Small try makes big impact

RUGBY/Leinster Schools' Senior Cup: Terenure College...26 Castleknock College...15 It was a rip-roaring schools' cup tie with the issue in doubt until Terenure College gilded their victory with a try from replacement hooker Tom Small five minutes into injury-time at the end of yesterday's quarter-final clash at Donnybrook.

The final scoreline distorts a contest where the impetus vacillated between the combatants on several occasions during the 76 minutes it required to reach a conclusion.

Castleknock, trailing 21-15 with the last few seconds of normal time petering out, manufactured a lineout on the Terenure 22.

For the entire match, Castleknock had demonstrated clever variations in establishing a driving maul to great effect, often gaining 20 to 30 metres at a time.

The fulcrum of this facet of the game was the second row combination of Niall Ganley and the 6' 10" Devin Toner.

Ganley had been called ashore at this stage, the option therefore straightforward; throw to the gargantuan Toner and look to rumble forward.

Instead, a call was made to lob a ball to the back of the lineout in windy conditions. Hooker Kevin Cooper could hardly be held culpable that his throw deviated a couple of inches to the Terenure side, adjudged crooked-in.

Castleknock probably would not have scored anyway, but by keeping it simple they would have at least asked the question of a Terenure team that looked decidedly skittish, corralled in their own 22 once again.

Instead, the latter were able to clear their lines and pretty much run down the clock with no further palpitations until Small's definitive intervention.

Castleknock shouldn't dwell on any negative thoughts, their performance in extending Terenure more worthy of celebration.

Recovering from a lacklustre opening that saw them fall eight points behind with the prospect of many more to come, Castleknock played with a focus and precision that rocked Terenure to the core.

The pack attacked their opponents in the scrum, competed for every scrap of possession and in Toner possessed a player who contributed so much more than a mere lineout option.

Flankers Andrew Nuzum and Eoin Mullen were tenacious and uncompromising in a pack that acquitted itself extremely well. Shane McCarthy led by example while scrumhalf Ronan Dillon was industry personified.

One thing Castleknock will rue is the injury that brought a premature end to centre Eric Flangan's afternoon. He was the best back on view and Castleknock missed his strong running and forthright defence despite the best efforts of excellent right wing Ciarán Delaney.

In lauding Castleknock's efforts one must acknowledge Terenure's quality and resilience. There was much to admire in the way they played the game, particularly the performances of stand-in captain and number eight Alex Dunlop, scrumhalf David Brophy, centres Ronan Harrison and Gary Byrne and their outstanding right wing Robert McCarthy.

When in the ascendancy, they adopted simple but hugely effective gambits, pick and drive up front, a clever shuffling of angles in midfield.

They started superbly, Dunlop charging over after a well-worked move from a scrum 15 metres out. Byrne added a penalty soon after and, such was Terenure's dominance, that it seemed as if it was going to be a long and painful afternoon for Castleknock.

McCarthy kicked a penalty in response and then the number eight barged over from a tap penalty, Castleknock eschewing an easy three points. He added the conversion and suddenly Castleknock led 10-8, an advantage they held until half-time.

Terenure's post interval use of a strong wind was a little more canny and their pressure resulted in a 10-point cameo from Byrne, firstly battering his way past two tacklers to cross close to the posts, posting the conversion and a subsequent penalty.

At 18-10 down, Castleknock mustered a quick retort, a beautifully conceived and executed move from a scrum eight metres out. McCarthy drove to the openside, rolled the ball back between his legs short of contact and Dillon fed Harry Morrin-O'Rourke going on the short side.

Morrin went one way, O'Rourke the other and Conor Gildea and the rest of the Terenure defence were left holding the hyphen.

Gildea, who had a fine game at outhalf for Terenure College dropped a neat goal to push his side 21-15 in front, a cushion plumped nicely by Small's big finish.

SCORING SEQUENCE:

8 mins: Dunlop try, 5-0; 14: Byrne penalty, 8-0; 21: McCarthy penalty, 8-3; McCarthy try, McCarthy conversion, 8-10. Half-time: 8-10. 39: Byrne penalty, 11-10; 55: Byrne try, Byrne conversion, 18-10; 59: Morrin-O'Rourke try, 18-15; 66: Gildea drop-goal, 21-15; 75: Small try, 26-15.

TERENURE: C Doyle; R McCarthy, G Byrne, R Harrison, A Sherlock; C Gildea, D Brophy; M Hamilton, K Molloy, N McCann, B Murphy, B Moroney, K O'Malley-Farrell, A Dunlop (capt), A Donoghue. Replacements: T Small for McCann (63 mins); K Douglas for O'Malley-Farrell, S Duggan for Murphy (both 73).

CASTLEKNOCK: J Davis; F Iyayi, E Flanagan, S Mackay, C Delaney; H Morrin-O'Rourke, R Dillon; W Barry, K Cooper, A Quinn; N Gaffney, D Toner; A Nuzum, S McCarthy (capt), E Mullen. Replacements: R Farrell for Flanagan (28-31 mins and half-time); C Brady for Ganley (58).

Referee: A Lewis (IRFU).