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St. Andrew’s College SCT 2016

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ST ANDREW’S COLLEGE While it would be impossible to replicate the success of St Andrew’s, then located in St Stephen’s Green, in the formative years of the Schools Cups - seven finals and four wins between 1906 and 1922 - performances in recent times suggests a resurgence in the place of rugby in the now Booterstown-based school.

Central to that re-establishment has been incoming President of Blackrock College RFC, David Boyd. As Director of Rugby since 2012, Boyd has, with typical verve, worked to make this once rugby powerhouse extremely competitive again. As other schools have found to their detriment, it is extremely difficult to run two main team sports parallel.

Despite the obvious problems such an overlap entails, the school continues to build on the competitiveness of recent years. Already in 2015 the Senior team has finished second in their League pool, recording four wins from the five games losing only to eventual winners and current cup holders Roscrea on the way to a place in the quarter-final, where they produced their most impressive performance of the season to date when beating CBC Monkstown (39-8). Unfortunately that form couldn’t be maintained when going under to revitalised Kilkenny (31-19) at the penultimate stage. Former pupils and outstanding players Ian and Peter Dumbleton are again the two main coaches. They are assisted by current Seapoint RFC Head coach and former out-half Brian Keegan as well as former Leinster Schools and now UCD No 8 Greg Jones (son of EPCR Communications Manager Mark).

Jordan Larmour is the star turn and skipper to a squad including 12 back from last year’s panel beaten by Newbridge in the quarter-final.

Whether at wing or in the centre, Larmour is the focal point of the team. Having represented Leinster and Ireland Schools at under-18 as well as Leinster already this year at under-19, his extended prowess has seen this highly promising young sportsman represent Leinster and Ireland at hockey too.

The same dual dilemma applies to scrum-half and younger brother Adam who has also lined out for Leinster and Ireland in hockey.

Front-row forward Nick Judge has also represented Leinster at hockey while Stephen Keane, Aran O’Neill and Andrew Vincent have all represented Leinster and Ireland in cricket, with James Meier bringing the provincial cricket representation to four.

Other key performers and players with obvious potential for

greater things are powerful centre Peter Sullivan and workaholic back-rower Ben Nolke.

The draw hasn’t been overly kind, with something of a local derby against St Michael’s in Donnybrook on Tuesday January 26. Michael’s should advance but on the basis of a disappointing performance in the League semi at the same venue, they owe themselves and each other a big one.

COACHES Ian Dumbleton, Peter Dumbleton, Brian Keegan, Greg Jones, David Jones and David Boyd.

wayward pass and ran clear to score in the corner, and Byrne added the extras.

It was harsh on Andrew’s who battled well all game without ever really making their numerical advantage count but it is Michael’s who march on to the quarter-finals, and after avoiding a potential upset, they will take plenty of confidence into the last eight.

14-MAN ST MICHAEL’S DEFEAT ST ANDREW’S

Kelly leads by example for Michael’s

St Andrew’s 7 St Michael’s 25 Leinster Schools Senior Cup If St Michael’s are to end their four-year wait for the title, they may will look back at the importance of the character that their 14 players showed against St Andrew’s yesterday.

Michael’s were comfortably the better side but their cause wasn’t helped by the 17th-minute dismissal of flanker Oisin Dowling.

With the sides deadlocked after a cagey opening, Peter Sullivan bundled Dowling into touch with a strong tackle and both subsequently became involved in an altercation off the ball.

Sullivan was sent to the sin-bin for his part but Dowling, an Ireland U-18 Schools international, was shown a red card.

Complaints Michael’s could have few complaints and they were inspired after that by impressive captain Jack Kelly, who led by example.

He put his side ahead with a well-worked try 10 minutes before the break, with No 8 Barry Fitzpatrick converting.

Despite playing with one less player, Michael’s extended their advantage just before half-time when out-half Ian O’Kelly waltzed through a gaping hole in the defence to leave his side 12-0 to the good at the interval.

Substitute Harry Byrne took over the kicking duties in the second half and he added a penalty before Andrew’s threatened to spring a comeback.

