Summerhill College v Garbally College Preview

Today: Summerhill College v Garbally College, Summerhill College, 2pm;

The teams have been named for today’s Top Oil Connacht Schools Senior Cup semi-final between Sumerhill College and Garbally College at 2pm.

Matthew Comerford starts in the back-row for Garbally College.

Summerhill College host the tie having topped pool 2 with No.8 and captain Adrian Cummins the talisman and driving force behind the school’s cup surge.

Centre Ross Hickey is the danger man having scored four tries so far in the competition while out-half and Sligo minor Brian Cox has been on top form with the boot.

Mark Keegan has become the starting loosehead prop for high-flying Sligo RFC in Division 2C of the Ulster Bank League this season and will be looking to show that experience.

Having beaten The Bish 11-3 in their opener, Summerhill’s second game ended 10-9 in their favour as Marist College suffered defeat by the narrowest of margins.

A final day 32-19 victory at Sligo Grammar cemented top spot in pool two and home advantage in the semi-final.

Garbally College, the competition’s most successful school, qualified from pool 1 despite recording just one win from three games.

Having lost their opening two games, Garbally were on the verge of elimination but they showed tremendous character to secure a bonus point 20-7 win over CBS Roscommon and edge out St Gerald’s Castlebar to second place in the pool.

There is no shortage of experience or pedigree in the Garbally squad with eight players from last year’s beaten Senior Cup finalists returning this year.

Full-back/winger Saul O'Carroll and scrum-half Colm Reilly have both been selected for the Connacht U18s while winger Nathan Horan has been involved with the provincial U17 set-up.

Starting right winger Stephen Mannion is the son of former Ireland No. 8 Noel Mannion.

The Connacht Schools Senior Cup was first played in 1913 and Garbally College are the competition’s most successful school having lifted the cup 45 times.

The Connacht schools competitions have expanded further this season and there are now six trophies to play for. Along with the Senior and Junior Cup, there are now separate competitions for emerging and developing schools at both junior and senior level.

Summerhill College: Hugh Kisby; Cormac Murray, Kevin Connell, Ross Hickey, Rett Solano; Brian Cox, Brendan Cunningham; Mark Keegan, Vincent Reynolds, Conor McGovern; Caoileann Carty, Gary Golden; Fiachra Doherty, Sean Wynne, Adrian Cummins (C).

Replacements: Ben Smith, Brian Flanagan, Andy Probst, Yusuf Shalabi, Darragh Feeney, Jack Gorevan, Thomas O Hehir, Ruairi Mulligan, Rodrigo Garcia.

Garbally College: Saul O'Carroll; Stephen Mannion, Shane Jennings, Joseph Devine, Nathan Horan; Colm Reilly, Aaron McGreal; Conor Smyth, Mark Burnell, Oisin Leyden; Nathan Cooley, Stephen Grenham; Matthew Comerford, Ciaran Tumulty, Iarla Muldoon.

Replacements: Conor Clarke, Jack Ryan, Barry Codyre, Jack Dempsey, Billy McKenna, Keoma O'Connor, Nathan Williams, Sean McGuinness.

Top Oil Connacht Schools Senior Cup Semi-Final Fixtures

Today (Thursday, March 2)

Coláiste Iognáid (The Jes) v Sligo Grammar, Hazel Park, Newcastle, 1pm;

Summerhill College v Garbally College, Summerhill College, 2pm;

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