St Mary's College marked the end of the school rugby season with a successful Irish tour recently.

 

And with some members of the 1st XV playing their last-ever matches for the school, they were determined to go out on a high.

 

The two-match Dublin trip began with a fixture against St Columba's, Rathfarnham, Ireland's leading boarding school.

 

The team turned in a fine performance to record a 15-12 win thanks to two Daniel Frost tries and a trademark physical performance from man of the match Demetrios Christophorou.

 

The second match, against High School Dublin, saw another fine team effort against superior opposition, but with fatigue from two matches in two days starting to show, St Mary's eventually went down 14-7.

 

Nevertheless, the trip was hailed as a fantastic success by Coach John Armstrong, especially as the tour party found time for a visit to Croke Park to watch Ireland's opening encounter with Italy in this year's Six Nations Championship.

 

Mr Armstrong commented: "The boys were great ambassadors for St Mary's - their exemplary conduct was a feature of the tour and was commented on by staff at our hotel and the Irish schools.

 

"I would particularly like to mention Tom Manley, who has been a terrific captain on and off the field throughout the season, and Daniel Frost, player of the tour and an outstanding prospect."

 

Mr Armstrong also paid tribute to the players making their final appearances for St Mary's after representing the school for the past seven years - skipper Tom, Demetrios, Michael Turnock, Musab Lafi, Adam Caffrey and Jacob Allen.

The St Mary's 1st XV in action against High School Dublin during their Irish tour