After repelling wave after wave of attack, the Michael’s defence was eventually breached when Andrew’s skipper Jordan Larmour, who was outstanding, powered his way over for a try that Sullivan converted.

Just as Andrew’s thought they were back in the game, poor discipline cost them another three points as Byrne slotted a penalty before the final nail in the coffin.

In a last throw of the dice Andrew’s looked to spread the ball wide but Michael’s replacement Dan O’Donovan intercepted a

St Michael’s had to cope with the early loss of flanker Oisin Dowling to move on to the Bank of Ireland Leinster Schools Senior Cup quarter-final at Donnybrook on Tuesday.

St Andrew’s lost their influential number eight Mark O’Reilly in the build up to the game and their scrum-half Hugh Black was forced out with illness, forcing a reshuffling of the backline.

This had to be hugely unsettling.

Their immediate remedy was to fly up into the faces of the St Michael’s carriers, flanker Ben Nolke winning a penalty which they could not turn into points from a lineout.

Once Dowling put in a big hit to cause a turnover, St Michael’s played keep ball as they probed left and right to find a hole.

They were met with resolute and organised defence, led by Captain Jordan Larmour, Nolke and number eight Zola Henry.

However, St Michael’s got into their patterns to trigger a sequence of phases blending the directness of Scott Penny with the skills of Jack Kelly until wing Jeff O’Loughlin looked to be one catch away from the opening try.

The Booterstown boys were forced into more change when wing Stephen Keane made the unlikely switch to second row for Ben Ryan, who was temporarily removed for treatment.

Even so, they were holding their own against a physically larger pack, centre Pete Sullivan driving the increasingly prominent Dowling into touch.

In the skirmish that ensued, Sullivan was shown yellow and Dowling red for what appeared to be use of his head.

The heat of battle went up a degree or two. Flanker Penny broke away from a maul and Kelly threatened down the right.

This was becoming all about game management as St Andrew’s fly-half Sean Ballance’s smart kick trickled the wrong side of the corner flag.

In return, a chip from his opposite number Ian O’Kelly had to be tamed by full-back Joe McDonagh.

The St Michael’s cavalry arrived and full-back Kelly was twice involved, the first time with a stiff arm, the second with fancy footwork to claim a fine try converted by number eight Barry Fitzpatrick in the 25th minute.

They needed it as Sullivan returned to hand St Andrew’s a one-boy advantage just before their prop Rian O’Flaherty courageously cut down hooker Stephen Judge from behind.

Then, Fitzpatrick exploited the short side to hare away with wing O’Loughlin on one shoulder and prop Ronan Kelleher on the other. He chose the latter.

However, St Michael’s were beginning to flow and the calmness of wing Michael Heaney kept them close enough until O’Kelly’s show-and-go bought the metre he needed to dot down for 12-0 in the 34th minute.

St Andrew’s captain Larmour was late back out onto the pitch, presumably on the basis of an injury.

That man Kelly flew up the right wing to win a penalty for a late hit. They went to the corner. Jack Dunne captured the lineout. But, they over-complicated.

It didn’t matter too much as they came back for a penalty which was slotted by replacement fly-half Harry Byrne.

The balance of play was moving in one direction, hooker Judge cutting an ankle of which any centre would have been proud.

St Andrew’s were not totally out of it. Larmour accelerated away only to be gang-tackled. He was a marked man.

This was enough to lift his troops and they applied concerted pressure to St Michael’s only for Sullivan to be held up over the line.

They came again. Scrum-half Adam Larmour had at least three pops at the line until they were awarded a penalty.

Sullivan got to within a foot and Jordan Larmour finally breached the first and last line of defence.

Sullivan’s conversion made it 15-7 in the 55th minute.

They had to consolidate their position. They did so by defending a rapid attack prompted by replacement Dan O’Donovan.

But, St Andrew’s lost a crucial lineout to concede possession and a penalty for Byrne to make it an eleven-point gap in the 61st minute.

The underdogs were restricted to moments, like captain Larmour’s thrilling breakout, before O’Donovan galloped over from an interception for Byrne to add the extras.

