Senior Rugby - Leinster Champions

Leinster Senior Schools Development Cup Final

Leinster Rugby website - CBS Wexford win in style
Irish Independent - Stunning Roche try sets CBS Wexford on the march.
Wexford People Report
Sportsfile Final Photographs

Wexford C.B.S. ...51   Ratoath Community School. ...20

What a wonderful day it was. Arriving in Donnybrook, the traditional home of Leinster Rugby to play a Leinster Schools Final. This competition started with over 40 teams last October, along the way we accounted for Enniscorthy C.B.S., New Ross C.B.S.,Colaiste Bhride, Carnew and Cill Mantain, Wicklow. All these games were comfortably won and earned us the right to meet Ratoath C.C in the final.

Taking the field in a well prepared mode and confident in our ability and discipline, it was going to take a good performance to get the better of us.

The plan was to secure and protect the ball, be patient, identify and strike at their weaknesses. Within two minutes we had successfully done that. Their scrum was pounded, their defence battered and then swift movement of the ball across the backline, gave winger Ruairi Devereux the opportunity to burn past their defensive line, with blistering pace, 5-0.Ratoath recovered the restart and drove deep into Wexford territory and were rewarded with a penalty, which was converted. 5-3 and only 6 minutes gone. Game back on. Eoin Roche , at out half controlled superbly at No.10 and kicked Wexford into the corner, from the next possession Ratoath were pinged for offside. Sean Stafford added three points from the penalty. 8-3.

Another restart gathered, and Ratoath were once again back in the Wexford 22’, another penalty conceded and converted brought them right back, 8-6, and all the signs of a cracking game in store . Wexford were enjoying the upper hand in the tight areas, with the ‘ pick and go’ operating very well. Flanker Gavin Byrne finished off one such attack to stretch the lead to 13-6. Ratoath came right back and they bagan to open up the play to engage their strong running back line a bit more, however when their centre was nailed in a tackle by Collie Joyce-Ahearne, who retrieved the ball and proceeded up field on a 60m run, he drew in the last defender and set the supporting Eoin Roche on his way to a try under the posts. Sean Stafford converted, 18-6. Killer blow. Following another Ratoath attack, they managed to cross the try line, but Wexford defenders, Michael Maguire and David Kavanagh managed to hold the ball up, Wexford won the resulting scrum against the head, and danger was averted.

The second half began with Wexford receiving the ball, once again Eoin Roche, who was now giving a masterclass in tactical kicking, pinned back the opposition, again our forwards rampaged and Gavin Byrne scored his second try of the afternoon, Stafford converted. 25-6. Do or die time for Ratoath and in fairness they created a chance and took it well, adding 7 points to their tally. 25-13, 12 minutes of the second half gone. Had we allowed them back, were we slipping, not a chance. Three tries in 8 minutes did serious damage and elevated Wexford into a dream position. Mikey Roche finished off two backline moves , while Ciaran Kavanagh, in for the injured James Roche, picked from the back of a 5m scrum and charged. Even The Great Wall of China would have crumbled. Sean Stafford converted two of these and at 44-13, a glance at the Cup sitting on a platform up in the stand, brought a broad smile upon our faces.

The scent of the kill was in the nostrils and Darragh Commisky crashed over to bring our score to 49, Eoin Roche added the conversion, 51-13, five minutes remaining.

Showing true determination, Ratoath wanted one more surge for their travelling fans, and they managed to breach the Wexford line in the last play of the game. Following the conversion, the final whistle blew , and joy erupted, Leinster Champions, how sweet.

This was a clinically executed game plan, managed and controlled from start to finish. Virtually the entire team has another campaign at Senior level ahead, already the thoughts of next year are being discussed

Team: James Roche, Steve Roche, James Byrne, Darragh Comiskey, Michael Maguire, Gavin Byrne, David Kavanagh, Collie Joyce-Ahearne (capt.), Conor Fenlon, Eoin Roche, Mikey Roche, Josh Healy, Ruairi Devereux, Sean Stafford and Liam Barry.

Subs used: Ciaran Kavanagh, J.J.Browne,Tomas Barry, Evan Dunbar, Dean Kehoe, Joe Coleman, Richie Cleary, Matthew Devereux.