We have reached the penultimate stage of the Bank of Ireland Father Godfrey Cup with an Energia Park doubleheader set to decide our finalists.

Along with that chance at silverware, this week’s winners will also be given a spot in the first round of the Bank of Ireland Leinster Schools Junior Cup.

St Fintan’s High School v CBC Monkstown Park – Fixture details TBC

St Fintan’s are determined to right the wrongs of previous campaigns in the Fr Godfrey Cup by improving their poor record in the competition to make the final.

The double reward is that the winners will qualify for the Junior Cup, St Fintan’s or CBC earning a crack at St Mary’s College in the first round.

In recent years, St Fintan’s have invested more resources in their Junior ranks and this has borne fruit in the form of their best crop since Jack Aungier’s crew in 2014, which were knocked out by Roscrea in the first round.

This is an all-round squad, spearheaded by their talismanic No 8 Rory O’Connor-O’Hehir, a fine prospect.

Besides Conor Gilmer, who has been ruled out for four weeks, they will be at full-strength, really hitting their stride in the 50-14 quarter-final beating of The King’s Hospital.

CBC Monkstown will offer up a more searching test in the semi-final, coming off an impressive 29-0 shut out of CBS Naas in the quarter-final.

As always, they prefer to play a pragmatic style, using their forwards as the first option in the softening-up process.

In that regard, hooker Cian O’Donnell, their captain, tighthead Odhran Buckley and No 8 Ryan Haines are handy men to have on the premises.

Half-backs Malachy Brown and Conor Broderick are fundamental to their game plan in turning the opposition.

Temple Carrig School v St Patrick’s Classical School – Thursday, 10 February (Energia Park, KO 3.30pm)

St Patrick’s Classical School come into this semi-final on a definite upward trend.

They just about held their nerve to knock out Ardcscoil na Trionoide 25-24 in the first round, thanks to Philip Smith’s last gasp penalty.

Their coaches were spared a second dramatic endgame when there was a distinct improvement in how they subdued St Andrew’s 33-20 in the quarter-final.

No 8 Ciaran Scott claimed a hat-trick for four in two rounds and out-half Smith’s goal-kicking has been another serious weapon.

They have the muscle upfront to go toe-to-toe, through the likes of loosehead Adam McHugh and captain Jack Shorten, in what should be an intriguing battle for the right to play Clongowes in the Junior Cup first round.

Temple Carrig took control against Wilson’s Hospital in the quarter-final, building scoreboard pressure to come away decisive 35-5 winners.

Hooker Donnacha Gleeson is a fiery competitor in the front row of a pack that overcomes a size disadvantage with adherence to the basics of forward-play.

The low, quick rucking is a feature of their work on the floor, flankers Daniel Burns and Frank O’Shea getting to the breakdown quickly.

Out-half Darragh Shanahan has a happy habit of making the right choice when the ball comes his way from half-back partner Jack Caffrey.

As always, the Greystones school likes to move the ball into space where wings Freddie Packman and Oisin Ivory are always keen to sniff out a chance.