Godson seals Gonzaga’s place in semi-finals
LEINSTER League winners Gonzaga are determined to ruffle feathers in the Senior Cup.
They comprehensively outplayed Terenure with a three-tries-to-one win that was every bit as convincing as the try-count suggests.
The platform came from their ruck work with lock Jack Coolican, captain Jack Barry and hooker Hugo Fitzgerald capitalising on turnover ball.
They paid special attention to ruining Terenure’s lineout and their
half-backs Jack Connolly and Harry Colbert peppered the opposite back-three with a variety of kicks to keep the pressure on.
Once they opened up with a wellworked try for lock Liam Tyrell in the sixth minute, they got hold of a lead they never gave up.
Terenure got on the scoreboard when second-row Coolican conceded a penalty at a ruck for centre Henry Roberts to make it 5-3 in the ninth minute.
That was as close as they would get
as Gonzaga centre Frank O’Grady and full-back Conor Hennessy linked well before putting wing Fergus Ó hOisín over for Colbert to convert in the 24th minute.
The binning of Coolican in the 32nd minute and Roberts’ penalty in the 40th minute reduced the difference to 12-6. This came against the run of play and a lesser side could have let it get to them.
Terenure just could not apply consistent pressure and Gonzaga showed them how, with prop Henry
Godson powering to the posts for Colbert to convert in the 59th minute.
Connolly was carded in the 62nd minute and Patsakorn Kidd scored a fine try shortly after, but the afternoon belonged to Gonzaga.
GONZAGA – C Hennessy, F ÓhOisín, F O’Grady, K Morgan, B Barron; H Colbert, J Connolly; H Godson, H Fitzgerald, R Shaw, L Tyrell, J Coolican, C Kirby-O’Briain (A Henry 50), T Cullen, J Barry.
TERENURE – P Kidd; D Byrne (J Whelan h/t), M McGettrick, H Roberts, C McElwaine (B Dignam 62); G Morgan (capt), L McNamara (A Ciobanu h/t); L Vaughan, A Dunne (J Keegan 59), S McCoy (A Byrne 49), T Cadell, A Deegan; C Hayes, C Hayes (T Farrelly 65), P Larkin (S Daly 59).
REF – C Hogan (Leinster)