ENERGIA ALL-IRELAND LEAGUE MEN’S DIVISION 1A ROUND-UP -
BALLYNAHINCH CAME FROM behind to beat Terenure College 10-8 as the Energia All-Ireland League Division 1A pacesetters lost back-to-back games for the first time this season.
Clontarf, who overcame Terenure 29-24 last time out, are the new leaders after edging out Young Munster 27-24 with Ireland Under-20 squad member Noah Sheridan getting amongst the tries.
‘Nure had started brightly at a windy Ballymacarn Park, using a spilled ‘Hinch lineout to move the ball wide at pace. Key passes from Callum Smith and Colm de Buitléar released Craig Adams to dive over in the left corner.
Ballynahinch went close to from an 18th-minute lineout maul – hooker Claytan Milligan was held up – and their former back rower, ‘Nure’s blindside Conall Boomer, then saw yellow for repeated ruck infringements.
However, the hosts knocked on at their next maul opportunity, and when Bradley Luney went off his feet at a ruck, Callum Smith knocked over the close-range penalty for an 8-0 half-time lead.
‘Hinch began to turn the screw during a rain-hit third quarter. George Pringle claimed a crucial interception in midfield and the hosts’ scrum forced two penalties, allowing debutant out-half Jake Flannery to kick them back downfield.
Hutley got the home side on the scoreboard with a well-struck penalty, coming on the back of Alan Bennie’s sin-binning for diving in off his feet at a ruck.
‘Hinch took the lead in the 65th minute, Flannery and Kyle McCall both carrying well before Mark Best burst onto a Chris Gibson pass to crash over from a few metres out. Hutley added the all-important conversion.
With Flannery kicking well and fellow Ulster representative Marcus Rea a physical presence at the breakdown, ‘Hinch held firm for the remainder. Centre Best almost bagged a second try in the dying seconds, but he knocked on as he attempted to ground the ball from his own hack through.
Two tries early in the second half propelled Clontarf to a gripping bonus point victory over Young Munster at Castle Avenue.
Wind-backed Munsters stunned the home crowd with a try straight from the kick-off, Stephen Lyons collecting the bouncing ball to race over in the corner. Evan Cusack found the target from the touchline too.
The fourth-placed Cookies, who had beaten Clontarf 24-19 in November, pushed on to lead 12-0 thanks to a Shay McCarthy score from a kick through.
Nonetheless, with former Leinster and Connacht out-half Steve Crosbie a notable starter for ‘Tarf, they fired back when a free-flowing attack from deep ended with Cian O’Donoghue touching down.
The defending champions’ back-line clicked again for full-back Tadhg Bird to fly over for a fantastic 50-metre score, closing the gap to 12-10 at the break.
Andy Wood’s men kept up that momentum on the restart, JJ O’Dea carrying well before young winger Sheridan crossed for Bird to convert.
Munsters’ indiscipline saw them suffer two yellow cards and ‘Tarf captain Matt D’Arcy capitalised, cutting through from five metres out to pocket the bonus point and make it 24-12.
‘Tarf replacement Conor Kelly added a subsequent penalty and it was needed in the end, as Munsters rallied with tries from Jack Lyons and Conor Hayes, the latter finishing from long range to give the visitors two deserved bonus points.
Shannon cut loose during the final quarter to register their first win of 2023, handing Dublin University a heavy 43-17 beating on Thomond Park’s back pitch.
Hooker Jordan Prenderville’s double took his season’s haul to five tries, while Munster Academy back rower Daniel Okeke marked his return from a hamstring injury with a 78th-minute try.
Trinity, who were missing a number of first-choice players and had to make a couple of late changes, were only 10-5 behind at half-time.
Tony Smeeth’s charges hit the front in the 17th minute when Louis McDonough’s 50:22 kick put them in position and lock Jack Kearney crossed from the resulting lineout drive.
However, Shannon’s pack gradually got to grips with proceedings, number 8 Lee Nicholas levelling after he had earlier been held up. Prenderville muscled over late on to give the hosts a five-point interval lead.
With their scrum and lineout the ideal launchpads, Shannon hit the hour mark with a 22-5 advantage thanks to well-taken scores from Luke Rigney and winger Dan Hurley.
Aran Egan hit back for Trinity from a cross-field kick, but Pat O’Connor’s side dominated the closing stages as Prenderville and Okeke both powered over. Prenderville missed out on a hat-trick, with a penalty try awarded instead.
