St Gerard’s march on to Senior quarter-finals
IT was left to St. Gerard’s to advance Co. Wicklow’s reputation in Leinster Schools rugby as they were the only one of four sides to enjoy success this weekend.
A handsome 23-5 success over St. Fintan’s saw the Bray side advance to the quarter-finals of the Senior Cup.
There is no chance of them meeting local rivals Pres Bray though.
The Putland Road-based school locked horns with heavyweights Newbridge College and endured an afternoon to forget as the rampant Kildare side ran out 36-0 winners.
Also in the senior ranks, Coláiste Bhríde tangled with Gorey Community Schol in the McMullen Cup semi-final on Wednesday last.
The Carnew school left everything on the field but came up short. Trailing 5-0 at the break, Bhride would be breached further in the second period and eventually succumbed to a 17-0 defeat.
Casting an eye over the junior section, Scoil Chonglais flew the flag with pride against St. Wesley College on Tuesday last.
The Baltinglass looked to be down and out as they trailed 14-0 but they battled back to 14-10. Try as they might, they could not bridge the four-point cap and thus, it was Wesley who advanced to the first round of the JCT.
The stars of this week though are undoubtedly St. Gerard’s. Jack Conan’s former school were shellshocked when they conceded an early try but St. Fintan’s awoke the beast within Gerard’s and they would run in 23 unanswered points to secure a smooth passage to the last eight.
Gerard’s captain Ethan Baxter lead the charge with his side’s opening try which Oliver Haydock converted and number eight Rory Wilson pushed his side into the lead in the 32nd minute as he touched down his side’s second try.
Morgan Freeley added a third try for Gerard’s, with two Haydock penalties completing the scoreline.
St. Gerard’s: M O’Reilly, P. Opperman, O. Haydock, C. Foley, M. Freeley, D. O’Brien, J. O’Caoimh; A. O’Reilly, R. Byrne, D. Carroll, D. Ahern, D. McGovern, C. Byrne, E. Baxter, R. Wilson.
Coláiste Bhríde Carnew: Dylan Sawyer, JJ Kinsella, Kyle Donnelly, Tadgh O’Neill, James Rothwell, Rory Stokes, Jim Sharry, Frank Kavanagh, Cillian Tomkins, Eoin Buckley, Cian Barnes, Lukas McDonagh, Sean Bardon, Gavin Goodwin, Henry Kennedy, Cian Moules, Jacques Rolland, Gavin Murray, Eoin Kavanagh, Fionn Furlong, Josh Jackson.
Pres Bray: David Maloney, Aaron Walsh, Samuel O’Dowd, Michael O’Gara, Josh Pyper, Elliot Ryan, Ben Murphy; Keld Sredojevic, Tom Harbison, Ben Brady, Jack McGrath, Liam Lupton-Smith, Sam Graham, Callum McNulty, Joseph McLaughlin.