CBC & Crescent End All Square
16th March 2016 By Munster Rugby
They will have to do it all again on the 6th April at Thomond Park as the sides finished level after a thrilling Clayton Hotels Munster Schools Junior Cup Final at Irish Independent Park.
C.B.C. 16, Crescent College Comp. 16.
The last Schools Junior Cup final to finish in a draw was back in 1992 when PBC and St. Munchin’s played a scoreless draw and in the replay a Ronan O’Gara penalty decided it in Pres favour 3-0.
This was a gripping contest with the sides being level on three occasions, although CBC may feel they left it behind them as they were pressing in the final minutes for a winner, but failed to turn their possession into scores.
It would have been tough on the Limerick side who probably played the more enterprising rugby but excellent tackling by Christians restricted them to just two tries.
Playing with the wind Christians set the pace from the start and pressure by their pack was eventually rewarded with a try by Conor Walsh after nine minutes.
From the restart Crescent were awarded a penalty and John Hurley opened his side’s account with a penalty.
Christians full back Thomas Downes and Crescent’s Jamin Hoffman made some telling breaks before Crescent hit the front with a try by Oisin Evans after great work by the Crescent pack on sixteen minutes.
Christians out half Billy Cain was off target with a penalty on twenty four minutes but made amends four minutes later to tie the scores 8-8.
In first half injury time Crescent’s Hoffman looked like he was in for a try, but had a foot in touch and referee Shane Kierans brought play back for a Crescent penalty which Hurley converted to give Crescent an 11-8 half time lead.
However Christians upped their game in the second half with their pack dominating where Charlie Rasmussen, Mark Donnelly, Captain Scott Buckley and Conor O’Sullivan were prominent.
Cain had the sides’ level three minutes into the second half with his second penalty.
Both sides had a player yellow carded in separate incidents as the tension began to get to both teams.
Cain saw a penalty effort fall short on forty two minutes but minutes later Christians hit the front when after several drives by the Christians pack that saw Conor O’Sullivan involved in the move on several occasions, was rewarded with a try by the big number 8 for a 16-11 lead.
Christians had a chance to extend their lead but a Cain penalty was off target.
Not wanting to lose a fourth successive final Crescent raised their game and after great work by their pack, the ball went out the line for winger Ben Carew to score in the corner to level 16-16.
Christians tried for a winning score in injury time but a Cain drop goal effort fell short and Crescent deserved another day out.
Scorers C.B.C.: Conor Walsh, Conor O’Sullivan tries, Bill Caine 2 pens.
Crescent College Comp: Oisin Evans, Ben Carew tries, John Hurley 2 pens.
CBC: Tommy Downes; Matthew Soans, Killian Coughlan, Fergal Conway, Karl Waterman; Billy Cain, Jack O'Riordan; Charlie Rasmussen, David Good, Mark Donnelly; Aidan Brien, Dylan McAuliffe; Scott Buckley (capt), Conor Walsh, Conor O’Sullivan.
Replacements: Adam Coleman, Harry Fitzgerald, Niall Hasson, Cillian Barry, Will Fielding, Donagh Rice.
Crescent College Comp: Dan Larkin; Ben Carew, Jamin Hoffman, Jack Delaney, Timothy Duggan; John Hurley (Capt.), David Ahearne; Conor Fitzgerald, Ronan Reynolds, Ronan Gallery; Cillian O’Malley, Cian McDonagh; Oisin Evans, Alan Garland, Jack Madden.
Replacements: Charlie Dineen, James Hanley, Eoin Feeney, Barry Murphy, Tristan Allen, Maccon Casserly, Mark McCrann, Cian Tuohy.
Referee: Shane Kierans (MAR).
The last Schools Junior Cup final to finish in a draw was back in 1992 when PBC and St. Munchin’s played a scoreless draw and in the replay a Ronan O’Gara penalty decided it in Pres favour 3-0.
This was a gripping contest with the sides being level on three occasions, although CBC may feel they left it behind them as they were pressing in the final minutes for a winner, but failed to turn their possession into scores.
It would have been tough on the Limerick side who probably played the more enterprising rugby but excellent tackling by Christians restricted them to just two tries.
Playing with the wind Christians set the pace from the start and pressure by their pack was eventually rewarded with a try by Conor Walsh after nine minutes.
From the restart Crescent were awarded a penalty and John Hurley opened his side’s account with a penalty.
Christians full back Thomas Downes and Crescent’s Jamin Hoffman made some telling breaks before Crescent hit the front with a try by Oisin Evans after great work by the Crescent pack on sixteen minutes.
Christians out half Billy Cain was off target with a penalty on twenty four minutes but made amends four minutes later to tie the scores 8-8.
In first half injury time Crescent’s Hoffman looked like he was in for a try, but had a foot in touch and referee Shane Kierans brought play back for a Crescent penalty which Hurley converted to give Crescent an 11-8 half time lead.
However Christians upped their game in the second half with their pack dominating where Charlie Rasmussen, Mark Donnelly, Captain Scott Buckley and Conor O’Sullivan were prominent.
Cain had the sides’ level three minutes into the second half with his second penalty.
Both sides had a player yellow carded in separate incidents as the tension began to get to both teams.
Cain saw a penalty effort fall short on forty two minutes but minutes later Christians hit the front when after several drives by the Christians pack that saw Conor O’Sullivan involved in the move on several occasions, was rewarded with a try by the big number 8 for a 16-11 lead.
Christians had a chance to extend their lead but a Cain penalty was off target.
Not wanting to lose a fourth successive final Crescent raised their game and after great work by their pack, the ball went out the line for winger Ben Carew to score in the corner to level 16-16.
Christians tried for a winning score in injury time but a Cain drop goal effort fell short and Crescent deserved another day out.
Scorers C.B.C.: Conor Walsh, Conor O’Sullivan tries, Bill Caine 2 pens.
Crescent College Comp: Oisin Evans, Ben Carew tries, John Hurley 2 pens.
CBC: Tommy Downes; Matthew Soans, Killian Coughlan, Fergal Conway, Karl Waterman; Billy Cain, Jack O'Riordan; Charlie Rasmussen, David Good, Mark Donnelly; Aidan Brien, Dylan McAuliffe; Scott Buckley (capt), Conor Walsh, Conor O’Sullivan.
Replacements: Adam Coleman, Harry Fitzgerald, Niall Hasson, Cillian Barry, Will Fielding, Donagh Rice.
Crescent College Comp: Dan Larkin; Ben Carew, Jamin Hoffman, Jack Delaney, Timothy Duggan; John Hurley (Capt.), David Ahearne; Conor Fitzgerald, Ronan Reynolds, Ronan Gallery; Cillian O’Malley, Cian McDonagh; Oisin Evans, Alan Garland, Jack Madden.
Replacements: Charlie Dineen, James Hanley, Eoin Feeney, Barry Murphy, Tristan Allen, Maccon Casserly, Mark McCrann, Cian Tuohy.
Referee: Shane Kierans (MAR).
