Five-try Bandon Grammar too strong for Glenstal in Munster Schools Senior Cup
TRY: Bandon Grammar back row Robert Collins dives over for the try in their 35-3 Pinergy Munster Schools Senior Cup first round win over Glenstal Abbey at Virgin Media Park. PicL Dan Linehan
BANDON Grammar progressed with relative ease to a Round 2 meeting with Rockwell after a comprehensive 35-3 Munster Schools Senior Cup defeat of 2018 champions Glenstal Abbey. It was an ideal start to the campaign for French coach Regis Sonnes' well-drilled team in a disciplined performance from start to finish.
First half tries from Illan Smith and Robert Collins set Bandon off on the right foot and the scoreboard was reflective of Bandon's territory and possession dominance, with the lion's share of the ball in both halves. Their management will be pleased that they seldom looked like slacking off.
Subs Niall Miskella and Zach Piper extended the lead with two tries of their own. Both tries came from intense pressure near the Glenstal end line. Illan Smith added the cherry on top for Bandon with a fifth try in the dying moments. Nathan van der Westhuizen’s subline cross field ball found the hands of Smith who dotted down, finishing off a nigh perfect day for the Bandon school and its travelling contingent.
The win sees them pair off with Rockwell College in Fethard on January 29th.
A high tackle in the opening sequence of play led to a penalty for Glenstal which Oisín Rowan slotted. This was as good as it got for the Abbey.
Bandon won an offside penalty of their own on five minutes which Rory Golden dispatched.
Glenstal wing Edward Franklin was yellow carded after a dangerous high challenge on Van der Westhuizen and Bandon were quick to capitalise with a deft manoeuvre which saw Robert Collins on the end of some fine handling to score the opening try.
Come the midpoint of the first period, Bandon had a vicelike grip on things. Calem Harte found space down the left but a superb last ditch tackle by Glenstal's Cillian O’Donovan stopped him in his tracks before he had a chance to extend the Bandon lead.
However, Glenstal didn’t hold out for much longer. In the 28th minute, Illan Smith used pace and power once again, but this time with the desired end product. He skipped past four Glenstal players like they weren’t there and pounced over the endline to make it 13-3. That's how the teams would turn in at the break.
Matthew O’Regan was binned for Bandon after an unnecessary altercation just before the break, but Glenstal couldn't make the extra man count in the early second half exchanges.
Rory Golden converted his second penalty on 43 minutes to make it 16-3. Sub Niall Miskella added another try eight minutes later as a period of Bandon pressure yielded yet another try.
Glenstal’s best moment of the game came just after the half hour mark when Sean Roche barrelled down the left flank, nearly reaching the Bandon end zone only to be met by stout Bandon resistance close to their line.
The game became a little scrappy between Miskella’s try and Bandon’s next, scored by sub Zach Piper.
Illan Smith completed the day with his second try, Bandon’s fifth. David Fuller, who replaced Golden, added the extras.
S Aherne (L Linehan 56), I Smith, C Harte, M Kennedy, N van der Westhuizen, R Golden (D Fuller 52), S O’Donovan (S Barry 56); S O’Callaghan (J Deasy HT), A Barry (Z Piper HT), J van der Velde, A Brennan, C Healy (S Brady 64), M O’Regan (C Mueller 42), R Collins (M Tubb 53), P Coughlan.
O Rowan, E Franklin, J Kerr, S Roche (O Springett 63), D Goode (S Connolly 55), P Peters, H McGowan (T Williams HT); D Ó Murthuile, O O’hAolain Lindbaek, H Heagney (C Mugan 51), R O’Neill (L Himmelreich 62), W Waller (T Buckley 48), C Smith, L O’Connor, C O’Donovan.
: J Moynihan (MAR).
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