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.

Gonzaga College

15Hugo McLaughlin Full-Back 56', 69'
47', 59'
14Hugo Neville Winger 42'
13Hugh Goddard Centre
12Jody Browne Centre 30'
11Oscar O’Neill 23
10Stephen McMahon Fly-Half 31'
9Michael Sullivan 21 Scrum-Half
1Toby Hammond Prop
2Tim Cotter 16 Hooker
3George Morris Prop
4Thomas Murphy Lock
5Luke O’Callaghan Lock
6Noah Maguire Flanker
7Gavin O’Donnell 18 Flanker
8Paul Wilson No. 8
16Adam McVerry 2 Prop
17Luke McLaughlin Hooker
18Tomas Noone 7 68'
19Tom Wyley
20Morgan Tyrell No. 8
21Oisin Murray 9 55'
22Mikey Wall Winger
23Aidan O’Flanagan 11 Centre

Wesley College

15Matthew Golden 23 Full-Back
14Finn Nolan 22 Winger
13Toby Durham Centre
12Jamie Fish Centre
11Jamie Crooks Winger
10Johnny Cazzini Fly-Half
9Kameron Moran 20 Scrum-Half
1Sean Foulds Prop
2Ryan Jones 17 Hooker
3Aran Lowry Prop
4Hugo Hjelseth Lock
5Jamie Walsh 18 Lock
6Liam O’Neill Lock
7Tom Geoghegan Flanker
8Oran Handley No. 8
16Shane Pedlow Prop
17Rian Handley 2 Hooker
18Chris Collins 5 Lock
19Milo Campbell Flanker
20Luca Clinton 9
21Hugo Girardi
22Reid Cockrell 14
23Cian Mitchell Doyle 15

Ground

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

Luke is a final year Journalism student in DCU. He is a Sports Reporter for Wicklow People Sport and FinalWhistle.ie.