Leinster Schools Senior Cup semi-final/St Michael's 21 St Mary's 6: This anti-climatic semi-final was over after 44 minutes but St Michael's won't care as they progressed to only their third senior cup final, and first since 1991, safe in the knowledge that Clongowes Wood College will not be joining them.
In their two previous St Patrick's Day appearances (1988 being the other), St Michael's have been undone by the Clane rugby nursery. Not this year, though, having taken care of them in the quarter-finals.
It may also be comforting for St Michael's that whoever joins them, on this day fortnight, will be runaway favourites. How they would love to win a first ever Leinster Schools Cup at the expense of former senior college Blackrock. That matter will be decided by dinner time this evening as defending champions Belvedere and Blackrock renew acquaintances from last season's decider.
Yesterday's result was never in doubt after Rajan Reilly's seventh minute try as St Michael's dominated a young St Mary's forward eight. It will still be seen as a memorable campaign for the Rathmines school considering they produced the most outrageous moment of the competition by knocking out Castleknock in the quarter-finals thanks to an injury-time try from Conor McGlade.
The centre was St Mary's main attacking tool once more, exposing weaknesses in the St Michael's midfield on three occasions. However, a combination of scrambling defence and a lack of ruthlessness ensured all that hard running went unrewarded.
It was a clinical performance from St Michael's but their vulnerability in turning over ball at the breakdown won't go unnoticed by whoever prevails today, although some credit must go to St Mary's backrowers Shane Timmons and Kevin Gallivan who foraged for every scrap of possession.
However, Belvedere or Blackrock will be keenly aware of St Michael's strength in attack.
Number eight and captain Tyrone McKillen runs a watertight lineout from number four. Peter Hynes' early throws went to Alex Byrne at the front but as St Michael's upped the ante, McKillen began calling ball on himself. This platform allowed outhalf Andrew Cummiskey alternate the points of attack with centre Nick Reynolds regularly switching back inside for contact, while the powerful Conor Cleary on the skip pass required at least two defenders to haul him down.
The Reilly try came directly off a Cleary rampage. He was stopped but Byrne picked up and drove to the line to allow the supporting openside do what comes naturally. Noel Reid added a difficult conversion in what was yet another fine kicking display.
Next came one of the best tries of 2006. St Mary's outhalf Neil Cowhey's attempted clearance was blocked down by Hynes who gathered possession and offloaded to Ian Leonard deep in the 22. Byrne took the next offload before passing out of the tackle for the excellent Patrick Mallon to cross unopposed.
St Mary's had got off the mark with a clever drop goal from scrumhalf Killian Finlay and a Cowhey penalty brought it back to 14-6 at the break. Only for St Michael's errors it would have been game over. Nine minutes into the second half it was. Scrumhalf Robert Shanley, despite losing his footing, making the touch down.
SCORING SEQUENCE: 6 mins: R Reilly try, 5-0; N Reid conv, 7-0; 13: K Finlay drop goal, 7-3; 15: P Mallon try, 12-3; N Reid conv, 14-3; 19: N Cowhey pen, 14-6. Half-time: 14-6. 44: R Shanley try, 19-6; N Reid conv, 21-6.
ST MICHAEL'S COLLEGE: M Twomey; N Reid, C Cleary, N Reynolds, P Brophy; A Cummiskey, R Shanley; I Leonard P Hynes, A Pollard; A Byrne, K McKenna; P Mallon, R Reilly, T McKillen (capt). Replacements: M Kelly for A Pollard (42 mins), S Tallon for I Leonard (70 mins).
ST MARY'S COLLEGE: D Hudson; R Crotty, J Buggy, C McGlade, C Quinn; N Cowhey, K Finlay; M McKay, E Moran, D Kennedy; J Slowey, P Gannon; S Timmons, P Lalor, K Gallivan (capt). Replacements: J McGrath for McKay (11 mins), M Sexton for D Hudson (49 mins), M Callinan for D Kennedy, D Wilson for J Slowey (59 mins), A Hogan for J Buggy, S McArdle for S Timmons (68 mins), D Beirne for K Finlay (69 mins).
Referee: E O'Dowd (ARLB).
