Page 71 - The Gonzaga Record 1989
P. 71
Roger Nolan, Philip Quinlan and Gonzaga threatened to dominate the
Conal Boland helped us on our way to line-out and to have a more solid set
a 14-3 victory and a passport to Lans- scrum but, after early unease, Terenure
downe Road for Gonzaga's first final. held their own in the set pieces. Their
The team had managed to reach the pack were more forcef ul in the loose,
final without conceding a try. In the probably due to the inspiring work of
final the opponents were a talented lames McGovern, a lock who played
Terenure College side. with remarkable maturity. John
Terenure's tradition and previous Sweetman was the obvious target for
record in this competition made them Gonzaga's put-in to the line-outs . ..
undoubted favourites in the eyes of Gonzaga 's tight-head prop John
most. The Gonzaga team, however, Daly is a noted scrummager but met
were not overawed by the occasion. worthy foe in Michae/ Quinn. Neither
The match was played in miserable pack could establish an advantage in
conditions on Sunday 19th March; the power of scrummaging but Tere-
despite the conditions, it was a good nure's channeling was a little tidier,
contest but neither side could manage especially in the second half . ..
to score although Gonzaga had terri- And yet the issue was on the
torial advantage for most of the fi rst proverbial knife edge until Mr. Frank
half and much of the second and at Burns signalled full stop. Gonzaga's
the end of the day we were disap- hearts must have been near breaking
pointed that we had failed to convert point, but the lads in green con-
pressure into points. gratulated the victors unstintingly. It
However, a replay on the following was that kind of occasion: like the
Thursday, March 23rd, was to provide senior final it was played in exemplary
us with another opportunity. The spirit .. .
following is part of Con Houlihan's Gonzaga dominated the first twenty
report on the match which appeared in minutes and their partisans in the big
the Evening Press. 'This year crowd were in great voice. It seemed
Gonzaga, one of Dublin's newer that their heroes were resuming where
schools, made history by reaching a they had left off on Sunday. An ex-
Leinster cup final for the first time - ceptionally well organised defen ce kept
and last Sunday almost made further Terenure 's line intact - and then in
history when the general opinion de- their f irst attack they scored . . .
clared that they had the better of the Gonzaga replied within a few minutes
drawn game with Terenure. Conse- when scrum-half Philip Quintan con-
quently they were slightly odds-on for verted a penalty from about forty
Thursday's replay but this time yards. A nd so it was 4-3 at the interval.
Terenure were the better and put their In the ten th minute of the new half
superiority, marginal though it was, on came another brilliant try; this one
the score board. The first game was smacked of total rugby - it was
played in wind and cold and heavy almost French in execution. McGovern
rain and ended scoreless; Thursday started the movement with a powerful
afternoon was slightly damp and cold charge that took him from half way
and the game produced four splendid deep into the foe's territory; eventually
scores. Each got two; the difference he was hauled down but Terenure kept
was that Terenure's were unconverted possession. The ball came back to
trys - Gonzaga's were a penalty goal scrum-half John Sherry and a multi-
and a drop-goal. It was a hectic game pass movement ended when John Paul
played at a helter-skelter pace and Sharpe, the right winger, crossed in the
combining acts of brilliance with corner near the Wande rer's pavilion.
errors in remarkable fashion . .. Mid-way through the half, Gonzaga
69
Conal Boland helped us on our way to line-out and to have a more solid set
a 14-3 victory and a passport to Lans- scrum but, after early unease, Terenure
downe Road for Gonzaga's first final. held their own in the set pieces. Their
The team had managed to reach the pack were more forcef ul in the loose,
final without conceding a try. In the probably due to the inspiring work of
final the opponents were a talented lames McGovern, a lock who played
Terenure College side. with remarkable maturity. John
Terenure's tradition and previous Sweetman was the obvious target for
record in this competition made them Gonzaga's put-in to the line-outs . ..
undoubted favourites in the eyes of Gonzaga 's tight-head prop John
most. The Gonzaga team, however, Daly is a noted scrummager but met
were not overawed by the occasion. worthy foe in Michae/ Quinn. Neither
The match was played in miserable pack could establish an advantage in
conditions on Sunday 19th March; the power of scrummaging but Tere-
despite the conditions, it was a good nure's channeling was a little tidier,
contest but neither side could manage especially in the second half . ..
to score although Gonzaga had terri- And yet the issue was on the
torial advantage for most of the fi rst proverbial knife edge until Mr. Frank
half and much of the second and at Burns signalled full stop. Gonzaga's
the end of the day we were disap- hearts must have been near breaking
pointed that we had failed to convert point, but the lads in green con-
pressure into points. gratulated the victors unstintingly. It
However, a replay on the following was that kind of occasion: like the
Thursday, March 23rd, was to provide senior final it was played in exemplary
us with another opportunity. The spirit .. .
following is part of Con Houlihan's Gonzaga dominated the first twenty
report on the match which appeared in minutes and their partisans in the big
the Evening Press. 'This year crowd were in great voice. It seemed
Gonzaga, one of Dublin's newer that their heroes were resuming where
schools, made history by reaching a they had left off on Sunday. An ex-
Leinster cup final for the first time - ceptionally well organised defen ce kept
and last Sunday almost made further Terenure 's line intact - and then in
history when the general opinion de- their f irst attack they scored . . .
clared that they had the better of the Gonzaga replied within a few minutes
drawn game with Terenure. Conse- when scrum-half Philip Quintan con-
quently they were slightly odds-on for verted a penalty from about forty
Thursday's replay but this time yards. A nd so it was 4-3 at the interval.
Terenure were the better and put their In the ten th minute of the new half
superiority, marginal though it was, on came another brilliant try; this one
the score board. The first game was smacked of total rugby - it was
played in wind and cold and heavy almost French in execution. McGovern
rain and ended scoreless; Thursday started the movement with a powerful
afternoon was slightly damp and cold charge that took him from half way
and the game produced four splendid deep into the foe's territory; eventually
scores. Each got two; the difference he was hauled down but Terenure kept
was that Terenure's were unconverted possession. The ball came back to
trys - Gonzaga's were a penalty goal scrum-half John Sherry and a multi-
and a drop-goal. It was a hectic game pass movement ended when John Paul
played at a helter-skelter pace and Sharpe, the right winger, crossed in the
combining acts of brilliance with corner near the Wande rer's pavilion.
errors in remarkable fashion . .. Mid-way through the half, Gonzaga
69
