St Munchin's College pip Limerick rivals Árdscoil Rís in Munster Schools Boys Senior Cup thriller

ST MUNCHIN'S College booked their spot in the Pinergy Munster Schools Boys Senior Cup quarter-finals after an exciting 28-27 win over local rivals Ardscoil Rís at Thomond Park on Wednesday afternoon.

 Adam O’Shaughnessy’s late try and Oisin Madden’s conversion saw Munchin’s secured a dramatic win after a thrilling contest.

 The Corbally side will now play another Limerick school, Castletroy College, in the quarter-finals of the Senior Cup.

O’Shaughnessy was also on target for the game’s first try early on when he crossed over after a lineout close to the Ardscoil lines. Madden then converted to put St Munchin’s seven points up.

Ardscoil levelled the game in the 19th minute thanks to a powerful Ryan McCormack carry on the back of Ollie Desmond’s pass. Desmond then added the extras to leave the scores tied at 7-7.

They were in for their second score a couple of minutes later when Daniel O’Connell sped away after being set up by good hands from Desmond and McCormack and scored in the left corner.

Ardscoil were dominant at this stage of the game and were rewarded once more when Daniel Collins intercepted and took off to score from his own ’22. Desmond sent over the conversion to see Ardscoil into a 19-7 lead with 28 minutes on the clock.

Munchin’s responded on the half hour with captain Kalum Kirwan getting their second try after another devastating maul. Madden then added the extras to make it a five-point game.

Desmond slotted a penalty a minute later to restore an eight-point advantage for Ardscoil and the scoring wasn’t finished.

O’Connell’s mazy run in his own ’22 was added to by McCormack and Collins. The speedy Collins then put a kick through and Cathal O’Doherty was first to the ball to score a sensational try and put his side 27-14 ahead at half time.

The game was on a knife-edge in the second half but it was Munchin’s that shaded it in dramatic circumstances.

Firstly, David Geoghegan scored their third try off a lineout maul and a superb Madden conversion cut the gap to six heading into the final 10 minutes.

O’Shaughnessy then popped up for a second try straight in front of the posts with Madden’s conversion sealing victory as St Munchin's progressed to the next stage, while Árdscoil Ris bow out. 

ST MUNCHIN'S COLLEGE; Adam McGlynn; Darragh Newman, Ryan Angley, Brendan Minogue, Gearoid O’Brien; Oisin Madden, Darragh Dillon; Kalum Kirwan, Adam O’Shaughnessy, David Geoghegan; Jack Meaney, Alex Acton-Quinn; Brian Carr, Paddy Dowling, Charlie Grace. Replacements: Michael Landers, Donnchadh Colgan, Daragh Fogarty, Cian Hannon, Eoghan Coughlan, Adam Burke, Paddy O’Driscoll, Tom Williams, Jarrod Arenhold, Joe Browne.

ÁRDSCOIL RÍS: Daniel O’Connell; Najim Jagana, Ryan McCormack, Jack Thorne, Danie; Collins; James Butler, Ollie Desmond; Jamie Kelly, David Salmon, Darragh Leydon; Matt Browne, Brian O’Loughlin; Matthew Collins, Fergus Bell, Cathal O’Doherty. Replacements: Marcus Glennon, Jack Hartigan, David Geaney, Callum Boyle, Paul Oyedeji, Tom Maher, Louis O’Flanagan, Paul McDonagh, Paul Gleeson, Dylan Quirke.

REFEREE: Fergal Brislane (MAR).