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SATURDAY’S Munster colleges final will be an all-Kerry affair as holders St Brendan’s get set to duke it out with Tralee CBS in Austin Stack Park, at 4.30pm. There has always been a keen rivalry between this tournament’s two most successful teams.

The last time these two sides met, in the O’Sullivan Cup in September, it was the Sem who came out on top. The reigning All-Ireland champions put on a typically attack-minded display and eventually ran out six-point winners in a feisty, high-scoring contest (2-23 to 3-14).

Garry McGrath’s charges went on to hammer Mercy Mounthawk and then pip Dingle in the final to cement their status as the best team in Kerry for the second year in a row.

Their form in the Corn Uí Mhuirí has been even more impressive.

Having made light work of ISK, De La Salle (Macroom) and Bandon in the group stage, they defeated Dingle with 15 points to spare in the quarters and booked their place in the final with another comfortable win over Flannan’s in the semis.

The Sem put up some huge scores en route to their Hogan Cup triumph in 2016 and they’ve certainly carried their free-scoring form into this season: they’re averaging a ridiculous 25.3 total points per game. Their lowest score so far was 1-15 against De La Salle and they still managed to win that game by seven points.

The Green, meanwhile, topped Group A following wins over Coláiste na Sceilge and Coláiste Choilm (Ballincollig), and a draw with Rochestown. They beat ISK by a goal in the last eight before finally getting the better of Chríost Rí at the third time of asking in the semi-final.

Banisteoir Marc Ó Sé will be hoping to end a relatively barren spell for the Tralee school – they haven’t won the Corn Uí Mhuirí since 2007 – and in the process dethrone this formidable St Brendan’s outfit. It won’t be an easy task by any manner of means.

With the likes of David Shaw, who kicked six points in their last outing, and Billy Courtney manning the middle, Cian Gammell marshalling the back line and captain Dara Moynihan leading the attack the Sem are stacked with talent at the moment. If they approach the game correctly and perform to their potential they should have enough to win on Saturday and clinch the school’s first back-to-back Munster titles since 1974.

The Green will be going all out to knock the Killarney boys of their perch, and the Sem will be hoping to put the Tralee boys back in their box. It should be an interesting game.
 

 
Above: St Brendan's College captain Dara Moynihan, centre, with team mentors Arthur Fitzgerald and Hugh Rudden and squad ahead of the Corn Ui Mhuiri Munster Colleges final. PICTURE: EAMONN KEOGH