Top Oil Connacht Senior Rugby Cup Final on Wednesday, March 13th at The Sportsground, Galway at 4 pm
Garbally College, Ballinasloe v Roscommon CBS
For Roscommon CBS to be in a Connacht Senior Cup Final is a truly amazing achievement and they know that they will have to play better than at any stage this season if they are to oust the defending champions and 46-time winners, Garbally College.
Garbally will start the final as the firm favourites but the manner in which the Roscommon side overcame Colaiste Iognaid of Galway in the semi-final suggests that this may not be a foregone conclusion at all. Eimhin Griffith, Pat O’Farrell and the CBS coaches have done a marvellous job with this team and they have some wonderful players.
The defensive prowess and the discipline shown by the Roscommon CBS lads was ever so impressive in that semi-final win and with the likes of Mark Purcell, Aodha Hession, Tom Farrell, Conor Rohan and Jack Tucker playing consistently well, Roscommon CBS will be hoping to be able to contain the powerful Garbally side.
But there is no denying that this will be a very tall order for Roscommon CBS. Garbally demolished Sligo Grammar School 36-10 in their semi-final, scoring no less than six tries in the process. In Stephen Mannion they have a really classy out-half who scored a hat-trick of tries in the semi-final. Their two centres, Saul O’Carroll and James Carry, are also very accomplished players and their pack are led impressively by Patrick Grehan at number 8.
Defence will be the key to the outcome of this final. If Roscommon CBS can show the same tenacity that they displayed in the semi-final against ‘The Jez’ then they are in with a huge chance of an upset.
In schools rugby anything can happen and while the Ballinasloe College will be favourites to prevail, Roscommon CBS are in this final on merit and if they are still in the game with 15 minutes to go they can cause an upset and create history. But Garbally are favourites to claim a 47th title.
Prediction: Garbally College
