SCT Win Leinster Senior Plate

Newbridge College v Kings Hospital

Leinster Senior Plate Final
Barnhall RFC
Friday 16th April 2010

Our Senior Team travelled to Barnhall RFC on Friday to take on Kings Hospital in the Final of this year’s Leinster Senior Plate competition.  Having lost to the same opposition in the semi-final on the League before Christmas, this was our chance for revenge.  We welcomed back Irish Internationals James Tracy and Sam Coghlan-Murray to our side for this game and so we were as close to full strength as one could hope for at the end of a long season.
The game started frantically and it was clear to the large crowd in attendance that this was no “end of season, throw the ball around” game.  The game had the feel of a Cup match to it, with the players clearly hungry for more of that standard of rugby.  Both sides had lost out in the first round of this year’s Cup, albeit at the hands of this year’s two finalists.

It was Kings Hos who started better with their classy pack in control of set play.  From this platform, they used a very effect off-loading game to break clear.  At this stage we lost Ronan Mangan to injury, a true leader on the pitch but his replacement Andy Cronin was a very able replacement.  We were well served defensively by captain James Tracy and Rob O’Connor who put their bodies on the line while Conor Browne and Darragh Hennebry were closing down the wider attacks. 
Unfortunately we couldn’t hold our line in tact and Kings Hos got in for the opening try of the game.  Unbelievably their 2nd Row kicker decided to drop kick the difficult conversion and even more unbelievably he slotted it straight through the uprights! 7:0. 

After another passage of dominance, the same player extended the K.H. lead to 10 points as the game approached half time.  Even with few opportunities, Sam Coghlan-Murray and Gary Burns were finding some space and we were probably deserving of a score with both wingers Adrian Dunne and Cormac Meylor also doing well with any half-chances that arose.  Halftime 10:0.
The second half started with our pack determined to at least gain parity and instead delivered probably their best half of rugby of the season.  We got on the score sheet with a Peter Osbourne penalty from long range which really got us going.  David Rigney, Conor Thompson and James Tracy scrummed as if their lives depended upon it while Jack Cantillon and Jamie Davis piled into tackles and got us on the front foot.  Eoin Dempsey was also taking some excellent ball at line out time and this gave us the opportunity to have some good ball and now Conor Browne was able to go on the attack.  From one lineout in our own 22, the classy outhalf ran right and then unleashed a 70 yard bomb which Cormac Meylor almost turned into a try with an exceptional turn of pace.  We did however force a turnover and this was to be the game’s turning point.  Once again, our front five out muscled the bigger Kings Hos pack, presenting scrum half Peter Osbourne with excellent ball. 

Conor Browne and Darragh Hennebry then released Gary Burns with a slick backline move.  He raced into the K.H. 22 and then put Sam Coghlan-Murray in for a brilliant try.  Osbourne converted to draw the sides level and with ten minutes to go it was game on.  Our superior fitness, which was a credit to the entire squad was now beginning to tell and we earned another penalty in scoring range.  Osbourne showed nervous of steel to knock it through the posts to give us the lead for the first time in the game.  Kings Hos then had a chance to level up the scores again but missed the penalty opportunity.  Osbourne also missed another shot at goal which made for a nail biting last five minutes as Kings Hos tried everything to get within range.  Fortunately for us we had players who refused to grant that chance with captain Tracy, Rob O’Connor and Sam Coghlan-Murray putting in countless massive hits to ensure we held on for a great win. 
Afterwards James Tracy accepted the Fr Hampson Cup on behalf of Newbridge College for the first time since 1986, a trophy which is the first piece of silverware at senior level in Newbridge College for fourteen years.  All in the College would like to congratulate this year’s Senior Cup Squad on this fine achievement and wish them all the very best in their future rugby careers.

Team: David Rigney, Conor Thompson, James Tracy (cpt), Jack Cantillon, Eoin Dempsey, Jamie Davis, Rob O’Connor, Ronan Mangan, Peter Osbourne, Conor Browne, Adrian Dunne, Darragh Hennebry, Sam Coghlan-Murray, Cormac Meylor, Gary Burns.  Subs: Cameron Dempsey, Charlie Kings, William O’Brien, Andy Cronin, James Doyle Marc Crowe, Michael Browne, Ben O’Connor.