If last year's run to the semi-final was unexpected, Kilkenny College left no doubt about their merits this time out. A slick and self-assured display at Donnybrook yesterday has underlined their emergence as a leading force in Leinster schools rugby, and on the basis of this win, their success may well continue.
For a while it appeared that Presentation Bray would manage to contain the pressure but once the clock passed the opening half hour, the result was going one way only. Seven of this Kilkenny side have returned from last year and although they might not have the biggest pack in the competition, the pace and range of the back line more than compensates.
Greg Jacob provided some key distribution at outhalf, just as he did in the win over Roscrea earlier this month, while captain Richard Jones stepped up his game significantly at scrumhalf. Full back Andrew Deacon and winger Rory Deverell were clearly the fastest men on the field.
The depth in the Presentation side was somewhat less obvious but they certainly put it up to Kilkenny initially as the game was sprinkled with passages of exhilarating rugby as both sides played with great honesty and flair.
Jacob opened the scoring with a penalty after five minutes but that didn't last long. The Kilkenny defence was a little slow to settle and Conor Larkin punished their hesitancy by breaking through with impressive force for a try under the posts. Peter Hipple converted, but from then on they would only occasionally threaten a score.
Still, no one was being left out of the action at this stage. Midway through the half Kilkenny strung together a succession of passes behind the pack that had the Bray defence under obvious pressure. They held out for as long as they could but Jones then spotted a narrow opening to send Stuart Holland racing into the corner for the first of his side's five tries.
The four tries that followed in the second half were impressive for both their variety and execution. Deacon had previously been offering hints of his speed but nine minutes into the half he made it truly count. With a breaking run from inside his own half, he timed to perfection the final pass to Rory Deverell and he had the comfort to place the ball under the posts. Jacob duly converted.
Another swift exchange of passing not long after that ended with a try for Ivor Deverell, who pulled the ball over the line following the penultimate move from Gary Greene. That made it 23-7.
Kilkenny continued to recycle their possession very effectively in the final stages. Two minutes from time, Holland added his second try after a winning lineout was driven over the line. Some two minutes into injury time, Greene had the concluding word by chasing a breaking ball over the line. Jacob had been unfortunate with a few of his previous conversions but this time he confidently split the posts.
That conversion brought the winning margin to 28 points and on the basis of the second half performance it did not flatter Kilkenny. They now await with greater eagerness the winners of the Clongowes-Tenenure tie.
Scoring sequence: 5 mins: Jacob penalty, 3-0; 7 mins: Larkin try, Hipple conversion, 3-7; 17 mins: Holland try, 8-7; 35 mins: Jacob penalty, 11-7; 44 mins: R Deverell try, Jacob conversion 18-7; 51 mins: I Deverell try, 23-7; 68 mins: Holland try, 28-7; 72 mins: Greene try, Jacob conversion, 35-7.
KILKENNY COLLEGE: A Deacon; R Deverell, R Bergin, C Peavoy, G Greene; G Jacob, R Jones; G Roe, B Thackaberry, B Thompson, T Langley, I Deverell, J Harvey, S Holland, R Porter. Replacements: I Corrigan for Harvey (40 mins), B Beegan for Thompson (53 mins), R Gee for Jones (65 mins).
PRESENTATION BRAY: R Carroll; A Smyth, C Larkin, D Brack, V Quigley; R Maher, M Flynn; A O'Sullivan, C Doyle, N Tracey, G Carroll, S Denver, A Guy, J Barnes, P Hipple. Replacements: D Murphy for Tracey (half-time), P O'Leary for Brack (52 mins), S Fortune for Maher, S King for Quigley (both 57 mins).
Referee: D Keane (ARLB).
