval when their tackling saved their line on several occasions. However, their own attacking opportunities were very limited.

Having failed to break down the well organised Terenure defence in the opening exchanges, Blackrock put their faith in the pack and their out-half, Neil O'Donovan, kept the ball in front of his forwards as he kicked for position. It did not make for spectacular fare, but it was effective.

Terenure just did not have the strength to win the sort of possession which a centre of Eamon Travers' ability might have been able to capitalise on. Blackrock went into a six-point lead by the 13th minute, with a drop goal from O'Donovan after six minutes and a penalty from David Quinlan on 13 minutes.

But those scores did not serve as a prelude to Terenure's capitulation. They fought tenaciously up front and Donnacha O'Donohoe and Dermot Quinn worked hard to stifle the strong Blackrock line-out.

However, Leo Cullen, deployed at the front, Robert Casey and Keith Murphy gave Blackrock a pronounced advantage in that facet of play. The Blackrock forwards were also the stronger and more effective in ruck and maul, and Barry Gibney was often first to the loose ball.

For all their superiority and territorial advantage in the first half, Blackrock could not make the breakthrough for a try. The half-time advantage was a tenuous three points, after the Terenure out-half, John English, kicked a penalty in the 21st minute.

Eight minutes into the second half, English brought his side level with a second penalty and hope flickered for Terenure. But they could not get the possession to put any concerted pressure on Blackrock, who went ahead again in the 13th minute of the second period with a drop goal from centre Greg Duffy.

Paul Meade was narrowly wide with a penalty for Terenure in the 50th minute and that was the nearest they came to scoring. Quinlan stretched Blackrock's lead to six points in the 65th minute and while they could not break down the Terenure defence for a try, they were content in their superiority.

In the seventh minute of injury-time, Quinlan kicked his third penalty to give his side a nine-point winning margin and another final appearance against the winners of the Clongowes-Newbridge semi-final, which takes place today.