Blackrock College booked their place in the Leinster Schools Senior Cup final after a six try 41-5 victory over Newbridge College today.

Justin Vanstone’s side will play Gonzaga in the final on the 3rd of April.

Despite a strong start from Newbridge inside the first couple of minutes, it was Blackrock College who found the first score of the game. 

In a move that began inside the Blackrock half, Hugh Cooney passed the ball to the dangerous Ruben Maloney. Maloney accelerated through the Newbridge defence before finding Charlie Malony who ran in for the game’s first try. Zach Quirke converted from the tee to add the extra two.

Ruben Maloney was heavily involved yet again just moments later. The Blackrock College full back found space down the blind side before offloading to Gus McCarthy.

 The Blackrock captain fed the ball back into the path of Maloney who unselfishly passed inside him to Luke Kritzinger to score in the corner.

Midway through the first half, Quirke added a penalty to his tally to stretch his side’s lead to 15 points. From here Newbridge looked like a different team and out half Tom Bohan showed his class with some brilliant kicks in behind the Rock defence.

Newbridge kept the pressure mounted on their opponents and looked destined to score when Blackrock College’s Paddy McCarthy and Liam Molony were both sin-binned just seconds apart for separate incidents on their own try line.

Sadly, for Johne Murphy’s side, they couldn’t take advantage and from the very next play, Blackrock scored their third of the afternoon courtesy of flanker Inigo Cruise O’Brien.

Justin Vanstone’s side got the second half to an exciting start when Tom Brigg capitalized on a Newbridge defensive error right on their own try touch down on the line and found their fourth try of the game.

Newbridge were given a glimmer of hope when Tadgh Brophy tapped quickly from a penalty on the Blackrock 5 metre line. Brophy passed the ball into the dangerous Todd Lawlor who crossed for his side’s first points of the game.

Blackrock responded immediately and from the very next play, replacement lock Conor Tonge drove over from close range and Quirke followed up yet again with another conversion.

Blackrock put the icing on the cake when flanker Inigo Cruise O’Brien showed great improvisation when he found himself on the wing. The Blackrock number 7 chipped the ball over the Newbridge winger before racing around him and diving over in the corner to round off an amazing performance from Blackrock College.