Red-hot Blackrock overpower CUS

Holders Blackrock College remain on course to secure back-to-back Leinster Schools’ Junior Cup crowns after the Justin Vanstone outfit ruthlessly put CUS to the sword 53-0 in Donnybrook yesterday.

Tries by No 8 Andrew Murphy and pacey wing Ross Deegan had provided the Williamstown school with a 12-0 platform at the mid-way point. Another try by Murphy shortly after the restart effectively put the tie beyond CUS’ reach, and after Alan Francis secured his side’s fourth five-pointer, the dynamic Murphy completed his hat-trick courtesy of a 37th minute touch down.

It was a case of damage limitation for the Leeson Street outfit inside the final 20 minutes of play, but Blackrock were no mood to drop their intensity levels, and further tries from Johnny Fairley, Patrick Patterson, James Moriarty and Matthew Campbell completed a 53-0 rout for the 47-times champions.

Along with previous quarter-final winners Terenure and Belvedere, Blackrock will be joined at the semi-final stage by St Michael’s College, who eventually overcame the determined challenge of St Gerard’s, Bray 26-7.

Persistent attacking by the Ailesbury Road side finally yielded an unconverted try from full-back Redmond Kelly 22 minutes in, and this ensured that Michael’s brought a 5-0 cushion into the second period.

However, Gerard’s threw down the gauntlet to their prestigious opponents upon the resumption, when centre Cian O’Flaherty grounded just three minutes into the half.

Marc Baker was on hand to supply the bonuses to this score, but although they continued to frustrate Michael’s as the half wore on, the south Dubliners ultimately regained the lead on the stroke of 40 minutes when prop Alex Deegan finished off a fast-paced attack. With Harry Byrne also adding a conversion, Michael’s were now firmly in the ascendancy, and thanks to concluding five-pointers from the towering Jack Dunne and Chris Carey, their passage to the next phase was emphatically sealed.