Cistercians upset Belvedere

RUGBY: Bank of Ireland Leinster Senior Schools Cup Round 1

Cistercian College, Roscrea 18

Belvedere College 8

Cistercian College Roscrea were full value for an upset win over Belvedere College in the first round of the Leinster Schools Senior Cup at a rain-soaked Energia Park on Monday.

From an early scrum, Roscrea moved to the blindside where Killian Hurley and Harry Finlay made enough ground to draw a penalty. The lineout was secured by Alex Ryan from where the pack used textbook technique at the maul for hooker Ronan O’Neill to claim the try in the third minute.

Ruck pressure produced a penalty for Roscrea straight in front of the posts, gratefully accepted by Moloney to open up an eight-point gap in the thirteenth minute.

Roscrea’s commitment to play almost came at a cost when Cathal O’Mara’s chip in the shadow of the posts bounced awkwardly for both schools.

Belvedere’s direct style of play earned two penalties, the second sent to the corner for the big boys to come at a rate of knots until hooker Ronan O’Neill shook the ball free to keep the score 8-0 at the break.

Winger Harry Finlay retained the restart for Roscrea from where full-back Ronan Sullivan chipped over the top for Jack Hayes to gather on his way to within five metres of the line. When David Barr corralled Keelan Dunne, lock Jamie Walsh was on the premises to pick and drive through bodies for the try to make it 13-0 in the 37th minute.

Belvedere finally got on the front foot when James Travers took the lineout. Hooker Alex Liddy was the one to ground the ball at the back of the maul, with his try closing the gap slightly to 13-5 in the 49th minute.

Ronan McCann’s speed into the open was backed by a penalty for side entry, Jonathan Garrihy brilliantly landing a penalty from 43 metres in the 54th minute to reduce the deficit to five.

Roscrea sealed the win in the 64th minute when from a lineout on the Belvedere five-metre line, was snapped up by replacement Aodhan Carroll for the forwards to pummel away until it was shifted for Harry Finlay to make the corner for the try, leaving the score 18-8.

Roscrea just had to see it out from there which they did comfortably.

Cistercian College, Roscrea: Ronan Sullivan; Keelan Dunne, Cathal O’Mara, Jack Hayes, Harry Finlay; Killian Hurley, Aaron Moloney; Sean Nolan, Rónán O’Neill, Henry Maher, Alex Ryan, Jamie Walsh, Culan Kehoe, James Miller, Ruben Flynn.

Reps: Oscar Doody for O’Neill (45); Aodhan Carroll for Maher (45); Sean Stone for Dunne (45); William Powell for Nolan (54); Ollie Finn for Kehoe (60); Michael Griffin for Flynn (60).

Belvedere College: Fionn McMahon; Isaac Soden, David Barr, Dylan Lord, Rory O’Farrell; Jonathan Garrihy, Charlie Dowse; Ryan Grant, Alex Liddy, Harry Goslin, James Travers, Shaun Mitchell, Ronan McCann, Alexander Clarke, Paul Dunne.

Reps: Conor Quinn for Grant (40); Eugene Isong for Mitchell (40); Liam Canny for Dowse (63); Josh le Bon for McMahon (63).

Referee: M Enderby.