The Aurora Barbarians have learned a valuable lesson about what it takes to succeed in the Marshall Division, and more importantly, what is needed in the rarified air of a semi-final spot to execute and score points. The Irish Canadians were clinicians on the afternoon, halting the Barbs' Cup run with a 32-12 score.

The Irish will now take on the Balmy Beach in the McCormick Cup final next weekend, to try and repeat their 2002 Cup championship form. The Beach defeated the Oakville Crusaders in an exciting 29-22 match at the Cru's Halton region home.

From the opening kick-off it was clear that the Barbarians were jittery, leaving the young team exposed to those errors that while minor in nature, add up to a formula that makes it impossible to succeed over the course of eighty minutes. Indeed the kick from centre to start the game did not travel ten metres giving the Irish a scrum centre, a platform from which led to two phases that saw the Irish receive an offside penalty. Jason Verstraten pushed that one wide from 28 metres, but Barbarian in-decision saw the kick fumbled by a Barbs player, and then passed in the in-goal area to No. 8 Ollie Atkinson, who under extreme pressure attempted a clearance kick he will no doubt replay in his mind until the start of next season, the effort skittering off the side of his boot into the hands of the hungry Irish forwards. The Barbs stopped the Irish on the ensuing ruck, but were judged by referee David Mew to be offside, leaving Verstraten a sitter from ten metres. 3-0 Irish after three minutes - and a seriously un-nerved Barbarians side early in the game.

At fifteen minutes powerful outside centre Ruairi Carson finished off an Irish back line move that traveled some forty metres before he was released on the left wing for the score, Verstraten's conversion attempt left hanging in the wind for an 8-0 Irish lead. Two minutes later it was Carson again, this time the benefactor of Chilean prop Rodrigo Lacassie's quick hands in support in the back line linking his Irish mates to free the speedy Carson for a nearly identical score, this time converted by Verstraten. 15-0 after 17 minutes.

The frustration was starting to mount on the Barbs, with each contact resulting in plays in the rucks and mauls that were also riling their Irish combatants. One instance of this at the 21 minute mark saw last weekend's injury time hero for the Irish, Ramzi Azar, get his marching orders for ten minutes for his use of the boots in tight.

Play continued for approximately five minutes when another incident then saw Mew handing out cards quicker than a Casino Rama dealer. when the dust had settled the teams were playing 13 on 13 as Jason Verstraten for the Irish cooled his heels with the remainder of Azar's sentence while the Barbs fly-half and second row were also gone until after the half-time restart.

When Azar returned with five minutes to play until the break it seemed that the Barbarians were beginning to make better use of the space available, ultimately seeing a long run by their fullback result in a try to narrow the Irish lead to 15-5. Centre Marco DiGirolamo consistently used his Sevens skills to probe the Irish defence with chip kicks, but Barbs penalties undid the good work resulting in an Irish kick to the corner just before the half. From the ensuing lineout it was a textbook maul that saw Lacassie drive over the line, with fly-half Peter smith converting to give his side a 22-5 lead at the break.

While the second forty minutes went better for the Barbarians, the damage was done, and they could do little against a stifling Irish defence that had answers for every pattern of run, kick, or driving maul. Then poor decision making hurt the Barbs again as they attempted to clear their lines in their own end zone, passing in the gusty win under the posts, which ultimately saw a knock-on in-goal. From the Irish scrum and subsequent maul a Barbs player was called for offside, netting Verstraten a three pointer to nudge his team further in the lead at 25-5.

As the clock wound down the Irish poured on the effort, with skipper George Azar appearing to score after brother Ramzi fed a perfect ball from fifteen metres out following an Irish lineout. A bobbled ball saw the apparent try disallowed by touch judge Dan Gana, giving the Barbs a scrum and a moment later a lineout at their own five metre line. George Azar calmly pinched the Barbs throw-in and drove across the line for his makeup try from the earlier effort.

Verstraten converted to make the score 32-5 with five minutes to go. The Barbs, spurred on by a frustrated DiGirolamo, ran from their own end off a penalty for an Irish offside, eventually engineering a sixty metre scoring sequence punctuated by Sean Allen scoring at full time for a final 32-12 score.

George Azar was beaming following the game, saying his side was much improved over the previous week's quarter-final win over the Yeomen.

"All credit to the Barbs, but we were so much stronger this weekend," said Azar, " adding "it was a very physical day out there against them - they made us work hard for the win."

Lacassie, who had been away the previous weekend and was very much part of his team's success on the day, tried to play down his involvement on the day.

"I am just one of twenty-one guys on the night, and just try to work hard when I am out there, and today it worked out well," he said with an easy smile.