'I feel for the fellas that are moving on': 'Bitterly disappointed' CBC boss Lee

CBC players dejected after the game. Pic: Bryan Keane

While PBC's quest to secure Munster Schools Senior Cup title  No.33 rolls on, CBC attempts to achieve the same feat came to an abrupt halt at Virgin Media Park on Thursday. 

Dave Lee's reigning champion CBC outfit found themselves 28-0 down at the half-time, down in no small part to two intercept tries from jet-heeled PBC winger Bobby O'Callaghan. 

For each, CBC had built on decent phase-play inside PBC territory but would eventually find themselves underneath their own posts. They stood there four times inside the opening 35 - tough to come back from, even if they had previously proven their unwillingness to die. 

"Obviously bitterly disappointed," Lee said post-match. "I kind of felt with the way we came back in games there recently, if we kept them to 21-0, we might have had some bit of an opportunity to come back into it in the second half. It wasn't to be.

"They're a quality side. 

"We've a young side. I spoke to the lads inside; I feel for the fellas that are moving on. But I just don't think that one game defines the season that we've had and the effort that they've put in. But we just came up against a quality Pres outfit there.

"It was just a tough day at the office."

Lee credited 54-point winners PBC's ability to control proceedings and acknowledged the quality of a side that has already accounted for the likes of Bloemfontein's Grey College this term. 

"We tried very hard and we were going through phases on those couple of scores (intercept tries) that we gave up," said the head coach. "And, yeah, we could have scored.

"It could have been closer at half-time. But that's the way it is. You make your own luck.

"I think Pres dictated the pace of the game from the off and probably forced us into those mistakes and forced us into those handling errors. 

"When you're five metres out and you're attacking and you're on phase six, seven, eight and then you're looking at the pace that their lads have and the interceptions and fair play to them.

"I'm not sure if it was them doing their homework and looking and studying other games."

CBC have come through some tight tussles en route to Wednesday's latest dance, with single-point victories over both Glenstal Abbey and Crescent Comp, but were unable to summon the spirit of those two wins. 

"Our games came thick and fast. We played the first round, quarter-final, two weeks in between, and we thought it would stand to us, to be honest.

"We thought we'd be more battle-hardened. But, look, Pres obviously sat back, watched, did their homework and, as I said, they're a quality outfit," Lee concluded.

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