After a series of mismatched games that served as no more than warm-up acts, the two current heavyweights of Leinster schools rugby, Blackrock and Belvedere, will finally meet at Lansdowne Road to decide the destination of the 2006 Powerade Senior Cup.

Or so you would believe.

Given all the hype surrounding the two teams since they were entered into the same side of the draw back in December, the mothers of Paul O'Donoghue and David O'Connor would be forgiven for turning up on Friday in their Sunday best. But, of course, we're only at the semifinal stage. And though it would be foolhardy to ignore the form and resilience shown by the remaining two survivors thus far, St Mary's and St Michael's, unfortunately it appears to have become par for the course.

Indeed, throughout the competition so far, there has been the sense that last year's two finalists are merely attempting to outdo each other in terms of performances until they finally meet.

While Belvedere came out on top in the first round, destroying Newbridge as an injurydepleted Blackrock spluttered to a late win against Terenure, this week the 64-time champions evened things up ahead of the decider. Despite once again starting without O'Connor, Ian Madigan, Luke Fitzgerald and now Vasya Artimiev, Blackrock simply overwhelmed Kilkenny on Wednesday. In a devastating back-line performance, JanSimon Byrne, David Moore and Aiden Wynne all got a try each, with Ian O'Connor touching down twice to claim a 33-0 victory. With their injured four expected back on Friday . . . all except Artemiev came off the bench to impress here . . . they are beginning to look threatening.

Not that Belvedere will be flinching. Like Friday's opponents, they made it to the last four without conceding a point, although it took them a little longer to crank into gear against Gonzaga. Only 7-0 ahead at half-time through a superb O'Donoghue try, it wasn't until late on that they began to rack up their 38-0 win. Conor McGinn claimed two tries with one apiece to Martin Dufficy, David Synnott, David Mongan and Conor Colclough.

While the demands on Michael's and Mary's may not be as high, their semi-final promises to be just as tight as both sides proved how resolute they were in deciding two tough games very late on against Clongowes and Castleknock respectively. By qualifying for the last four, Michael's have got their furthest in the competition since losing their second final to Clongowes in 1991. They were, however, made to sweat before making amends, relying on a 69th-minute penalty from nerveless transition-year student Noel Reid to give them a 16-13 win. Michael's had led 13-6 through two kicks from Reid and a converted try from Patrick Brophy, but were pegged back by a touchdown from Anthony Ryan which was converted by David Kearney. Despite a Clongowes onslaught in injury-time, Michael's managed to hold out.

Castleknock, meanwhile, once again failed to do justice to do their regular pre-tournament billing as an outside bet. But this time it happened in the cruellest way imaginable. Having appeared to do everything right they led 10-8 four minutes into injury-time.

But in a game that was previewed as a battle of out-halves Brian Collins and Neil Cowhey, it was Mary's Cowhey who proved the victor.

With the last opportunity of the game, he attempted a daring crossfield chip which Conor McGlade collected to go over the line and secure a place in the semi-finals.

Both sides will have grown in character after such dramatic victories, and both can be hopeful of springing a surprise when the real main event comes around.