Brian o'donnell gonzaga sct17 proof

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Tony Ward’s Leinster school-by-school guide GONZAGA COLLEGE

They may still be waiting on that elusive first outright success but no school underestimates the force that is Gonzaga. Year upon year the Ranelagh-based school produces teams at under-16 and under-19 consistently in the shake-up for Division 1A honours.

With three successive Senior League wins between 2005 and 2007 already in the locker, yet again this year they qualified for the play-offs thereby insuring a place in the Leinster Senior Cup competition proper.

In finishing third in their Pool they lost out narrowly to St Gerard’s in a quarter-final that could have gone either way.

Along the way to the knockouts they met and overcame both eventual finalists Cistercian College Roscrea and Kilkenny College. Head coach and former Skerries flanker John Murphy picks from a squad including some 18 back from last year’s extended cup panel that lost out to fellow Jesuit school Belvedere in the opening round.

Leinster Under-19 full-back Barry Goulding (below) captains a fast-maturing group that includes fellow representative players in tight-head Evan Coyle and hooker Conor Gleeson. Both front-rowers were part of the successful Leinster Schools team at under-18 level.

The draw has been kind in so far as it will be the second of the Vinnie Murray finalists first up. That match is scheduled for Lakelands (Terenure RFC) on Thursday January 28. Needless to say there is no room for complacency, but certainly on the balance of League evidence a place in the last eight at least beckons for Goulding and Co. COACHES John Murphy (Head), David Murphy, Mark McGroarty, Niall McNelis, Niall Bevan and Oliver O’Brien Gonzaga College: Elliot Allen, Eoin Barr, Eoin Barron, Jack Barry, Seán Barry, Hugo Boggan, Eoin Buggy, Daniel Carson, Simon Clear, Andrew Coman, Jack Connolly, Dermot English, Caoilim Fassbender, Seán Galvin, Marcus Gill, Conor Gleeson, Hugh Gleeson, Michael Gleeson, Henry Godson, Charlie Goulding, Henry Higgins, Mikey Holly, Daniel Inglis, Mark Keegan, Hugh Kelly Bowen, James Kenny, Robbie Kidney, Oscar Looby, David Lynch, Calum McCarthy, Frank McHugh, Matt Meagher, Daniel Moriarty, Declan Murphy, Max Neville, Brian O’Donnell, Ian O’Grady, Fergus O hOisin, Micheál O’Kennedy, Patrick O’Loughlin, Killian Quigley, Jack Tackaberry, Hugh Twomey, Liam Tyrrell, Joe Vagge, James Veale, Sam Victory.

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Resolute Gonzaga hold firm to keep Castleknock at bay in absorbing Schools Cup tie

posts with a penalty after nine minutes.

The north Dublin school dominated much of the game but were unable to claw back a half-time deficit.

Out-half Michael O’Kennedy kicked two conversions for Gonzaga.

Gonzaga College 14 Castleknock College 10 – Ryan Bailey reports from Donnybrook IT MAY NOT have been the highest quality match of the week, but Gonzaga and Castleknock served up an absorbing Leinster Senior Schools Cup contest which had everyone in attendance on the edge of their seat until the final whistle.

In the end, Gonzaga held their nerve and withstood an almighty Castleknock onslaught to edge a game which ebbed and flowed right until the last kick to book their place in the second round.

A brace of first-half tries from Sean Galvin proved the difference at a rain-soaked Donnybrook but Castleknock will lament a series of missed chances as their promising campaign ended at the first hurdle.

The eight-time winners dominated for large periods, and were camped inside the Gonzaga half for all of the second half, but were unable to make that territory count.

Having trailed 14-3 at the break, Darragh McNally gave his side hope with a little over 10 minutes remaining but Gonzaga, incredibly and heroically, kept the door shut to spark jubilant celebrations at full time.

In arguably the worst conditions of the week, it was understandable that both sides took a while to settle into the contest and the opening exchanges were incredibly scrappy.

Castleknock probably shaded the first quarter and that was reflected on the scoreboard when Cian Egenton dissected the

Gonzaga supporter Their lead didn’t last long, however.

From the restart, Gonzaga stole possession and from there hit the front. A period of patient build-up was rewarded when winger Galvin crashed over the line after collecting James Kenny’s pop pass.

Gonzaga extended their advantage eight minutes later but it came against the run of play.

Having applied all the pressure down one end, Castleknock were made to pay as they were caught short at the back and exposed when Gonzaga hacked through and the bounce of the ball favoured Galvin.

Moments earlier, the eight-time winners thought they had made the breakthrough of their own. A powerful scrum set the platform and flanker McNally peeled off the back and put the head down.

He was initially stopped metres from the line but, illegally, forced his way over before referee Brian Montayne correctly cut the celebrations in the stands short for a double movement. It was to prove a defining moment in the game.

Just as they had done after Egenton’s penalty, Gonzaga swiftly turned defence into attack and their lead had suddenly extended to 14-3 with the impressive Michael O’Kennedy adding the extras to O’Donnell’s score.

That’s how it stayed until the break with Gonzaga content to keep their shape and prove difficult to break down. Led by captain Conor Gleeson, the Ranelagh school were superb in defence but were finally unlocked on the hour mark.

With Ian O’Grady in the sin bin, Castleknock bided their time and eventually found a way through with McNally applying the finish under the posts. Replacement out-half Donncha Ryan struck the conversion sweetly to set-up a grandstand finish.

Castleknock threw absolutely everything at the wall of green shirts but time was against them and it was Gonzaga who prevailed to take their place in the draw for the quarter-finals.

