Campaign run makes St Mary's favourites

SCHOOLS' RUGBY: If the campaign trail was the barometer to determine outright success in the Leinster Schools' Senior Cup final, then St Mary's would be a shoo-in to claim the crown when they play Belvedere at Lansdowne Road tomorrow (3.30), writes John O'Sullivan

The scalps of defending champions Terenure, Clongowes Wood and Blackrock, schools rugby's elite in the last 25 years in Leinster, are flying from the gates of the Rathmines college this season. Their passage to the final has been achieved with flair and distinction, blending power and physique with cutting edge back play.

It is an irresistible cocktail and one that has won them many admirers. The team is laden with quality from the excellent broken-field running of full back Stephen Grissing, the searing pace of six-try left wing Ronan Doherty to the 'petit general' at scrumhalf, Simon Gibney.

St Mary's have long been noted for their back play but their pack has been a revelation. The front row combine massive physique with the ball handling skills of backs, particularly tighthead Robert Sweeney. Be it lineout (theirs or the opposition throw), scrum, ruck or maul, St Mary's are technically excellent.

They do have the odd weakness, slow to fan out defensively behind the scrum, indifferent distribution and the odd failing with the placed ball. Belvedere in contrast, have had to rely on character, tenacity and exemplary mental strength to make the final. Defensively they have been very resilient, an assertion supported by the fact that they haven't conceded a try en route to the final.

They are well organised, play to a set of defined patterns, and have the patience and self belief to grind down the opposition remorselessly. What they need to do against St Mary's is inject a high tempo to the game and 'get in their opponents' faces' for the afternoon.

On the evidence so far, it's not apparent if captain David O'Brien's team are capable of that. They do have talented individuals like O'Brien, full back Eamon Fitzgerald, wing Marc Hewitt and flanker Cliff Murphy but probably not enough to bridge a 30-year gap to their last success in 1972.

The forecast is St Mary's to win their fourth Senior Cup.

ST MARY'S COLLEGE: S Grissing; J Clarke, M Ryan (capt), M Finlay, R Doherty; J Connolly, S Gibney; C O'Byrne, O McCormack, R Sweeney; N Conway, F O'Sullivan; J Ryan, C Lennon, P Nash.

BELVEDERE COLLEGE: E Fitzgerald; M Hewitt, B McLoughlin, P Hobbs, K Barden; J Kennedy, M Broe; E O'Meara, P McGuire, M Hayes; R Leyden, B McArdle; C Murphy, D O'Kane, D O'Brien (capt).

Referee: A Rolland (Leinster).

• Garbally College came a step closer to retaining the Connacht Schools Senior Cup with a comfortable 21-9 win over Sligo Grammar School in a lively semi-final in Sligo yesterday.

Tom O'Brien (two) and Conor Lavelle scored tries for Garbally, all three of which were converted by captain Iomer Barrett. Mark Butler replied with three penalties. It was 14-3 at half-time.