Sometimes the little school gets the job done

RUGBY LEINSTER SCHOOLS' SENIOR CUP: St Gerard's School 13 Terenure College 11:ONE HUNDRED and fifty years of tradition almost put Terenure into a quarter-final against Blackrock, but, for a welcome change, the little school got the job done. Coached by Eric Miller, with Tony Ward as director of rugby, this is the most talented group St Gerard's have produced.

And eight are back next year.

They were the deserving winners yesterday, but the 2009 runners-up can feel aggrieved with how matters concluded, even if it would have been desperately cruel on St Gerard’s had Daniel McCormack’s injury-time drop goal sailed between the posts.

Instead, it ricocheted off the boot of replacement winger Adam Carroll, a clear foot block that should have been a penalty.

Carroll sprinted up field, nearly gathering for a runaway try, as desperate St Gerard’s players eventually scrambled the ball into touch to allow referee Barry O’Keeffe call time.

It should not have come to that. Some poor game-management at one point was making this reporter squirm at the thought of criticising their clearly gifted outhalf, Steve Crosbie.

Perhaps frazzled by the occasion, the fifth year over-compensated with the boot, kicking one attacking move dead and another two out on the full – before he delivered a moment of genius that erased all previous errors.

Constantly encouraged by menacing big brother Jody at inside centre, with two minutes remaining Steve prodded the most delicate of grubbers behind the Terenure defence for his elder sibling to skilfully gather, while holding off Terenure winger Seán O’Loughlin, and touch down for the levelling five-pointer.

Josh Glynn provided the match-winning moment with the conversion.

There has been a genuine, if silent, revolution taking place on the rugby pitches of the exclusive Bray school, with Ward pulling the strings and another former Lion, Miller, the hands-on head coach.

They even have strength-in-depth. Big replacement lock Adam Bowtell decimated a few Terenure rucks, while Carroll’s natural athleticism would have delivered a try only for a last-gasp tackle from Nathan Lynch.

Right from the kick-off they laid down a marker, with Finn Boyle hammering into Terenure flanker Niall Lalor.

Glynn had the scoreboard ticking with a penalty within five minutes. Number eight Jack Conan and Jody Crosbie were probing the line with some intimidating carries. Returning Terenure backrowers Adam Clarkin, Eoin Joyce and outstanding lock Geoff Speiran returned in kind.

On 12 minutes Terenure right wing Barry Kelly levelled matters, before Glynn made it 6-3 at the turn thanks mainly to a thrilling, 60-yard break from Rian O’Loughlin.

Another Kelly penalty tied it up again three minutes into the second half after the Terenure maul was illegally hauled down.

On 51 minutes Terenure scrumhalf Niall Casey and the irrepressible Clarkin made telling yardage to allow Speiran barge over to make it 11-6. He clearly knocked on when grounding the ball, but all three officials missed it.

St Gerard’s appeared to be wilting and it looked a lost cause when a Glynn penalty sailed agonisingly wide, before a big steal from Speiran lifted another siege after Jody Crosbie had almost sneaked over.

Their injury-cursed captain, Robbie Glynn, was launched from the bench to bring some calm down the home strait, but Steve Crosbie seemed to hand Terenure the spoils when his sliced cross-field kick saw O’Loughlin sprint clear. Glynn somehow made the cover tackle.

Next the Crosbie brothers combined for their brilliant try.

Then, by sheer will, Terenure forced a path into the 22, only for fate to intervene and hand David the stones to kill Goliath. All with the aid of a dodgy boot.

SCORING SEQUENCE: 3 mins: J Glynn pen, 3-0; 12: B Kelly pen, 3-3; 16: J Glynn pen, 6-3. Half-time. 38: B Kelly pen, 6-6; 51: G Speiran try, 6-11; 68: J Crosbie try, J Glynn conv, 13-11.

ST GERARD'S SCHOOL: J Glynn (capt); D Simmonds, R O'Loughlin, J Crosbie, J Desmond; S Crosbie, C O'Rourke; C McAlinden, C Hayde, C Lyons; F Boylan, R Maxwell; S King, S Hackett-Delaney, J Conan. Replacements: A Carroll for J Desmond (40 mins), A Bowtell for F Boylan (47 mins), R Glynn for C O'Rourke (54 mins).

TERENURE COLLEGE: S Lowe; B Kelly, N Thornton (capt), D McCormack, S O'Loughlin; N Lynch, N Casey; B Mooney, B Elliott, P Soave; G Speiran, L Cowhig; A Clarkin, N Lalor, E Joyce. Replacements: K Simpson for L Cowhig (59 mins).

Referee: B O'Keeffe (ARLB).