St Munchins powered their way to the final four of the Munster Schools Senior Cup as Oisín Minogue scored a second half brace to confirm the outcome.

Well it is another meeting with PBC for Munchins, last year they booked their semi final ticket a lot earlier, this time around it took overcoming a stern Bandon test to make a semi final a possibility this year.

Head Coach Ger Slattery and many of the squad will remember the defeat to Pres last year and go into this year's showdown aiming to avoid a repeat. Tom Wood was a welcome return having missed the last day, in that ten role he really showed his strength.

Minogue was a real menace in the Munchins back row, his cousin Tony Foley also crossed the whitewash in the second half. Playing in testing conditions Munchins showed their strength but will have a massive test to make the final this year.

After a cagey opening to the contest, the game sprung to life when Bandon tried to clear their lines and the clearance kick was blocked by Adam Cusack, the Centre pouncing on the loose ball before racing in for the opening try after six minutes. Wood saw the conversion just miss the mark.

Munchins were very much on top but failed to use their pressure to add a further score as the minutes ticked by. With Bandon committing an error at the break, Wood pointed to the posts and struck a penalty just after the half hour mark for a 8-0 lead.

The Treaty men looked to have signed off the opening half in style when Wood made a terrific drive down the left wing having initially taken a quick lineout, he offloaded to Matt Te Pou and using his quick feet, he continued the run down the left wing dancing past the tackles to add a second try. Wood struck the left upright from the conversion and the lead stood at 13-0. Rory Golden would get Bandon on the board with a penalty to cut the gap to ten points at the interval.

Momentum looked to have shifted the way of Bandon early in the second half following that score. With 44 minutes on the clock Bandon captain Fionn O’Neill powered his way over from close range and Golden converted to make the score 13-10 and Bandon were right back into the contest.

A swift reply would see Munchins grab their third try, a score that had shades of olden days for the school and Foley and Wood combined to add seven to the board. Tony Foley cut through the Bandon line like a hot knife through butter to cross the whitewash and Wood added the extras for that ten point lead to be restored.

Just five minutes later Munchins were in again. Like his cousin, Captain Oisin Minogue burst through a gap and would notch a fourth try for the Shannonsiders, a piece of individual brilliance by the number 8, Wood converted and the lead was 27-10.

Bandon stayed with Munchins all game but found it tough going to break through the line and grab scores, almost against the run of play, similar to Cusack’s try in the opening half. Munchins looked to clear their line and O’Neill blocked down the strike and raced in for a second Grammar try, Golden converting to cut the gap back to ten.

The Limerick men would prevail in the finish, the last act of a quality game of rugby in UL seeing Mingoue dot down in the corner after a powerful driving maul, Wood accurate from the tee to cap off the result.

Munchins look strong, certainly should not be written off as they face the mighty PBC in the next stage in two weeks time. 

Post Match:

Ger Slattery