St Michael’s to target Blackrock lineout

The stinging memory of Blackrock’s late loss to Gonzaga in the 2023 final will drive the five surviving starters in tomorrow’s Leinster Schools Senior Cup final (KO 1.0, live on Premier Sports) against St Michael’s.

Out-half Conor O’Shaughnessy ranks as the most important piece in the puzzle given his central role in their plan. Full-back Charlie Molony is a prospect of rare talent, one of two destined to have a professional future in the game.

Mark Walsh is a fulcrum at centre,whilesecond-rowTommyButler and back-row Jack Angulo will drive the forwards.

Leinster U-18s Schools captain Donnacha Maguire, prop Niall Smyth, Derry Moloney and wings BrianFlahertyandJohnnyO’Sullivan have all pulled on the blue shirt.

TightheadSmythhasbeenarevelation, bowling over defenders, offloading with ease and causing problems at the ruck.

While some carry the pain of defeat last year, captain Angulo and out-half O’Shaughnessy were introduced late into their 2022 final demolition of Gonzaga.

Coach Andy Skehan’s St Michael’s are front-runners again, beating the Connacht U-19s in September, and coming second in the World Schools Festival in Thailand, losing 28-21 to Westlake Boys High from Auckland.

Theannualset-towithBlackrock went their way (20-17) too as further evidence of their ability to bring the Senior Cup back to Aylesbury Road for the first time since 2019.

DavidLucey,captainJamesSherwin, lock David Walsh, prop Riain Coogan and No 8 Sam Corrigan returnalongsideAndyCosgrave,who missedoutthroughinjurylastyear.

TheirkeymanWalshwasjoined by his second-row partner Frazer McKenna in the Ireland U-19 extended squad.

Herein may lie the road to success for St Michael’s as they look to disrupt an imperfect Blackrock lineout.

But St Michael’s have been beaten by Blackrock in their two previous meetings in the final. On both occasions, there was just a score in it, in 2006 (14-12) and 2013 (23-20), and this may no different.

Verdict:

P.......................... 5 ............................ 5 ............................. 5 ................................. 5 .............................. 5 ......................... 5 FIXTURES

W4 4 2 2 2 0

D1 1 0 0 0 0

L0 0 3 3 3 5

B5 4 6 2 2 1

F171 171 156 118 91 74

A98 93 131 120 160 179 23 22 14 10 10 1