The High School came back from a twelve-point deficit to secure their place in the Bank of Ireland Fr Godfrey Junior Cup semi-final at Donnybrook on Tuesday.
There was immediate tempo and organisation from St Fintan’s as they came around the corner with aggression where they were met by an equally committed defence.
When the ball was shifted by Jack Ussher to Niall O’Halloran, the centre found wing Eoin Dickson cutting in between two defenders for a superb try in the third minute.
They came again through flankers Sean Cleary and Shane Cox and lock Sam Donohue for Dickson to be denied by prop Matthew Kaye-Mellor near the corner flag.
Dickson threatened for a third time off the back of number eight Aidan O’Kane’s determined driving play.
High School had to find a way out of their own half for starters.
A quick raid down the left opened the way for second row Donohue to reach for the whitewash. Centre Conor Hickey converted for 12 points in as many minutes.
The Rathgar school’s discipline in the scrum earned a penalty. But they couldn’t make good on it.
Scrum-half Finn Connelly’s big hit gave them energy. Flanker Rory Browne made the gain line. So too Kaye-Mellor. They just weren’t able to keep it going.
At least they were winning the ball and Browne was soon back on it.
They came hard down the left as the O’Donnells, Harry and Hugh, exchanged passes with prop Dylan Keogh making it around in support.
Lock Oisin Cotter-Vazquez took in a lineout at the tail and came close to a confidence booster.
Then, their maul was good for ten metres with flanker Cox peeling away and centre Sean Óg Barnes somehow beating away three tacklers for a wonder try to make it 12-5 in the 27th minute.
In a flash, centre Harry O’Donnell galloped away from the interception of a long floated pass to make it 12-10 at the interval.
They were almost back where they started and High School had to feel better about it than St Fintan’s.
It showed immediately as HS carried more confidently in contact and won a penalty which put them inside the 22.
Left wing Hugh O’Donnell pinched yards and Dempsey-Lerchundi’s show-and-go bought enough room to plunge over for the lead for the first time in the 39th minute.
The Sutton boys almost took immediate retribution when centre Hickey was bundled into touch at the flag.
Full-back Alan Keogan countered effectively and number eight O’Kane took it up hard and straight without any give in the High School defence.
The sure handling that put St Fintan’s in the driving seat was deserting them, two knock-ons taking the wind from their sails.
O’Kane and flanker Cox got over the gain line. But, it was happening in their half and the stop-start nature of the last quarter was stifling them.
HS kept the ball patiently and were not inclined to be too adventurous in the width they put on the game as they closed it out.
THE HIGH SCHOOL 15 ST FINTAN’S SUTTON 12
At Donnybrook – The High School 15 (C Dempsey-Lerchundi, S Og Barnes, Harry O’Donnell try each); St Fintan’s, Sutton 12 (E Dickson, S Donohue try each; C Hickey con).
High School: Robert Whyte; James O’Connor, Harry O’Donnell, Sean Og Barnes, Hugh O’Donnell; Cormac Dempsey-Lerchundi, Finn Connelly; Dylan Keogh, Finn O’Sullivan, Matthew Kaye-Mellor, Oisin Cotter-Vazquez, Milo Dixon, Rory Browne, Luan Rogers, Niall McDonnell.
Replacements: Zak Bowker for Dempsey-Lerchundi 48 mins.
St Fintan’s: Alan Keogan; Eoin Dickson, Niall O’Halloran, Conor Hickey, Mark Jackson; Jack Ussher, Liam Moloughney; Charlie Fearon, Caolan Litchfield, Loughlin O’Shea, Thomas Bourke, Sam Donohoe (capt), Sean Cleary, Shane Cox, Aiden O Kane.
Replacements: Adam Kenny for O’Kane 18 mins – temp; Adam Kenny for O’Shea, Archie Stewart for Jackson, Maks Majewski for Fearon all 37 mins; Loughlin O’Shea for O’Kane 56 mins.
Referee: K Llewellyn, Leinster Branch.