Gonzaga scorers: Tries: Sean Galvin [2] Penalties: Conversions: Michael O’Kennedy [2 from 2] Castleknock scorers: Tries: Darragh McNally Penalties: Cian Egenton [1 from 1] Conversions: Donncha Ryan [1 from 1] GONZAGA COLLEGE: 15. David Lynch, 14. Sean Galvin, 13. Hugh Twomey, 12. Brian O’Donnell, 11. Elliot Allen, 10.

Michael O’Kennedy, 9. James Kenny; 1. Michael Gleeson, 2.

Conor Gleeson (captain), 3. Simon Clear, 4. Eoin Buggy, 5.

Caoilim Fassbender, 6. Ian O’Grady, 7. Mark Keegan, 8. Robbie Kidney.

Replacements not used: 16. Mikey Holly, 17. Matt Meagher, 18. Frank McHugh, 19. Eoin Barron, 20. James Veale, 21.

Charlie Goulding, 22. Danny Inglis, 23. Jack Connolly.

Seventh heaven! Gonzaga produce remarkable performance to dump Roscrea out The Ranelagh school will face Blackrock College in the semi-finals.

Hug was the outstanding performer for Gonzaga.

Cistercian College Roscrea 24 Gonzaga College 41 – Ryan Bailey reports from Donnybrook THIS COMPETITION NEVER ceases to amaze, as once again on a perfect afternoon at Donnybrook, we were treated to an enthralling game of rugby which brilliantly encapsulated everything good about schools rugby.

In a week of thrilling quarter-final drama in the Leinster Senior Schools Cup, Cistercian College Roscrea and Gonzaga College delivered the tie of the round as they exchanged blows before the latter surged clear with a barely believable second-half display.

It’s a pity there had to be a loser but, in the end, Roscrea — the 2015 champions and last year’s beaten finalists — had no answer to the Ranelagh school’s explosive running game which

saw them score seven tries; each one as good as the next.

‘We’re going to win the Cup, and nobody’s going to believe us,’ the group of ex-pupils in green sang on the far side as the clock struck red. After this performance, you’d nearly believe them.

Declan Fassbender’s men came flying out of the traps, scoring twice in the opening six minutes, and although Roscrea hit back to lead by two points at the break, there was no denying Gonzaga.

Their reward for today’s victory is a semi-final clash with 68time winners Blackrock College while holders Belvedere will face Clongowes Wood in the other last four tie.

Before Roscrea could even settle into the occasion, they had gathered under their own posts twice inside the early exchanges.

Michael O’Kennedy’s penalty launched ‘Zaga deep into opposition territory and it was from that platform which they struck. Roscrea briefly kept them at bay but the pressure eventually told as Eoin Buggy drove his way over from close range for the first of his brace.

O’Kennedy was unable to convert from this near touchline but, four minutes later, his looping pass left sent Hugh Twomey through for fullback David Lynch to race home and extend the Gonzaga lead.

Twomey was a live wire on the left wing throughout and posed problems for the Roscrea defence every time he got ball in hand, before he was forced off through injury on the hour mark.

Roscrea came storming back and did damage of their own from a powerful rolling maul after Conor Kelly brilliantly found the corner with a penalty from hand. After inching towards the whitewash, it was left to lock Neal Moylett to fall over the line.

Not to be deterred, Gonzaga went down the other end and hit back almost instantly — and it was that man Buggy again as he started and finished a sweeping move to give his side a 10-point buffer.

It was, literally, end-to-end at this stage as both sides took every opportunity to throw it wide and Roscrea swung the momentum back in their favour shortly before the half hour mark through centre Philip O’Shea.

Kelly’s conversion made it a three-point game and when Michael Milne dotted down for a try made and scored by the pack, Roscrea suddenly found themselves in the lead for the first time.

Pieter Swanepoel’s charges took that lead into the break but if the first period belonged to Roscrea by way of the scoreboard, the second was all Gonzaga.

James Kenny latched onto a lose Roscrea line out and Gonzaga quickly sent it wide, where O’Kennedy’s pass off his wrong side had the black and white shirts scrambling.

With numbers out wide, ‘Zaga executed to perfection with the space opening up for Sean Galvin to go over in the corner. The angle was too tight for O’Kennedy to slot over the conversion but he made it easy for himself not long after.

Pic 6 Running from deep this time, Lynch picked a brilliant line to cut through the Roscrea defence and O’Kennedy showed great energy to stay on his shoulder and run it under the posts for the try of the afternoon and Gonzaga’s fifth. He added the extras.

Kenny got in on the act to add his side’s sixth score after he had initially broken through the line with some nimble footwork. When O’Kennedy struck his conversion from the touchline sweetly and it dropped over the bar, you knew it was Gonzaga’s day.

Roscrea did look for an avenue back into the game and were given faint hope after Tadhg Bird’s brilliant run resulted in prop Ryan Lomas reducing the deficit; but there was no coming back this time as Gonzaga emphatically finished through Eoin Barr to seal a memorable day for the school.

Roscrea scorers: Tries: Neal Moylett, Philip O’Shea, Michael Milne, Ryan Lomas.

Penalties: Tadhg Bird [0 from 1] Conversions: Tadhg Bird [2 from 4] Gonzaga scorers: Tries: Eoin Buggy [2], David Lynch, Sean Galvin, Michael O’Kennedy, James Kenny, Eoin Barr.

Penalties: Conversions: Michael O’Kennedy [3 from 7]

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