Newbridge hold their nerve

Schools' Rugby Leinster Senior Cup: Newbridge Coll - 19 Cistercian Roscrea - 5 A lively match on a firm Donnybrook pitch yesterday finally fell Newbridge's way in the closing 10 minutes. It was a flattering scoreline for the winners, although, a deserved outcome.

As both teams broke into each other's 22 without too much happening, it was a final push on the hour from Newbridge that ultimately took this game out of sight from Roscrea.

Up to that stage at 60 minutes, when the bright Newbridge College outhalf David Aherne drop kicked his side to a 12-5 lead, Aherne himself having kicked all three of his side's penalties in the first half, the match was hanging in the balance.

While the attacks from both sides arrived with vigour Aherne's drop goal bore out the sense of his team's irritation, and no doubt Roscrea's, that the scores were simply not coming. Too often the wrong option taken, a spill or turnover frustrated their path to the try line. The drop goal was warmly welcomed but three minutes later a try arrived when hooker Niall Barton wriggled through a pile of bodies to stretch over in the right corner. Aherne converted for 19-5.

From then on there was no way back for Roscrea, who had skilfully opened up the match just before the half-time break.

It was outhalf Peter Durcan cutting through from the halfway line and bumping off Newbridge number eight Cathal Doyle en route to the left corner who returned the only score from repeated Roscrea attacks. But those were the only five points earned, a poor return for such a high work rate and, in phases, territorial domination too.

Shane Griffin in the Newbridge lineouts gave them good set-piece ball, while outside centre Fionn Carr always looked a threat with a little space and ball in hand and demonstrated a natural gift for sliding past players at pace.

For Roscrea their blindside flanker and captain Martin Leahy was everywhere, invariably making yardage, which must have gone well into treble figures, while Austin Murphy at outside centre was one of the stronger runners on the pitch but just short on the day of breaking a well-drilled Newbridge defence.

That defence was perhaps highlighted at the end of the match. As Roscrea saw the seconds tick away and the game running into injury time, the young side, 15 of whom will return to the extended squad next year, threw everything at Newbridge. But even then the line held, Durcan, Murphy and Leahy all repelled or beaten back just metres out.

One disappointment was that Aherne went down in injury time and was replaced. As a consistently accurate kicker it will be hoped his presence will not be missed in the next round.

SCORING SEQUENCE: 17 mins: D Aherne pen 3-0; 21: D Aherne pen 6-0; 27: D Ahernes pen 9-0; 35: P Durcan try 9-5. Half-time. 60: D Aherne drop gl. 12-5; 63: N Barton try, Aherne pen 19-5.

NEWBRIDGE COLLEGE: G Delahunt; R Kerrigan, F Carr, S Roe (capt), M Neylon; D Aherne, S Cleere; B O'Shea, N Barton, B Shanahan, M Kindregan, S Griffin, D Miley, R Mulryan, C Doyle. Replacements: R Whelan for Aherne (injury time).

ROSCREA COLLEGE: G Dolan; R Campion, A Murphy, R Lee, G Boland; P Durcan, D Lawlor; C Egan, R Kerley, A Thompson, D Lydon, J Mescal, M Leahy (capt), N O'Brien, M Staunton. Replacements: D McNamara for Thompson (35 mins); S Hayes for Kerley (55 mins).

Referee: D Woods (ARLB).