Crescent bid for vengeance against CBC

Both Crescent Comprehensive and Christian Brothers College Cork, who meet in today’s Munster Schools Senior Cup semi-final at Clifford Park (3pm), have special reasons for wanting to make it to the final.

Not only does it present an opportunity to further claims to the trophy but, for Crescent, it offers the chance of revenge and, for Christians, the prospect of a Musgrave Park final.

Crescent lost to holders Rockwell in the opening round (5-15) and the Tipperary college now await the winners of today’s game in the final. Clearly, Crescent put that defeat behind them when they came to Cork and overcame PBC (18-12) in the quarter-final.

A victory for Christians will mean a Cork final, rather than Limerick, on March 18 and they’re hoping to build on the three victories they enjoyed throughout the campaign.

Christians started out with a facile win over depleted Midleton College (58-3) and lived dangerously before defeating Castletroy College 13-11 in the next round. They hit high spots again in the last 20 minutes of a tough quarter-final with Glenstal and eased away to secure an impressive 41-8 victory.

Clearly, given the right circumstances, CBC have scoring power but Crescent feel they have a bit as well behind the scrum. Insiders at the Limerick school believe the biggest challenge will be to stand up to a big, rugged, Christians pack led by powerful tight head prop Rory Burke. If they manage to do that, they believe they have a chance, particularly now that flyer Greg O’Shea is back after a long injury lay-off.

CBC: C McAuliffe, R Slater, T Quinlan, J Dowling, S McAuliffe, K Monahan, R Foley, L O’Connor, D Fitzgerald, R Burke (captain), S Gill, D Moloney, A Penney, A McCarthy, T Arrigan.

Crescent: J Frawley, J O’Sullivan, W Leonard, JJ O’Neill, G O’Shea, G Lyons (captain), G Fitzgerald, M O’Donnell, J Green, L McMahon, J Keane, R Scott, D Dee, J Dinneen, J Kavanagh.