The boys from CBC Monkstown eventually wore down a game CUS to advance to the Bank of Ireland Leinster Schools Senior Cup quarter-final at Donnybrook on Monday.
The winners were slow to react to the kick-off as CUS regained the ball immediately to set in motion an attack halted by number eight Hugh O’Connor’s obstruction.
Lock Donal McCarthy nicked a lineout to put them back on the front-foot. Out-half James Cox was hit late, according to referee Brian McNiece, by flanker Rob Courtney but centre James O’Kane’s shot at goal that followed stayed left of the posts.
When CBC threatened to break out, full-back Adam Craig’s left foot pinned them back from an exquisite long ball. It wasn’t long before Craig was scything through the defence, but unable to connect with his right wing Owen McGovern.
CBC scrum-half Rob Jordan’s nicely lofted clearance was improved by the chase and tackle of wing Tom O’Callaghan and CUS flanker Lorcan Garvey hammered full-back Shane Sweeney from another garryowen by his 10 James Cox.
There was more ball in the air than one would have expected to see on a perfect day for running rugby.
Monkstown’s first real attack came on the end of a lineout take by number eight Joseph Halwax and driving maul which drew a penalty. Ben Mahon pulled it across the posts in the 19th minute.
The CUS centres O’Kane and Simon Quinlan were making ground without the proper support lines to take points away and CBC’s Jordan was finding the same problem when the scrum-half sniped for yardage.
O’Kane was handed another kick for three when CBC flanker Courtney was spotted committing an infringement out of McNiece’s sight. He missed to the left.
Jordan’s late change of pass direction allowed O’Callaghan the space in which to manoeuvre and he was a fingertip away for collecting a well-judged chip over the top of McGovern to leave it scoreless at the interval.
The first score was looking increasingly important. CBC didn’t have to wait long. Their pressure caused a penalty at a ruck. Mahon made it from straight in front, two minutes into the new period.
Straight away, CBC prop Eoghan Clarke was shown a yellow card for his follow through on Cox and O’Kane made it 3-all in the 42nd minute.
When Monkstown won a penalty close to the posts, Jordan went for the quick tap and it worked out well as replacement Sean Doyle, just on the pitch, beat the first man up for the breakthrough try in the 53rd minute.
Their bad habit of scoring and conceding chances continued, O’Kane guiding his penalty through the sticks for 8-6 in the 55th minute.
Christians raided down the right through wing Daragh Porter and Halwax to get in behind and CUS came up offside for Mahon to stretch the lead to 11-6 on the hour.
The Leeson Street school worked wing Louis McConkey onto the ball, but the gap to full-back Craig was too great to bridge. It was a chance that got away.
Before they knew it, Doyle sent Mahon over with a flat pass and the latter added the points for Mahon’s conversion to make it 18-6 in the 66th minute.
It was a testimony to the character of the CUS boys that they kept going right to the end when replacement Brendan Meehan grounded the ball from a maul.
At Donnybrook – CBC Monkstown 18 (B Mahon try, pen, 2 cons; S Doyle try); CUS 11 (B Meehan try; J O’Kane 2 pens).
CBC MONKSTOWN 18 CUS 11
Monkstown: S Sweeney; D Porter, K Shaw, P Rogers, T O’Callaghan; B Mahon, R Jordan; M McGrath, A Holmes, E Clarke, J McAteer, H O’Neill (capt), R Courtney, M Hallam, J Halwax.
Replacements: P Lyons for McAteer 34 mins – temp; C Byrden for Courtney 43 mins – temp; C Byrden for McGrath, S Doyle for Rogers both 51 mins; P Lyons for O’Neill 58 mins – temp; P Lyons for O’Neill 66 mins; E McCabe for Jordan 68 mins.
CUS: A Craig; O McGovern, S Quinlan, J O’Kane, L McConkey; J Cox, H Cronin; H Bodkin, D Byrne, D O’Neill, D McCarthy, J O’Connor, A Fleming, L Garvey, H O’Connor (capt).
Replacements: S Russell for J O’Connor 43 mins; S Butler for Bodkin 48 mins; L Opperman for McGovern 58 mins; C Byrne for Quinlan 61 mins; C O’Cleirigh for McCarthy 66 mins; B Meehan for Fleming 68 mins.
Referee: B McNiece, Leinster Branch.
