Mark fabian #9 rev 3

Terenure SCT 2015 Mark Fabian #9

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New faces but same old winning formula for Blackrock

Gutsy Terenure no match for forward power of the reigning cup holders Sun, Jan 25, 2015, 21:38 Blackrock College 39 Terenure College 11 As floodlights, combined with the new 4G pitch, ensured the skill levels of both sides shone into Sunday evening, a collective light bulb surely flickered among the Leinster Branch schools committee.

Here was the blueprint for a highly entertaining, never mind profitable, future. There’s certainly an appetite as at least 3,000 paying customers were at Donnybrook to see Blackrock’s graduating Junior Cup winners of 2013 and 2014 devour a typically gutsy Terenure.

Led by Rory Murray, the Terenure pack – expertly drilled by Blaney brothers, Dermot and Brian – thundered into the Blackrock defence whenever possible. The collisions were shuddering but the latest offerings to Leinster’s backrow altar refused to budge. Caelan Doris, a fifth year, we know from last season’s all-conquering Rock side but openside Roghan McMahon was arguably the game’s outstanding performer.

It’s a genuine argument though considering the contributions of hooker Hugo Kean, centre Kyle Dixon, winger Stephen Kilgallen, nimble scrumhalf Patrick Patterson and outhalf Conor Dean. It’s worth noting that only Kean and Doris remain from last year’s champions who have already supplied six bodies to the Ireland under-20 squad.

And to think that this is supposed to be a lull in Blackrock’s dominance of schools rugby. Then you see famous surnames living up to their reputations and know it will take the most clinical of opponents to stop Blackrock.

Terenure, a decent team coached by Isaac Boss, made few mistakes yet were so ruthlessly punished.

Once the Blackrock juggernaut built up momentum, Dean was flawless in piloting them to victory. His father of course is Paul Dean, the great St Mary’s and Ireland outhalf in the 1980s.

Poured forward Right from his kick-off Rock poured forward with Kilgallen only denied an early try because Gavin Mullin, son of Brendan, was penalised for crossing. That was another feature of their approach a constant stream of lazy runners tested referee Dudley Philips’ patience but it was their rucking that really impressed.

The dam burst in the eighth minute when Kilgallen ignored a two-man overlap to slip a tackle and twist away from three others for the opening try. Peter O’Reilly had a forgettable day off the tee, landing two from six, to further emphasise their dominance.

Terenure scrumhalf Mark Fabian landed two penalties, missing two more either side of the break, with the Blackrock scores coming whenever they were in sight of the line.

Philips was correct to award a penalty try when Gary O’Reilly held McMahon’s jersey with the third try, a slick 40 metre run

by Dixon, coming off quick ball and the centre’s ability to twice step off his right foot before cruising away.

Shoddy defence notwithstanding, Terenure emptied their hearts in the second half but a turnover by Doris near his own line and 90-metre counterattack ended any chance of them reducing the 19-6 scoreline.

The hammer blow was another Kilgallen try as he gathered a perfectly-weighted Dean crossfield kick when Murray’s attempt to attack from his own 22 was cruelly punished.

Dixon’s brilliant offload sent O’Reilly over for a fifth try before Terenure centre Ted O’Donoghue at least claimed the game’s best score. It came off Cian Croke’s break and composure to stall and veer infield before sending his centre partner away.

However, Blackrock and Kilgallen were not done, the winger flying through the middle before a delicate pass, put O’Brien under the posts.

There ended the purest rugby you can see.

BLACKROCK COLLEGE: P O’Reilly; T O’Brien, G Mullin, K Dixon, S Kilgallen; C Dean, P Patterson; M Reidy, H Kean (capt), J Condon; D Mullane, V Mantegazza; R Dunne, R McMahon, C Doris. Replacements: R Mouatt for J Condon, C Ryan for D Mullane (both 54 mins), M O’Leary for P Patterson (60 mins), A Murphy for R McMahon (61 mins), J Fennelly for C Dean, M Dwan for K Dixon, M O’Neill for M Reidy, E Burns for H Kean (all 62 mins).

TERENURE COLLEGE: S O’Shea; G O’Reilly, T O’Donoghue, C Croke, JA O’Sullivan; M Haddock, M Fabian; J Boyden, O Wigglesworth, S Collins; J Durkin, M Caffrey; C Seery, J Dignam, R Murray (capt). Replacements: Z Vaughan for G O’Reilly (25 mins), P Tonge for J Durkin, L O’Dea for C Seery (both 40 mins), J Mullarky for J Boyden (61 mins), J Henry Hayes for O Wigglesworth, P Tonge for S Collins, J Nolan for M Fabian, S Barry for M Haddock (all 68 mins).

