Butler: My boys got their just deserts

AS dramatic denouements go, it was right up there. Needing a converted try to win, PBC Cork battered the Rockwell line through seven minutes of injury time and eventually worked Will Foley over the line with a kickable conversion seemingly to come.

Somehow, though, outstanding Rockwell openside Sonny Cahill got his body underneath the ball and turned the PBC hooker. Referee Peter Fitzgibbon wasn’t convinced by the grounding, and as his final whistle sounded, out came three seasons of pent-up emotion for Rockwell, who had been vanquished in the previous two finals.

Rockwell coach Mark Butler admitted his nerves had long since been shredded before the nail-biting finale.

“Was my heart in my mouth? My heart’s been in my mouth for two months now I think!” he joked.

“These games are always tight affairs, We were probably a little more battle-hardened coming into it than Pres were, they were such a quality team that they haven’t really been tested up to now. The tough game we had to come through against Christians in the semi-final stood to us.

“It means a hell of a lot. We’ve eight guys there with the disappointment (of losing last year’s final to PBC). This is our captain Cian O’Donnell’s third final. I can’t speak highly enough of our guys and the tremendous character they’ve shown; they got their just deserts today.”

PBC coach Peter Scott admitted the endgame had left him deflated, but was also quick to credit the Tipperary school.

“We’d have (liked to have) had a TMO for that one to be honest,” he said. “Our player thinks he’s scored, but you always think that I suppose.

“In fairness to Rockwell they dominated the first half, had lots of possession and killed us at the breakdown area, we made a lot of enforced errors.

“Rockwell are worthy winners, they were fantastic, they’ve been great competitors over the last three years.”