CBC hoping superior power can see off Crescent at Thomond Park

Pre-tournament favourites CBC have battled their way to the Seat Munster Schools’ Junior Cup final where they face Crescent College Comprehensive at Thomond Park today (2pm).

The finalists had relatively comfortable wins in the opening rounds but had to go up a few notches in the semi-finals, Crescent coming through by just three points and Christians beating local rivals Presentation with a late try.

Christians’ coach Tommy Crowe is well aware Crescent may have his physically imposing pack sussed out by now, and that the advantage may not be as pronounced as it was in the early stages of the tournament.

“I suspect we will have to find another tactic if we want to win this game,” he said yesterday. “It’s the same team as the last day, we’ve beaten Rockwell, Ardscoil Ris and Pres, two big wins, and a bounce of the ball win against Pres. We needed that bit of luck to get through.

“There is very much an element of the unknown playing Crescent but we’re expecting them to come out fighting. They’ve worked as hard as we have all season and it is clearly a great occasion for a Limerick side to trot out on Thomond Park in a final. Equally, though, we’re looking forward to playing a big game there and I don’t believe we will be overawed in the slightest.

“We are looking forward to having a real go.”

Crescent forwards coach Declan Edwards is ready for the challenge: “Christians clearly bring a new dimension to the match.

“We have beaten Glenstal, Rockwell and Castletroy but this is a new challenge, we haven’t played them this season so it is very much a question of venturing into the unknown, although they have got some very impressive results.

“It’s going to be tough, obviously, we scored 20 points and more against Rockwell and Glenstal, but that’s not always a huge plus, we have to look at the opposition we now face and it certainly is a new situation, it’s a final so you don’t expect big margins.

“So now, we are looking at producing a very good performance; if we produce a very good performance we could make it but it’s certainly going to be a great opportunity but a tough match.”

CRESCENT COMP:

A Cosgrave, C Cusack, T O’Hora, N O’Sullivan (Captain), C Philips, J Hurley, M Edwards, C Dennehy, E O’Halloran, D Nevin, P King, F Coleman, K Moloney, J Hennessy, D Feasey.

CBC:

R Hedderman, C Shalloe, JD O’Hea, E Barrett, D Galvin, E Monahan (captain), C Sisk, L Masters, D O’Connor, R Loftus, E Doyle, A Ryan, R Barry, F Burke, B Roche.