Coghlan turns tide for holders

CONOR GILSENAN’S Clongowes Wood College will be molten hot favourites to complete back-to-back Powerade Leinster Schools Senior titles for the first time in their history at the RDS on St Patrick’s Day.

St Michael’s had been seen as the greatest threat to the team who beat them in last year’s decider and they put up one hell of a fight before bowing out in yesterday’s Donnybrook semi-final.

Early on, it looked like it could be a ‘diamond’ day as St Michael’s full-back Cameron Diamond shot through for tries in the 19th and 35th minutes to first sling-shot them into a 5-3 lead and then to 12-10 in first-half injury-time.