Details

Date Time Competition Season
2 February 2023 3:00 pm Leinster Schools Senior Cup 2022/23

Match Report

Late Penalty Try Gets St. Mary’s College Over The Line

St Mary's College advanced to the next stage of the Leinster Senior Schools Cup as they produced a second half comeback aided by a late penalty try to snatch a five point win over Wesley College this afternoon.

They came in as favourites and left as victors after a tough battle between the two, an all out slug fest that resulted in Mary's getting into the Quarter Final stage, despite a hattrick by Rian Hanley and the boot of Charlie Hempenstall Wesley just fell short in the end despite an incredible display.

Marys applied early pressure as both deployed an early kicking game to try gain ground, it was Mary’s who would get the closest early on to creating danger in the early stages of crafting a score but an error in the build up awarded Wesley a scrum to clear their lines.

A strong scrum saw the underdogs able to get out of their own 22m line as full-back Finn Nolan raced away before he booted into the Mary’s half, with a penalty awarded a short while later Charlie Hempenstall found touch close to the Mary’s line as they went in search of the breakthrough, after the resulting scrum Wesley drove from close range looking to break through a solid wall, phase after phase Mary’s did well to stop on the onslaught but the frame of hooker Rian Handley managed to cross the whitewash after eight minutes, Hempenstall added the extras for a 7-0 lead.

Having gone behind early Mary’s now needed to find something to get back into the tie, after a line out shy of the try line, camped close as their forwards tried to give them good ground to make use of their close possession, centre Evan Moynihan made a strong run toward the maul he gathered the pass from scrum half Luke McGill, broke through two tacklers and exploited space in the Wesley line he was unmarked and avoid one final effort from the Wesley defensive line to get their opening try, the conversion was successful however it was converted by hooker, yes hooker Cillian Jacobs as he levelled matters in the 12th minute.

Wesley felt they had done enough a short while later to regain their lead in the tie, another strong drive left them short of the Mary’s line, Hempenstall was again key in the build up as his pass went out wide looking to spot their man out wide, it slipped through the hands of Daniel McNulty who was covering the area and allowed Evan Pearson the opportunity to gather and snipe over for a try, however the referee called it back as the pass was deemed to have been forward with the score remaining all square.

With half time approaching as ten minutes was all that was left in the half, Mary’s hit the front with their second try of the contest, captain Lucca Jennings the man to eventually get over after Mary’s worked their phases after a strong lineout move, a score looked to be coming and Jennings was the difference as his close range drive was enough to out them seven ahead after another beautiful conversion by Jacobs.

Mary’s really found their feet in the final minutes of the half, on the half hour mark they got their third try of the contest, again a closer range maul with their forwards putting in a huge effort to power over a score, after some time and effort Luke McGill dotted over after picking and going from close range, this strike was further out for Jacobs but the hooker made it look easy.

A high scoring opening half of rugby had time for another late twist, Wesley aided by a beautiful kick in behind by Hempenstall and some basketball moves to keep possession for their side, it was the Hanley brothers as Oran fed Rian to get his second try in the final act of the half with Hempenstall converting for a 21-14 deficit at the interval. 

Hanley completed his hattrick just minutes into the second half, the brothers combining once move with a powerful drive as Rian offloaded to Oran he passed back to Rian who pumped the legs and sprinted over his speed and strength combling to keep the tacklers at bay, the impressive Hempenstall three from three off the tee to level matters again. 

Wesley were full sail ahead making use of a strong breeze blowing across Energia Park, they again pushed Mary’s back with drives from the Hanley brothers giving them ground shy of the posts, they again used those strong phases of play to knock on the door of Mary’s and a drive by Milo Campbell in the 45th minute knocked it off its hinges, crossing for their fourth try of the contest and with Hempenstall in the form of his life, the TY student added another two from the boot to give them another seven point winning margin.

This game had everything a real example of just how exciting and competitive school rugby can be, as we ticked past the 50th minute Mary’s sent alarm bells ringing in the Wesley defence, their efforts brought around a penalty but they used that advantage to score almost a carbon copy of their opening try as Moynihan again made a bursting run to gather a pass inside from their close range maul and powered over for their fourth try, Jacobs conversion just kissed the right upright and came back out as Wesley remained in the lead 28-26.

After coming so close to levelling matters, Mary’s remained on top looking to get that score which would get them back into the lead, a penalty to touch got them into the close to the line and with a strong lineout move their maul drove Wesley back and after being dragged down illegally the referee awarded them a penalty try with Campbell going to the bin as a result, a huge moment in the final minutes of the game seven left on the clock as Mary’s led by five, 33-28.

St. Mary’s College

15Gavin Foley Full-Back
14Jack Halpin Winger
13Thomas Tourish Centre
12Evan Moynihan Centre 12', 52'
11Daniel McNulty Winger
10Sam Ryan Fly-Half
9Luke McGill 21 Scrum-Half 29'
1Tiernan O’Shea 16 Prop
2Cillian Jacobs Hooker 12', 25', 30'
3Ruadhan Smyth Prop
4David Leane Lock
5Luke Policky 20 Lock
6Joseph Durkan Flanker
7Lucca Jennings Flanker 24'
8Aaron O’Brien No. 8
16Fionn Devereux 1 Hooker
17James Gannon Prop
18Alex Holt Prop
19Oran Reid Lock
20Liam Flaherty 5 Flanker
21Gavin Mulvihill 9 Scrum-Half
22Matthew Morrissey Centre
23Sean Murray-Norton Full-Back

Wesley College

15Finn Nolan Full-Back
14Evan Pearson Winger
13Paddy Collins Centre
12Johnny Cazzini Centre
11Jack Roberts Winger
10Charlie Hempenstall Fly-Half 9', 34', 38', 46'
9Jack Freyne Scrum-Half
1Shane Pedlow Prop
2Rian Handley Hooker 8', 33', 37'
3Ryan McNeill Prop
4Finn O’Neill 20 Lock
5Chris Collins Lock
6Milo Campbell Flanker 45'
63'
7Aaron Bennet-Murphy Flanker
8Oran Handley 16 No. 8
16Ryan Price 8 Hooker
17Joe Cullen Prop
18Tom Gaughan Prop
19Louis L’Estrange Lock
20Ed Collins 4 Flanker
21David Gilmore Scrum-Half
22Andrew Gordon Centre
23Chris Quirk Full-Back

Ground

Energia Park
Energia Park, Donnybrook Road, Pembroke West B ED, Dublin, County Dublin, Leinster, D04 T8X2, Ireland

Diarmuid Kearney is a freelance Sports Journalist based in Co Kerry. He has more than 5 years experience covering domestic and international soccer for different media organisations, while also working for local and national print and digital organisations covering GAA.