Rugby

James Wixted scores hat-trick as Pres see off great rivals CBC to take 31st Munster senior title

Pres dominated the second half after Gene O’Leary-Kareem’s first-half try saw them lead 7-0 at the break

PBC’s James Wixted dives in to score a try during the 2023 Pinergy Munster Schools Senior Cup Final against CBC at Musgrave Park in Cork/. Photograph: Ken Sutton/Inpho

Tue Mar 14 2023 - 17:11
PBC 24 CBC 0

James Wixted scored a hat-trick of tries as PBC clinched their 31st Munster schools senior cup title against injury-hit rivals CBC at Musgrave Park on Tuesday.

They led 7-0 at half-time, eventually breaking through in the 21st minute, when centre Gene O’Leary-Kareem touched down at the posts following a quick tap from a penalty.

Fullback Ben O’Connor, who was outstanding all through, converted and while Christians lost secondrow Michael Foy to the sinbin, they forced Pres on the defensive only to be met by stubborn resistance.

The second half was one-sided, however, as Pres, inspired by number eight and captain Rory O’Shaughnessy and flanker Fionn Roussel generated enough possession for their talented backline to showcase their undoubted class.

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Wixted crossed for his first try after 45 minutes, the Mardyke school sensing their opportunity in broken play with O’Shaughnessy and O’Connor prominent in sending the flying winger down the left for 12-0.

Just before the hour, O’Connor, a promising hurler, too, sprinted down the right from his own 22 and was only stopped a few metres from the line at the other end to create another chance. Wixted duly obliged in the opposite corner as Pres surge 17 points in front.

There was no denying the destination of the Garrett Fitzgerald Memorial Cup at this juncture and within a couple of minutes Wixted completed his hat-trick, sweeping in from 25 metres after O’Connor and Kareem-O’Leary did the spade work, O’Connor adding the extras.

It afforded Pres the opportunity to empty their bench on the run-in to a memorable cup run during which they scored 21 tries, the majority from their talented back division.

PBC: B O’Connor; J Wixted, G O’Leary-Kareem, J O’Leary, T Coughlan; H Murphy, L Tuohy; M Minogue, M O’Sullivan, T McCarthy; D Noonan, C Murphy; F Roussel, R O’Shaughnessy (capt), A Alderson.

Replacements used: M Dillon, G O’Keeffe, P Wall, O Squires, R Skuse, D Foley, O Nangle, S Kelleher, J Wiggington Barrett, L Sisk-O’Mahony.

CBC: B Lynch; C Barrett, A O’Connell, G O’Riordan, C Foley; CP O’Shea, J Casey; S Loftus (capt), S O’Shaughnessy, D O’Callaghan; C Kennelly, M Foy; M Skelly, D Rock, O Prenter.

Subs: L O’Leary for O’Riordan (inj, 28 mins), C Walsh for O’Callaghan and J O’Shea for Rock (both 40), G Good for O’Shaughnessy (42), M Doyle for Kennelly (53), J Barrett for Prenter (56), H Foster for Loftus, J O’Callaghan for Lynch and E Cahill-Murphy for Foley (66).

Referee: E Cross (Munster).

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