The High School 32 Salesian College 10
Adam Killeen was the arrowhead for The High School’s passage into the Bank of Ireland Vinnie Murray Cup second round at Energia Park on Wednesday.
Salesian certainly started well, their footwork and offloading causing problems in the lead up to Evan Bourke’s opening penalty.
Then, their 16-year-old second row Frank Salu made a statement carry for the first try, converted by Bourke for a 10-point lead.
The Rathgar school eased into the contest with a penalty from the right boot of centre Killeen.
It looked for all the world as though Killeen was about to strike until Conor McLoughlin rescued a certain try with a miraculous tackle.
Salesian could not protect their scrum and Killeen drove home from short range.
The turnaround was complete when out-half Sol Bell-Megaw’s neat kick was taken on the bounce by left-wing Cormac Dempsey-Lerchundi in the 28th minute.
Killeen was on hand to seize on a loose ball for his second try and convert for 20-10 on the break.
The trend continued when Killeen completed his hat-trick and knocked over the conversion in the 43rd minute for a three-score lead.
It was left to flanker Conor Schmidt to apply the finishing touch late on.
The High School: Robert Whyte; Hugh O’Donnell, Finn Connolly, Adam Killeen, Cormac Dempsey-Lerchundi; Sol Bell-Megaw, Axel Cullen; Miles Dixon, Finn O’Sullivan, Zak Bowker, Oisín Healy, Niall McDonnell (capt), Conor Schmidt, Luan Rogers, Jack Farrelly.
Replacements: Daniel Walsh for McDonnell 41 mins; Cormac Dee-Browne for Dixon 51 mins; Ben Shaw for Cullen, Lorcan Twomey for Bell-Megaw, Dylan Roycroft for Farrelly, Jake Hickey for O’Sullivan, Ben Hopkins for Healy all 63 mins; Karo Otobo for Bowker 65 mins.
Salesian College: James Gannon; Sean Wall, Conor McLoughlin, David Lovely, Sean Chang; Evan Bourke, Killian Saunders; James Geraghty, Jack Hanley, Oisín Malone, Frank Salu, Ciaran Purcell, Murty O’Neill, Cian Bond (capt), Ryan Doyle.
Replacements: Sean Ahern for Malone 44 mins; Conor Bowden for Saunders 55 mins; William Docherty for Salu 57 mins; Evan Bond for Hanley, Cian Doyle for Purcell, Ciaran Malone for Gannon all 65 mins; Andrew Smith for O’Neill, Laurence Norris for Geraghty both 67 mins.
The High School 32 (A Killeen 3 tries, 2 cons, 1 pen; C Dempsey-Lerchundi, C Schmidt try each) Salesian College 10 (F Salu try; E Bourke 1 pen, 1 con)
Referee: S Owens, Leinster Branch.
