Christians Brothers College Cork are back in the final of the Munster School Senior Cup, they showed their experience and power to overcome Crescent College Comp in a titanic battle in Virgin Media Park.

We did not need a replay this year. Christians getting the job done on home soil as a second half try and penalty from Charlie Patrick O'Shea was enough to keep them ahead.

After last year's final defeat, Tommy Crowe's side are back in the decider. It could well be a rematch of that 2023 decider if PBC win their tie with St Munchins tomorrow.

Cagey start to proceedings, Christians made the first initial drive as Michael Foy bulldozed his way through, Crescent held firm but the move soon grinded to a halt when CBC threw the ball out of play moving down the right wing.

Crescent spent a lot of time boxed into their end of the field, when they did manage to get into the Christians end, an error at the lineout caused the ball to be turned over, it proved a costly mistake.

It was the turn of the Leesiders to take the ball back into the Crescent half, after numerous phases, a gap opened up for scrum-half Christopher Barrett, he showed why he played on the wing last year, putting on the afterburners to race through the Crescent rearguard, Fionn Rowsome gave chase but despite his best efforts Barrett managed to ground for the opening try. Charlie Patrick O’Shea saw the conversion drag inches right of the right hand upright.

Momentum stayed with Christians and they pressed on following that move, it almost looked they fashioned a second try with 12 minutes elapsed, the wingers combining on the right channel, a flowing move with Bill McCarthy passing to Alex O’Connell on his shoulder, O’Connell pumped the legs and crossed the whitewash, the try however ruled out due to a forward pass in the build up.

Crescent had their best foray into the Crescent half when an Evan Cusack penalty to touch on halfway brought them to the Christians 5m line in the 19th minute, again an error occurred in their lineout and the Cork outfit had a penalty to clear their lines. 

With 27 minutes elapsed, Christians from almost nothing looked to have a chance to grab a second try. McCarthy had space down the left wing and raced towards the Crescent line, they had cover back there and the offload for O’Connell saw the winger power his way close to the line. Crescent showed sheer diligence to defend smartly, but did cough up a penalty.

They opted for touch to continue the move, which would soon grind to a halt when in the transition that followed they infringed at the breakdown and Crescent had the chance to breathe.

It did not last long.

Shy of the interval, Crescent had an attacking lineout midway between the Christans 10m and halfway line. The ball was batted away by a Crescent hand in the lineout, however onto the ball like a rocket was the Christians hooker Darragh Prenter. He showed tremendous pace to race clear having taken possession and dotted their second try in the corner.  

Crescent did manage to get on the board in stoppage time, Christians conceding a penalty and Cusack made no mistake dissecting the posts, reducing the deficit 10-3 at the break.

With just five minutes gone in the second half Christains struck again. Just as the rain arrived, Christians who had plenty of early possession in the Crescent half made it count, taking a lineout inside the 22m line and driving inches from the line, spraying left they were held up but O’Shea spotted a gap and struck their third try, his conversion missed the mark again but with a 15-3 lead, the hosts were well on top.

Luck was just not on the hand of Crescent, as they searched for the reply, they ended up being halted shy of the line Awarded a penalty on two occasions they opted for the tap and go approach, powering every inch to break that CBC rearguard, in the end the side from Leeside cleared the danger. 

Christians were down to 14 men temporality when Michael Foy was shown a yellow card, Crescent saw their opportunity and made sure to take points.

With 56 minutes elapsed Crescent managed to get over for their try. After numerous phases again camped shy of the line, they opted for the far touchline with Cusack spraying to Ryan Scanlon and the winger marched his way over the whitewash. Cusack missed the conversion which followed, 15-8 the margin.

Just as it looked like momentum was with Crescent after that try, minutes after the hour mark, the Limerick school were punished for not rolling away and the Leesiders had a penalty in a scorable position. O’Shea with three important points for a double digit lead. 

That proved the final score in a closely fought contest, Christians booking their ticket for successive Munster School Senior Cup Finals.

Post Match:

Tommy Crowe