Emphatic victory for St Mary's

ST MARY'S, who last won the Leinster Schools' Senior Cup two years ago, opened this year's campaign with an emphatic six try victory over St Gerard's in the swirling snow at Donnybrook yesterday.

Despite playing into a strong wind St Mary's pressed from the start and their forwards should have scored in the right corner on eight minutes. However, when St Gerard's failed to find touch a minute later the St Mary's backs moved the ball quickly to the left wing and centre Shane McLaughlin went over.

Seven minutes later, alter a promising move by the St Gerard's backs broke down, St Mary's out half Alan Con boy took up the ball inside his own 22 and sprinted upfield, weaving and dummy passing his way on a marvellous run all the way to the St Gerard's line. Unfortunately for Conboy he knocked on at the last moment and St Gerard's were able to clear their lines.

That was only a temporary setback for St Mary's and they made sure of victory with two tries either side of the interval. After a good run by fullback Alan Shirley St Mary's were awarded a scrum inside the St Gerard's 22. Captain Stephen Conlon peeled off the back of the scrum and fed scrum half John Kinahan who darted in to score in the left corner.

That try gave Mary's a 10 lead at half time and when McLaughlin scored his second try four minutes into the second half, alter another impressive move by the backs, it was only a question of how much they would win by.

As the second half progressed the dominance the St Mary's forwards enjoyed became more pronounced. The front row, ably led by Martin Murphy, enjoyed the better of the forward exchanges and Garrett Lloyd and the excellent Conlon continued to win valuable line out ball which a lively back division put to good use.