Schools / Munster Senior Cup Final: St Munchin's 7 PBC Cork 3: A Keith Earls try and heroic defence were the decisive factors in helping St Munchin's to their second title in three years in yesterday's Avonmore Milk Munster Schools Senior Cup final at Thomond Park.
Holders PBC will feel they let they this one get away, having monopolised possession in both halves, but they could not make it pay on the scoreboard.
The Cork college were relentless in pursuit of a try, particularly during a 10-minute spell late in the second half, but could not force their way past a disciplined St Munchin's defence.
Presentation might feel aggrieved at a referee's decision not to award them a legitimate try in the 58th minute when scrumhalf Shane Costigan crossed the line. But Dermot Moloney was unsighted and awarded a five-metre scrum.
The PBC coaching staff were furious, but Costigan's effort was a prelude to a period of sustained pressure that continued right through to the 69th minute. After three successive scrum-five situations, the Cork college failed to register a try.
Jeff Power and Andrew O'Driscoll both made it over the line but were held up by some St Munchin's tacklers, where Shane Hassett, James O'Neill and Tom Burke starred.
Though you could not fault PBC for their efforts, they might have profited with more variation in the red zone. Instead of making the hard yards around the fringes or employing the pick-and-go tactic, they should have moved the ball wide where there was an obvious overlap.
"Whereas I'm disappointed that the try wasn't given because we felt he (Costigan) was a foot over the line, I think we'd be fooling ourselves if we said that alone is responsible for our defeat," said Presentation coach Don Buckley. "I'm bitterly disappointed. For the amount of ball we had, we had loads of chances but we didn't take them."
St Munchin's coach John Broderick attributed this win to his side's character and to endless hours on the training pitch repelling the sort of pressure PBC mounted.
"We'd seen them do that particular ploy close to the opposition line, picking close into rucks, and worked on it for the past two weeks.
"But I thought it was a try worthy of winning a cup final, good break by Broderick to delay and pass to Keith."
From the beginning PBC's movement was sprightly and incisive behind a strong pack. Brian Dennehy and Tim Kenneally regularly crossed the gain-line and their pressure was rewarded with a 10th-minute penalty. But Jeff Power failed to connect sweetly.
Presentation worked their way patiently through the phases, and in the 28th minute Dennehy made an excellent line break off a three-quarter move. St Munchin's were penalised at the breakdown and Power converted.
It took a something special to reignite St Munchin's game and nine minutes after the restart the inspiration was provided by Richard Mullane. The outhalf showed a good turn of pace out of his 22 to deliver a sweet pass to Eamonn Broderick who cut through the midfield in a darting, 30-yard run. Earls came up outside to take the try-scoring pass and complete a sublime move.
Ger Slattery added the difficult conversion. Costigan stole around the fringes and looked to have touched down in the 58th minute and Pres crossed the line twice more but St Munchin's defence was indeed heroic. Eleven minutes of injury time was not enough for the holders to get inside scoring territory.
ST MUNCHIN'S: J O'Dwyer; J Organ, K Earls, E Broderick, G O'Hanlon; R Mullane, P Rowley; D Hogan, G Slattery (capt), T Burke; C McNamara, J Griffin; L Og Murphy, J O'Neill, S Hassett.
PBC: J Power; B Derham, B Dennehy (capt), T Kenneally, K Buckley; S Deasy, S Costigan; N McCarthy, A O'Driscoll, M Kearney; M Kenefick, R McCarthy; N Barry, R Love, R Allen.
Referee: Dermot Moloney (MAR).
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