Munster Senior Cup: O'Connor heroics ensure PBC march on despite late Munchin's fightback 

CLASS APART: Ben O'Connor gets in to score a try just before halftime for Presentation Brothers College, Cork against St Munchins in the Pinergy Schools Senior Cup Rugby semi-fianl at Musgrave Park. Pic: Larry Cummins

Pinergy Munster Schools Senior Cup semi-final 

PBC 35 St Munchin’s 29 

Another incredible Munster Schools Senior Cup comeback this time fell just short as Ben O’Connor came up with the tryline turnover to complement his 15-point haul and send Pres into the final.

Dual star O’Connor, an All-Ireland-winning hurler, scored a try and kicked five conversions in the first half before St Munchin’s ran in three unanswered second-half tries to narrow a deficit that once stood at 25 back to six.

The sides shared 10 tries, with sons of Munster Rugby dynasties Oisín Minogue (son of Rosie Foley and nephew of Anthony) and Gordon Wood (son of Keith) taking their tallies to two tries each, but it wasn’t enough for the Limerick school.

They hammered away at the line in the closing moments but with numbers out wide, O’Connor came up with the crucial turnover before kicking the ball out towards the Tramore Road in celebration.

It’s a fourth Munster Schools Senior Cup final in a row for Pres but they’ll want to go one better than a recent record that includes two final losses and one title shared due to the Covid pandemic.

Munchin’s were the only undefeated side left in the competition but they got off to a disastrous start.

Pres Captain Rory O’Shaughnessy, a back-rower who played centre in last year’s final defeat, sent Tom Coughlan through a gaping hole and the winger ran unopposed from halfway to the tryline with only 48 seconds on the clock. O’Connor slotted the conversion.

Pres were so impressive in attack, with back and forwards offloading to create openings, but Adam Cusack and Oisín Pepper made try-saving tackles on Gene O’Leary Kareem and Coughlan.

They finally had their second try on 22 minutes after Daniel Noonan stole a line-out and O’Shaughnessy ran a quick-tap penalty. O’Leary Kareem had shown his dancing feet earlier in the move and he was there at the finish to dart over. O’Connor converted.

Munchin’s needed a moment of individual magic to breathe life into their challenge. They found it from Matthew Te Pou. He chipped down the line off his left and then volleyed the ball forward off his right before touching down in the corner. Cillian O’Connor’s conversion drifted wide right.

James O’Leary had been involved in the first two Pres tries but the third was all his own. Coughlan’s 50-22 kick gave them territory and possession. Munchin’s collapsed the line-out maul but O’Leary combined with his centre partner O’Leary Kareem to cross. Ben O’Connor converted again.

Pres went 31 minutes without conceding a penalty but when they did, Munchin’s soon took advantage as Minogue charged through a ruck and barged over the tryline. Cillian O’Connor’s conversion missed left.

It was 21-10 with a handful of minutes until half-time but Pres found time for two more tries, even after another Pepper try-saving tackle.

The first was a brilliant Fionn Roussel finish, a hand-off, step, and dummy pass to beat three defenders to score. Then, O’Leary Kareem sent Ben O’Connor storming into space for another set-piece try from distance. O’Connor converted both for a 35-10 half-time lead.

Munchin’s kept going on the restart and they were rewarded on 50 minutes. After a break from Te Pou, they kept it among the forwards with Minogue eventually burrowing over. Another Cillian O’Connor touchline effort drifted wide to leave the difference at 20 points.

The comeback still seemed unlikely but Wood hadn’t had his say yet.

SO CLOSE: St. Munchin's College’s Gordon Wood dejected after the game. Pic: ©INPHO/Evan Treacy

With penalties costing Pres, he found a gaping hole to race over from 40 metres and four minutes later he did it again, scooping up a loose pass and shimmying his way past three defenders to the line. Cillian O’Connor added both conversions, drop-kicking the first in a bid to save time with the gap back to six, 35-29.

Wood almost created a winner with another break down the sideline to leave another three defenders in his wake. He drew the final defender to pass to Te Pou but the back-tracking O’Leary Kareem tackled him into touch.

There were more late dramatics but at the end, Pres were still standing.

Scorers for PBC: Tries: T Coughlan, G O’Leary Kareem, J O’Leary, F Roussel, B O’Connor; Conversions: B O’Connor 5.

Scorers for St Munchin’s: Tries: O Minogue 2, G Wood 2, M Te Pou; Conversions: C O’Connor 2.

PBC: B O’Connor; J Wixted, G O’Leary Kareem, J O’Leary, T Coughlan; H Murphy, L Tuohy; M Minogue (G O’Keeffe 61), M O’Sullivan, T McCarthy; D Noonan, C Murphy (A Davenport 51); F Roussel, A Alderson, R O’Shaughnessy (capt).

Replacements not used: M Dillon, P Wall, O Squires, D Foley, O Nangle, S Kelleher, J Wigginton Barrett, L Sisk O’Mahony.

ST MUNCHIN’S: M Te Pou; A Cusack, O Pepper (C McCarthy 54), G Wood, T Wood; C O’Connor, J O’Riordan; R Burke, P Dougan (S Rice 57), T O’Brien; M Walsh (T Foley 44), C Black; D Williamson (T O’Driscoll 48), O Minogue (Williamson 57), L Angermann.

Replacements not used: B Noonan, O Vitolins, B Power, R McDermott, D Keane, A Mohammed.

Referee: Frank Murphy (MAR).