Holy Faith De La Skerries turned in a power-packed performance, especially in the first-half, in this Section A Leinster Schools Junior Cup final at Donnybrook yesterday.
A robust front eight made life awkward for Mount Temple. This was reflected in Skerries two first-half tries. Open-side flanker Colin Cribbin and number eight James Sherlock had their fellow forwards to thank for creating the holes which both rushed through in the 15th and 24th minutes respectively.
Scrum-half Mark Heeney converted both and generally prospered from the efficiency of captain John Crowell, the back-row of Ray Otto, Cribbin, Sherlock and the latter's younger brother Paul at second row.
Temple were given encouragement by a slick, 29th-minute try from right wing Adam Louth. From a five-metre scrum, influential number eight Daragh Ffrench fed breaking scrum-half Ross Maybury who drew the cover before releasing Louth into the corner. That was as close as Temple got to to making Skerries sweat it out.
HFDLS Skerries: M Kirwan; R Browne, B Cullen, M Hewitt, M Nicholls; C Keane, M Heeney; J Crowell, S Burton, E Dennis; P Sherlock, C Browne; R Otto, C Cribbin, J Sherlock.
Mount Temple: P Ferns; A Louth, D Butterly, J Gavin, A Coggin; C Scott-Keogh, R Maybury; P Bolger, R McMullen, J Kennedy; G Butler, N Leonard; T O'Mahony, M Finglas, D Ffrench. Replacements: S Miller for Bolger (39 mins); A Bugwardeen for Coggin (41 mins).
Referee: B Payne (ARLB).
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