Highfield 21

Old Christian's 19

The most senior youth team in the club played in the Pan Munster ¼ final away to Highfield on Saturday.

By all accounts they are the first team from the club,in a long while if even ever,at this age group to qualify for this stage of the Cup competition .

In other words they are in the top 8 u18½'s teams in Munster this season a great achievement.

We went into this game as underdogs with Highfield winning the league match between us earlier in the season comfortably in the end.

Our lads knew that they were better than that day and worked very hard to reverse that result

And what a game it was. From 1st whistle both teams were going at it with Highfield having the upper hand for the 1st quarter and making it pay getting over for a converted try.

But as always this bunch of players don't give up and worked their way back up the Highfield hill to score, after a great line of running, from Evan with Sammy adding the 2 leaving it 7-7 at ½ time.

After the restart it was very even both sides giving their all but a yellow card for Oisin for a high tackle, that no one at the match bar the ref, taught it was gave them an advantage and they went in for 7 after a long period of pressure and great defence from the lads.

Again we fought back and our fitness was beginning to tell and Evan again after a strong run brought us back level again 14 each

At this stage we started to dominate, our lineout improved, and that plus our far superior scrum kept them under the kosh.

With the lineout now working our maul made huge yardage and when stopped the recycling and use of the ball resulted in Brian bursting in for 5 from 5 to put us 14-19 up.

15 mins left at that stage and the fitness work we have done recently started to pay off and had them under pressure but credit to Highfield their defence was excellent.

Nearing the end while in their 22 and pushing to seal out the game a great read from the Highfield winger intercepted and ran the length to score with their kicker getting the 2 to grab the win with the last kick of the game.

A heartbreaking way to lose after the huge effort the lads put in.

The improvement since the league meeting was immense

So it's the South Munster Cup Competition for us now and hopefully a chance to reverse this result and a few others.

Big thanks for all the support we've got from the parents and want to wish Judd a speedy recovery after his unfortunate injury during the week