CBC dethrone Crescent Comp in thrilling semi-final replay

The five-point win at Thomond Park set up and all-Cork final against old rivals PBC.

COUGH IT UP: Crescent College’s Jack Somers is tackled. Picture: INPHO/Evan Treacy

CRESCENT 29 

CBC 34 

Christian Brothers College finally put an end to Crescent Comprehensive College’s hopes of retaining their Pinergy Munster Schools Senior Cup title as they edged a thrilling semi-final replay in Limerick.

Crescent had sent the tie into a second game with a stunning comeback from 15-3 down at Musgrave Park last week, scoring two tries and a touchline conversion in the final three minutes to keep them in the hunt for a second successive final appearance by taking the fixture back to Thomond Park.

Yet the Limerick school was always chasing this replay after going 10-0 down inside the first 10 minutes after two tries from CBC hooker Adam Wrona. Comp stayed on Christians’ heels throughout but could not bridge the gap in an eventful contest as CBC booked their place in an all-Cork final against Presentation Brothers College at Musgrave Park in 12 days, their first appearance in the decider in three years.

A minute’s silence to mark the passing of both former Munster and Ireland manager Brian O’Brien and ex-Munster and Ireland scrum-half Tom Tierney, whose funeral had taken place earlier in the day, had made for a sombre precursor to the game. Tierney, who died suddenly at the age of 46 last Friday, had begun his coaching career at Crescent and the flags at Thomond Park flew at half-mast as the silence was immaculately observed despite a previously raucous pre-game atmosphere.

The metaphorical fireworks quickly resumed from the first whistle of a helter-skelter opening period that featured four tries and three yellow cards issued by referee George Clancy.

The first of those sin-binnings came directly from the kick-off as Crescent flanker Andrew Ahearne took out Christians No.8 Daniel Rook in the air, Clancy reducing the Limerick side to 14 men with just seconds on the clock.

CBC took immediate advantage, powering through the phases for Wrona to score in the left corner inside two minutes and the hooker grabbed his second with Ahearne still in the sin bin on nine minutes.

No sooner had the Crescent flanker returned to the action than CBC found themselves down a man, wing Evan Cahill Murphy yellow-carded after taking out opposing fly-half Oscar Davey. Comp struck from the resulting penalty, flanker Fionn Casserly dotting down from a strong lineout drive.

Their joy was shortlived, Christians hitting back thanks to the platform of a 50-22 from fly-half Charlie O’Shea from which Rock powered over for his school’s third try on 18 minutes.

Benjamin Lynch’s conversion and a subsequent penalty pushed CBC into a 20-5 lead but Crescent responded well and got their reward two minutes before half-time. They had threatened since conceding that third try and countered well through wing Ryan Godfrey with Christians needing a timely tackle from full-back Lynch to prevent an instant reply. It did not relieve the pressure, however, and when fly-half Davey sent a cross-field kick the width of the field to the right wing, CBC conceded a penalty for holding on. Crescent kicked to the corner and another big lineout maul engineered a penalty try after it was collapsed, CBC lock Michael Foy the next player to receive a yellow card from referee Clancy as a further punishment as the champions went in to the interval trailing by just eight points at 20-12 and with a one-man advantage for the first eight minutes of the second half.

The back and forth continued after the break, first CBC scoring through wing Christopher Barrett with O’Shea converting four minutes into the second half, with replacement back-rower Charlie Fenton responding with a try for Comp three minutes later, Eoin O’Callaghan’s conversion closing the gap to 27-19.

Yet Christians were not going to be caught twice in this semi-final and although they squandered one gilt-edged opportunity with a knock-on under the posts, they made sure with a game-killing try from the resulting goal-line drop kick. No.8 Rock made a telling incision with a strong carry back into the Crescent 22, CBC earned a ruck penalty five metres out and from the ensuing tap penalty loosehead prop Sam Loftus made no mistake from close range.

O’Shea’s conversion made it 34-19 on 56 minutes, 14 minutes from time, and though Crescent kept fighting, closing the gap once more with an O’Callaghan penalty and then an injury-time try from Mark Fitzgerald, converted by Ryan Godfrey, it was the Limerick school’s final act of their reign as Munster Senior champions.

CRESCENT COLLEGE: Jed O’Dwyer; Joshua Boland, Eoin O’Callaghan, Joe McEnery, Ryan Godfrey; Oscar Davey, Marcus Lyons; Mark Fitzgerald, Conor Clery, Denis O’Dwyer; Jack Somers, Sean Magee; Fionn Casserly, Andrew Ahearne, Cillian Kelly.

Replacements: Jonathan Byrne, Cathal Lanigan Ryan, Conor Ryan, Jordan Power, Charlie Fenton, Cormac Quinn, Michael O’Mara, Evan Cusack, Ben Gallagher, Evan Bennett.

Yellow card: A Ahearne 0-10 

CBC: Benjamin Lynch; Christopher Barrett, Alex O’Connell, Gavin O’Riordan, Evan Cahill Murphy; Charlie Patrick O’Shea, Jack Casey; Sam Loftus, Adam Wrona, Denis Callaghan; Conor Kennelly, Michael Foy; Mark Skelly, Odhran Prenter, Daniel Rock.

Replacements: Stephen O’Shaughnessy, Cian Walsh, Harry Foster, Michael Doyle, George Good, Johnny O’Shea, Conor Foley, Leo O’Leary, Ronan O’Keefe, Jack O’Callaghan.

Yellow cards: Cahill Murphy 11-21, M Foy 33-43 

Referee: George Clancy