Marist prepare for big replay after Hughes try earns second bite of the cherry

Marist College remain favourites to lift the Connacht Schools Senior Cup but they got a timely reminder just how big an effort is required to take the crown when they were held in an exciting semi-final last week. Hopefully the replay - scheduled for 2pm on Friday at either Marist College or Dubarry Park - will be as entertaining as this encounter at Carrowholly in Westport where both sides provided a cracking encounter despite the wind and rain on a heavy pitch. In fairness, neither side deserved to lose and while Rice College, appearing in their first ever senior semi-final having won the Junior Cup last season, may have let their best chance slip, Marist will underestimate them at their peril. The Athlone nursery, bidding for their first success since winning their only crown in 1977, will probably look to take more ball up the middle next time, having made most ground with that approach in the drawn game. But they now know that the Westport pack is a formidable unit and that Rice College, who became the first Mayo school to lift a Connacht schools rugby title with that junior success last year, will have their confidence boosted by going toe to toe with the fancied Athlone side. Rice College needed a good start with the swirling wind behind them and they got it with a pushover try from prop Tom Geraghty after three minutes with a surge to the right corner. Dwayne Corcoran was off target with the near impossible conversion but the Marist response was admirable. They tucked the ball in and drove at the home line and were rewarded after seven minutes when tighthead John Gormley squeezed over. But any notions that Rice College would relent were dispelled as the Westport school again upped the ante and they again hit the front to lead 12-5 at the break when No. 8 Sam McCormack finished a good drive with a try under the posts off a ruck. Corcoran added the conversion to throw the gauntlet down to the favourites. Marist drafted in Irish youths hooker Scott Flanagan for the second-half and they got on top after the restart. Robbie Henshaw made the best run of the match from deep inside his own and while he was not able to get over, Rice College were pinned inside their own 22 and eventually the pressure paid off with a second try for the visitors. It came after 42 minutes when winger Cormac Langdon completed a fine move to score in the left corner. That reduced the margin to two points but Eoin O'Reilly was unable to level with extremely difficult conversion. That try should have been the platform for Marist to push on and claim their first place in the final for the first time since 2008 when they lost successive finals, but Rice College responded superbly. They worked the ball through the forwards to set up a penalty opportunity for Corcoran and he did superbly to steer the ball between the posts from 25 metres into the teeth of the wind. That made it 15-10 but Marist College showed commendable composure and they pinned Rice College back inside their own half. The pressure inevitably paid off but yet to took some neat footwork and agility from Harry Hughes to get over in the right corner, 14 minutes from time, to level the match. O'Reilly made a decent effort with the touchline conversion but, like his counterpart in the opening minutes, it was a near impossible kick. Now Marist will look to complete the job on Friday but they are fully aware of the task that lies ahead of them. Sligo Grammar, who defeated Garbally College 15-13 in the other semi-final last week, await in the final. Just as they did when Marist lifted the crown 35 years ago. Scorers Marist College: J Gormley, C Langdon, H Hughes 1 try each. Rice College: S McCormack, T Geraghty 1 try each; D Corcoran 1 pen, 1 con. Marist College: E O'Reilly; H Hughes, B Carty, R Sheridan, C Langdon; R Henshaw, R Ashe; B Teape, E Kelly, J Gormley; J Flynn, C White; D Lynch, B Cooper, K Cooper. Replacements: S Flanagan for Kelly, 35; C Seery for Langdon, 45. Rice College: E Geraghty; B McDermott, D Corcoran, S Tobin, B Mullen; L Staunton, D Carpenter; T Geraghty, N McCarthy, J Dever; E Dunning, K Gill; M Brady, D Moran, S McCormack. Replacements: A McAleer for Mullen, 35; M O'Grady for Gill, 45; K Coughlan for McCarthy, 55; R Ludden for Staunton, 56. Referee: K Collins (CBIRFU).