‘A huge achievement for the lads’
TEMPLE CARRIG manager, Mark Crean has praised the spirit and fortitude of his side after they defeated King’s Hospital School to win their first ever Vinnie Murray Cup, in a dramatic and pulsation final in Energia Park, on Wednesday afternoon.
After tries from Eoin O’Neill, Joe Barford, and Cillian Burke – all of which were converted by Thade Shanahan – put the Greystones school into a comfortable 24-0 lead at the half-way point, Temple Carrig were made to endure a relentless King’s Hospital comeback in the second.
Despite four tries from the Dublin team cutting the deficit back to just one point at 27-26 with just two minutes left on the clock, Temple
Carrig were able to resist a final onslaught to come away with the cup; Thade Shanahan getting their only score of the half through a match-winning penalty.
Speaking to the Wicklow People following the game, Mark Crean said his players did enough to deserve the victory, while also admitting that they were favoured by fortune, at times.
‘It is a huge achievement for the lads. They’ve worked so hard, not just this season but for the last six seasons, and they fully deserved to win,’ he said.
‘It was a very good first half, and then we got into a lot of trouble in the second half.
‘(King’s Hospital) fought back very well and I suppose we were very fortunate to win the game by just one point in the end.’
In the rounds preceding last week’s finale, Temple Carrig had disposed of the likes of St. Andrew’s (25-22).
Presentation College, Bray (21-15), and The High School (21-14) on their way to their clash with King’s Hospital.
Crean admitted that leading so conclusively at half-time was something that they had not expected.
‘The lads haven’t been in that position before, where we have been leading by so much,’ added Mark Crean.
‘I think there was a bit of complacency in the second half, and also, you have to give a lot of credit to (King’s Hospital).
‘They came at us really, really hard in the second half and they were unfortunate not to win in the end, but our lads held on.’
15. Thade Shanahan (1 penalty; 3 conversions); 14. Eoin O’Neill (try), 13. Cian Hingerty, 12. Josh Sproul,
11. Colm Conlon; 10. Cian Leonard, 9. Paddy Byrne; 1. Jordan O’Connor, 2. Howard Noonan, 3. Cormac Coffee, 4. Gerhard Zdunek, 5. Joe Barford (try), 6. Cillian Burke (try), 7. Max Scully, 8. Patrick Kieran (captain). Subs: Steven Salmon (for C. Coffee), David Prendergast (for G. Zdunek),
KING’S HOSPITAL SCHOOL:
15. Eoin Francis; 14. Adam Bagnall, 13. Kenneth Cooper (2 tries), 12. James Kelly, 11. David Brennan; 10. Matthew Mahood, 9. Brian Oh; 1. Dylan Bagnall, 2. Oscar Blood, 3. Magnus Weilandt, 4. Alexander Walsh,
5. Jack Ormsby (1 try; 3 conversions), 6. Oluwatoni Lawal (1 try), 7. Hugh Perry, 8. Steven Walshe (captain). Subs: Daniel King (for E. Francis), George Troivaux (for B. Oh), Robbie Byrne (for O. Blood).
REFEREE:
Robbie Jenkinson.