Referee: D Philips (ARLB).

Blackrock sense history and start as they mean to go on

Blackrock College 39 Terenure College 11 Leinster Schools Senior Cup Tony Ward Published 26/01/2015 | 02:30 Not quite the perfect performance but a pretty impressive opening nonetheless from a Blackrock squad with justifiable designs on going the whole way.

Before a large crowd at Donnybrook and in near-perfect conditions the class of 2015 laid down a marker that they are going to take some beating if they are to be prevented from making it three in a row - for the first time since the early sixties.

Traditional rivals Terenure, inspired by backrowers Jack Dignam and Rory Murray, gave it their best shot and yet at no stage did you feel the defending champions ever under serious threat. The ‘Nure gave as good as they got in the opening half and yet leaked three tries by the interval.

‘Rock had hit the ground running with Peter O’Reilly striking an upright and Stephen Kilgallen crossing for a disallowed try - all in the opening hectic minutes.

Terenure barely had time to draw breath before the ever elusive Kilgallen registered his side’s first legitimate score. It came from a line out on the left when Richard Dunne gathered out of touch before Roghan McMahon made the hard yards leaving Conor Dean’s swift hands to draw the cover for Kilgallen to race through for a well engineered try wide on the right.

The ‘Nure response was pretty much immediate with Mark Fabian successfully landing the first of two sweetly struck opening half penalties. They came in the 12th and 20th minutes but in between a mix-up in defence saw the ever-alert McMahon hack the ball through and as he raced towards the try line he was impeded, thereby ensuring a penalty try rightly called by referee Phillips. O’Reilly added the extras before Fabian narrowed the gap to six.

Magic But then, within minutes of the break followed a few moments of magic as centre Kyle Dixon (along with McMahon, Kilgallen and Hugo Kean ‘Rock’s most effective performers on the day) weaved his way through from near half way with power and precision for a quite brilliant individual try.

Again O’Reilly did the necessary and at 19-6 the writing sadly was already on the wall for a well-organised, highly-disciplined Terenure side playing a sensible brand of measured off loading rugby to that point.

It was vital they scored soon after the restart and they came close in the opening minutes but when Kilgallen was the next to cross it was effectively all over bar the shouting. Once again Dean was the instigator-in-chief.

This time by way of a measured cross field kick for Kilgallen to gather and gallop in without breaking stride.

O Reilly then tacked on a penalty for a 27-6 lead before a Sonny Bill Williams type off load from the highly impressive Dixon sent the full back in for try number five.

Cian Croke produced a sensational break from inside his own twenty two, racing some 70 plus metres and culminating in the supporting Ted O’Donoghue registering a brilliant Terenure try.

But the last word went to the reigning champions when almost immediately another weaving Kilgallen run saw Tommy O’Brien racing in unopposed and replacement James Fennelly adding the extras for a most impressive 28 point win. For sure they are going to take some stopping.

Blackrock - P O’Reilly; T O’Brien, G Mullin, K Dixon (M Dwan 65), S Kilgallen; C Dean (J Fennelly 65), P Patterson (M O’Leary 60); M Reidy (E Burns 65), H Kean (Captain) (M O’Neill 65), J Condon (R Mouatt 55); D Mullane (C Ryan 55), V Mantegazza; R Dunne, R McMahon (A Murphy 60), C Doris.

Terenure - S O’Shea; G O’Reilly (Z Vaughan 25), T O’Donoghue, C Croke, J O’Sullivan; M Haddock (S Barry 70), M Fabian (J Nolan 70); J Boyden (J Mullarky 62), O Wigglesworth (J Henry Hayes 70), S Collins (P Tonge 70); J Durkin (L O’Dea 40), M Caffery; C Seery (C O’Sullivan 40), J Dignam, R Murray (Captain).

Ref D Phillips (Leinster

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Terenure – SCT 2015 15. Sam O’Shea (V Capt.)

14. Gary O’Reilly 13. Ted O’Donoghue 12. Cian Croke 11. John A O’Sullivan 10. Michael Haddock

9. Mark Fabian 1. Jack Boyden 2. Owen Wigglesworth 3. Sean Collins 4. James Durkin 5. Matthew Caffrey 6. Conor Seery

7. Jack Dignam 8. Rory Murray (Capt.)

16. Jacob Henry Hayes 17. Jack Mullarky 18. Paul Tonge 19. Lorcan O’Dea 20. Conor O’Sullivan

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21. Jack Nolan 22. Stevie Barry / Zac Vaughan 23. Jeff Clarkin / Paddy O’Dowd