At Donnybrook - ST MICHAEL’S COLLEGE 25 (J Kelly, I O’Kelly, D O’Donovan try each; H Byrne 2 pens, con; B Fitzpatrick con); ST ANDREW’S COLLEGE 7 (J Larmour pen; P Sullivan con).

ST MICHAEL’S COLLEGE 25 ST ANDREW’S COLLEGE 7 St Michael’s: Jack Kelly (Capt); Jeff O’Loughlin, James Hickey, David Ryan, Michael Heaney; Ian O’Kelly, Tomas Killeen; Ronan Kelleher, Stephen Judge, Samuel Griffin, Ryan Baird, Jack Dunne, Oisin Dowling, Scott Penny, Barry Fitzpatrick.

Replacements: Harry Byrne for Ryan, Peter O’Beirne for Killeen both 37 mins; Dan O’Donovan for O’Loughlin 50 mins; Andrew Courtney for Dunne 53 mins; Max Kennedy for Judge, Milo O’Donahoe for Kelleher, Luke Duffy for Griffin all 61 mins; Michael Roche for Heaney 63 mins.

St Andrew’s: Joe McDonagh; Dougie Burns, Jordan Larmour (Capt), Peter Sullivan, Stephen Keane; Sean Ballance, Adam Larmour; Rian O’Flaherty, Harry McCarthy, David Wilson, Ben Ryan, Will Holland, Harry O’Byrne-Cullinane, Ben Nolke, Zola Henry.

Replacements: Dagan Morris for Ryan 11 mins - temp & for Holland 32 mins; Nick Judge for McCarthy 57 mins; Rory Simington for Nolke 62 mins; Reece Jordan for Burns 63 mins.

14-man Michael’s flex muscles to coast past Andrew’s in heated derby St Andrew’s College 7 St Michael’s College 25

FOR A SIGNIFICANT chunk of this heated contest, there was persuasive evidence to suggest St Andrew’s had enough about them to spring the competition’s first shock of 2016.

But St Michael’s, even with 14 men following the first-half dismissal of Oisin Dowling, flexed their considerable muscle to lay down a marker as they advanced through to the quarter-finals of the Leinster Schools Senior Cup. The game sparked into life after 17 minutes when Dowling, an Ireland U18 international, was shown red by referee Brian Montayne after the officials spent several minutes deliberating the outcome of an off-the-ball scuffle.

Andrew’s centre Peter Sullivan was sent to the sin-bin for his involvement but the sense of injustice only ignited Michael’s as they ran in two tries before the break.

With a firm stranglehold on proceedings, the two-time winners extended their advantage through Barry Fitzpatrick’s boot shortly after the break.

Jordan Larmour’s try gave Andrew’s hope but even with a numerical advantage left themselves with too much work to do as Michael’s closed out the game to book their place in Friday’s draw.

The Ailesbury Road school didn’t look as convincing in the first period when their indiscipline could have cost them dearly.

On this occasion, however, Andrew’s, who have enjoyed a resurgence in the last few years, weren’t able to make them pay as their promising season was cut short at the first hurdle.

Michael’s buckled under the favourite’s tag twelve months ago but weren’t prepared to stumble this time around as they clicked into gear after an opening quarter riddled with mistakes.

Up until Jake Kelly’s opening try, Andrew’s had stood firm in defence but the pressure eventually told as the Michael’s captain stormed in under the posts.

The crucial score came minutes before half-time as out-half Ian O’Kelly forced his way over in the corner to stamp his side’s authority on the game.

Andrew’s, to their credit, kept going and produced a spirited response as the hugely impressive Larmour dotted down after a period of sustained pressure from the Booterstown outfit.

But it was too little, too late as Dan O’Donovan’s late intercept try sealed the win for Michael’s and a passage through to the next round.

St Andrews’s scorers: Tries: Jordan Larmour Penalties: Conversions: Peter Sullivan St Michael’s scorers: Tries: Jack Kelly, Ian O’Kelly, Dan O’Donovan Penalties: Barry Fitzpatrick, Harry Byrne Conversions: Barry Fitzpatrick, Harry Byrne

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