Kilkenny snatch victory with controversial late Williams try

Controversy abounded after a last-ditch Kilkenny College try staved off a Catholic University School comeback in the Leinster Schools’ Senior Cup quarter-final.

Referee Danny Wallace appeared to have cancelled out an injury-time try from Kilkenny’s Simon Williams. But the touch judge called him over and the decision was reversed.

Kilkenny made all the early running at Donnybrook and a Williams penalty made it 3-0.

The CUS response was instantaneous as Marc Hiney kicked two penalties to make it 6-3.

The Dublin side looked to increase their advantage but a stray pass bounced fortuitously to Williams and turned the tie on its head. There was still the matter of a 60m sprint for the Kilkenny winger but he was never going to be stopped. He converted himself to make it 10-6 at the break.

It took a 30m incision from CUS centre Ruadhan Magee in the 44th minute to spark his team and they turned territory into points when Hiney landed another penalty close in.

Kilkenny scrum-half Dylan Leybourne orchestrated a drive up the right with 52 minutes on the clock and Michael Triggs crashed over after a multi-phase effort.

A fantastic take by CUS flanker Kevin Beakey from the restart led to a yellow card for Kilkenny’s Sam Sterling and a well-taken try by Ciaran Divney.

With the scores level at 17-17 a drive by CUS forced a penalty for Hiney to guide over but Kilkenny were not to be denied.

CUS: C Divney; K Lynsky, R Magee, A Neary, J Fallon-Doran; M Hiney, M O’Driscoll; J Fisher, B Keelan, M McCann; D Gahan, J Gavin; K Beakey, A Quinlan, M Beakey.

Replacements: D Khan, N Foster, N Gibson, J Bodkin, L Trench, B Moore, D Feenan.

KILKENNY: J Duncan; T Buflin, S Sterling, R Baily-Kearney, S Williams; B Ridgeway, D Leybourne; G Condell, R Foot, S Delahunt; J Moynan, J Holland-Brennan; H Crowley, M Triggs, R Deacon.

Replacements: C Ruddock, J Baker, G Mullins, C Miller, I Stanley, H Rhys Tomas, P Stephenson, L Deacon.

Referee: Danny Wallace.