Christians hang on to win record 29th Senior Cup

Christian Brothers College Cork survived a late rally by Crescent Comprehensive to win their 29th Munster Schools Senior Cup title in a welter of excitement at Musgrave Park today.

CBC Cork 9 Crescent Comprehensive 8

Three penalty goals from out-half James Taylor sufficed to give his side the crown against an exciting Crescent team that responded with a try and penalty from full back Daniel Hurley, not enough, however, to give them their 12th title.

CHRISTIANS ALL THE WAY!!!! pic.twitter.com/ov7ApAlejy

— CBC Rugby (@CBC_rugby) March 13, 2016

Crescent went in front after ten minutes courtesy of a penalty from Hurley. However, the out-half missed a further opportunity from virtually the same position 22 metres out after 19 minutes and they paid the price when Christians out-half Taylor levelled matters having missed a long-range effort after just two minutes.

Crescent, with the wind at their backs, held most of the territorial advantage and they had some promising backline moves but the Cork school’s defence was very well organised. They did yield after 32 minutes though when Hurley grabbed the first try of the game following lots of pressure that came after Christians conceded a scrum from a knock-on over in the far side of the pitch.

The full-back was unlucky when the ball dropped off the tee after he had begun his run up to the conversion attempt and Crescent had to be happy with an 8-3 lead.

Two second-half penalties from Taylor gave his side a narrow 9-8 advantage as the game entered the final ten minutes and the Cork outfit survived a number of scary moments in the closing stages, not least when big second row Richard Thompson intercepted a pass that would surely have given Crescent a match-winning try.

CBC: L Coombes; B Galvin, J Harrington, A McHenry, I Casey; J Taylor, R Cassidy; L Masters, G Good, C Leahy; R Thompson, S Duffy;, R O’Neill, R Hyde, D Feeney (captain).

Replacements: S Bushe, P Kelleher, C McHugh, D Barry, F Hennessy, C Sisk, JD O’Hea, R Hedderman.

Crescent Comprehensive: D Hurley; J Fehilly, C Nash (captain), B O’Hora, C Phillips; M Hanly, J Lyons; J Henchy, J Barry, T Connolly; J Blake, F Coleman; N Mulcahy, D Feasy, B Faloon.

Replacements. M Sheahan, A Thai, S Leahy, P Hickey, M Edwards, M Shanahan, A Cosgrove, E O’Halloran.

Referee. K Barry (M.A.R)