PBC, Ardscoil & Glenstal Progress In Senior Cup

Three of the Clayton’s Hotels Munster Schools Senior Cup quarter finals took place this afternoon with PBC, Ardscoil Rís and Glenstal Abbey progressing to the semi finals.

Holders Christian Brother’s College and Rockwell were surprisingly beaten in the quarter finals of the Clayton Hotels Munster Schools Senior Cup by Ard Scoil Rís and Glenstal Abbey respectively as PBC overcame Crescent College 16-3.

There was a big shock at Irish Independent Park when a penalty in the last minute of the game by Maurice Noonan gave Ard Scoil Rís a surprising 9-7 win over holders Christian Brothers College.

Playing with the strong wind in the opening half, influential Ard Scoil scrum half Craig Casey kicked his side into the lead after six minutes after pressure by their pack.

Christians grew into the game but poor handling and problems at the line out did not help the Cork side’s cause.
Casey kicked his second penalty four minutes before the break to leave Ard Scoil 6-0 ahead at half time.

With the wind at their backs in the second half twice Christians managed to get over the Ard Scoil line but knock ons denied them scores.

Mid way through the second half substitute Scott Buckley who had just come on to the pitch pounced on a ball from an Ard Scoil scrum on their own 22 and went in for a try which Eoin Monahan converted.

Ard Scoil rallied in the final minutes with Glen Clancy and Colin Madden making bursts up the center.

Then in the ninth minute of injury time a flagging by the touch judge for foul play earned Ard Scoil a penalty on the CBC 22 ten meters in and Noonan who took over the kicking duties from the injured Casey duly slotted over the match winning score.

C.B.C.: Eoin Monahan; Eoghan Barrett, Joe Harrington (Captain), Peter O’Keeffe, JD O’Hea; James Taylor, Colin Sisk; Luke Masters, Daniel O’Connor, Robert Loftus; Anthony Ryan, Richard Thompson; Darragh McGinn, Finn Burke, Sean Duffy.
Replacement: David Good, Jacob Buckley, Charlie Rasmussen, Ben Roche, Scott Buckley, Jack O’Riordan, Conor King, Tommy Downes, Eammon Doyle, Mark Morton.
Ard Scoil Rís: Cian O’Rahilly; Maurice Noonan, Cian Murphy, Glen Clancy Michael Gorman; Darragh O’Gorman, Craig Casey; Alex O’Callaghan, Colin Slater, Conor O’Brien; Brian Noonan, Roy Whelan; Darragh O’Grady, Luke Clohessy, Odhran Ring. Replacements: Rhys Tucker, Matthew Gaule, Conor O’Brien, John Taylor, Brian Noonan, Conor Cusack, Sean Hanly, Lloyd Mulcahy, Hugh Fenton, Cian Murphy, Michael O’Callaghan, Jack Canty, Oskar Czyszczon, Evan Cusack, James McCarthy, David O’Byrne, Rob Thompstone.
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There was another shock at Clanwilliam Park when Glenstal Abbey were deserving winners over Rockwell College on an 18-0 scoreline.

Ben Healy settled Glenstal’s early nerves with a penalty and was again on target mid way through the half to make it 6-0.

Just on the stroke of half time a great break up the winger by Robert Quinn saw him touchdown in the corner for an 11-0 half time lead for Glenstal.

Rockwell were unable to break down a solid Glenstal defence and in the final few minutes and intercept by Andrew Hogan saw him score Glenstal’s second try and Healy converted to book their semi final place.

PBC are through to the semi-finals of the Clayton Hotel Munster Schools Senior Cup as they defeated Crescent Comprehensive 16-3 in yesterday’s quarter final at Lansdowne.

This was a game that the Mardyke College could have won by a bigger margin had it not been for wayward shooting from penalties and conversions from kickable positions.

Pres’ had the Limerick side pinned back from the start and they opened the scoring in the tenth minute when Billy Scannell was credited with a pushover try following a five-metre penalty. Peter Sylvester’s conversion attempt from a difficult angle sailed across the face of the posts.

Crescent opened their account midway through the opening half when Mark Shanahan converted a penalty from the Pres’ 22.

Sloppy passing in the Limerick side’s 22 and a penalty miss before the break prevented the Mardyke College from extending their lead.

Pres’ doubled their lead four minutes after the break when Paul Buckley barged over for their second try following a break from a five-metre scrum. Sylvester’s conversion attempt was narrowly off target.

The Mardyke College continued to have Crescent on the back foot entering the final quarter but the Limerick side’s defence held firm before Sylvester landed a drop goal following a ruck deep inside the 22.

Seán French completed the scoring with a penalty in stoppage time from outside the Crescent 22.

Scorers: PBC: Billy Scannell, Paul Buckley tries; Peter Sylvester dg; Seán French pen
Crescent Comprehensive: Mark Shanahan pen.
PBC: Jonathan Wren; Paul Buckley, Sean French, James Broderick, Sam O’Donovan; Peter Sylvester, Gary Bradley; Conor Burke, Billy Scannell, Brian O'Connor; Adam McAuliffe, Mark McCarthy; Cian Fitzgerald, David Hyland, Jack O’Sullivan.
Replacements: Alex Keating, Kieran Nugent, Eoin Burns, Eoin Quilter, Darragh O'Callaghan, David Harrington, Harry Dillon, Tom Fitzgerald, Cathal Browne, Louis Bruce, Paul Kennedy, Mark McLoughlin, Jack Keegan, James O'Shaughnessy, Ben Quigley, Max Walsh.
Crescent Comprehensive: Timothy Duggan; Mark Shanahan, Karl Moloney, Sheehan Faloon, Tommy O’Hora; Mark Edwards, Aaron Cosgrove ; Conor Fitzgerald, Eoghan O’Halloran, Thomas Connolly; Brendan Kelly, Scott Leahy; Fintan Coleman, Daniel Feasey, John Blake.
Replacements: Ronan Reynolds, Ben Leahy, Peter King, Joseph Gannon, Cian McDonagh, Michael Fenton, Jamin Hoffman, Michael Bateman, Brian Naughton, Wiktor Nowak.
Referee: Shane Kierans (MAR).

The draws for the semi final will take place tomorrow following the last quarter final where Bandon Grammar face St Muchin’s in Bandon RFC at 2.30pm.

The semi-finals in both the Senior and Junior Cup will be played on the week beginning Monday, February 27.

The finals of both competitions will be held on St Patrick's Day – Friday, March 17.

Ticket Prices
First round and quarter-finals: €;5 Adult, €;4 Juvenile (Gate), €;3 Juvenile (Schools)
Semi-final: €;8 Adult, €;5 Juvenile (Gate), €;4 (Schools)
Final: €;10 Adult, €;5 Juvenile (No School Rate)