Details
Date | Time | Competition | Season |
---|---|---|---|
7 March 2022 | 3:00 pm | Leinster Schools Senior Cup | 2021/22 |
Match Report
Gonzaga deliver convincing performance to book semi-final place
Gonzaga College booked their place in the Leinster Schools Senior Cup semi-final after a convincing 32-7 victory over Wesley College at Energia Park.
Tries from Jody Browne, Hugo Neville, Oisin Murray and Tomas Noone sealed the win for the Ranelagh school.
It was a low scoring but entertaining first half. Zaga took the game to Wesley College early on with full back, Hugo McLaughlin looking dangerous every time the ball found his way. Inside centre Jody Browne was also used effectively in the first period.
Wesley welcomed their opponents to the game with some huge tackles from props Sean Faulds and Aran Lowry.
Inside the first ten minutes, Gonzaga had a chance to take the lead through their out half Stephen McMahon, but the kicker missed from inside the 22-metre line.
It took until the half hour mark for the game’s first try which came from a Gonzaga scrum just inside the Wesley 22'. Michael Sullivan offloaded the ball into Stephen McMahon who popped the ball into the path of the on-rushing Jody Browne, who showed tremendous power to dive over the line for the game’s first score.
McMahon added the extra points from the tee to send the sides into the interval with Gonzaga leading 7-0.
It took the boys in green just five more minutes to find their second try of the game and it was some fantastic link up between Hugh Goddard and Hugo Neville that broke the Wesley defence down. Goddard burst through tackles deep inside the Donnybrook school’s half before offloading to the pacey Hugo Neville who dove over the corner to increase his side’s advantage.
Hugo McLaughlin added a penalty for Gonzaga just minutes later to keep the scoreboard ticking over in their favour.
Oisin Murray was brought on for Michael Sullivan and it took the replacement scrum half just second to score with what was his first touch of the match. Murray picked the ball off the back of the ruck on the Wesley 5 metre line before jinking around the Wesley defence.
Hugo McLaughlin added the extra points from the conversion to stretch Zaga’s lead to 22 points.
Following another McLaughlin penalty, substitute Tomas Noone did exactly what his fellow teammate Oisin Murray did just minutes later and scored with his first touch of the contest.
Oran Hendley did score a consolation try in the final play for Wesley but it wasn’t enough for his side.
Noone’s try secured Zaga’s place in the final four of the competition.
Timeline
Jody Browne | 30' | |
Stephen McMahon | 31' | |
41' | Jamie Walsh Chris Collins |
|
Hugo Neville | 42' | |
Hugo McLaughlin | 47' | |
Michael Sullivan Oisin Murray |
53' | |
53' | Matthew Golden Cian Mitchell Doyle |
|
Oisin Murray | 55' | |
Hugo McLaughlin | 56' | |
Hugo McLaughlin | 59' | |
Tim Cotter Adam McVerry |
66' | |
Gavin O'Donnell Tomas Noone |
66' | |
66' | Ryan Jones Rian Handley |
|
66' | Kameron Moran Luca Clinton |
|
66' | Finn Nolan Reid Cockrell |
|
Tomas Noone | 68' | |
Oscar O'Neill Aidan O'Flanagan |
68' | |
Hugo McLaughlin | 69' |
Ground
Energia Park |
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Energia Park, Donnybrook Road, Pembroke West B ED, Dublin, County Dublin, Leinster, D04 T8X2, Ireland |