Shannon remain second-from-bottom, but hot on the heels of UCD who are only two points above them. Bart Vermeulen notched an injury-time consolation try for the students, who have fallen to sixth in the table following their sixth defeat in seven games.
Cork Constitution lost for the first time in five matches after going down 25-19 to Lansdowne on the Aviva Stadium’s back pitch.
Second half tries from Michael Silvester and Tom Monaghan, while Cork Con prop Alessandro Heaney was in the sin bin, proved crucial as Lansdowne registered their third victory in four rounds.
Third-placed Cork Con, whose hopes of a home semi-final took a hit, trailed 13-12 at half-time. Lansdowne’s James Kenny sent Peter Sullivan over in the eighth minute, and Kenny’s half-back partner Stephen Madigan quickly added a penalty.
The hosts ended the first quarter with a 13-point advantage, Madigan’s chip kick bouncing favourably for Silvester to dart over. Madigan’s conversion attempt was charged down by Daniel Hurley.
One of the best individual tries of the season ignited Con’s challenge, as full-back George Coomber burst around four defenders from deep, breaking down the left and stepping inside Daniel McEvoy with his impressive pace keeping him clear of the cover to score in the corner.
The visitors forced a late penalty try from a five-metre scrum, with Lansdowne having lost influential lock Jack Dwan to the sin bin. Nonetheless, Heaney’s yellow set Con back significantly as Silvester made it over in the corner and Monaghan also crashed through to convert pressure into points.
Despite Con replying with a converted James Murphy effort with five minutes remaining, their comeback bid fell short when a forward pass spoiled a promising last-gasp attack that looked to have Lansdowne in some trouble.
Meanwhile, UCD racked up eight tries in a comprehensive 52-12 triumph over Garryowen at the UCD Bowl, the result keeping them just above Shannon in the process.
Leinster Academy duo Sean O’Brien (2) and Ben Brownlee both crossed the whitewash, while Gerry Hill, Evin Coyle, Harry Donnelly, Alex O’Grady and replacement Ryan McMahon also got on the scoresheet.
Bottom side Garryowen, who trailed 26-0 at half-time, had second half scores from Sean Rennison and Neil Cronin, but they are now 18 points adrift at the foot of the table with five games to go.
While David Ryan had a first-minute try ruled out for offside, UCD did look the more likely to break the deadlock with a wind-backed Chris Cosgrave winning the kicking battle.
Although one booming kick from the Leinster-capped full-back forced Jamie Shanahan to concede a five-metre lineout, Garryowen’s determined defence kept them out and their scrum was also gaining the upper hand.
Nonetheless, UCD went ahead in the 19th minute when Donnelly offloaded brilliantly, away from the clutches of a chasing Tony Butler. It allowed the impressive Brownlee to break into space and give lock Hill a run-in from just outside the Garryowen 22.
College put a number of missed opportunities behind them to finish the first half strongly. Number 8 O’Brien drove low to score beside the posts, before prop Coyle did likewise, with support from Martin Fallon, to make it 19-0.
Garryowen flanker Johnny Keane saw yellow for getting involved in some ‘afters’, and it left UCD to pick up their bonus point through O’Brien who burrowed over for Michael Moloney to add his third successful conversion.
The Limerick men improved on the restart, yet an uncharacteristic knock-on from Butler blew a try-scoring chance. UCD were clinical in response, sharp passes from Moloney and Cosgrave releasing Donnelly to slice in between two defenders and score out wide on the right.
Garryowen got off the mark in the 57th minute, replacement Rennison cleverly grounding the ball between his legs after Des Fitzgerald had been stopped just inches short. Credit to Keane for his initial break which opened up the defence.
Butler’s conversion reduced the arrears to 33-7, but his subsequent break from inside halfway went unrewarded thanks to Donnelly’s turnover penalty. Garryowen’s indiscipline invited UCD forward and they duly took advantage.
Replacement McMahon muscled in under the posts, with the visitors also losing flanker Fitzgerald to the bin. They hit back swiftly, though, as Cronin intercepted a Rob Gilsenan pass deep inside the UCD 22 for Garryowen’s second try.
Slick passing off a scrum on the Garryowen 22 saw Donnelly put fellow winger O’Grady over out wide. Brownlee’s barnstorming run from the UCD 10-metre line – he darted inside Butler and stepped in and out to get past the covering Shanahan – made it a 40-point winning margin in the end.
ENERGIA ALL-IRELAND LEAGUE MEN’S DIVISIONS – ROUND 13: Saturday, February 18
DIVISION 1A:
BALLYNAHINCH 10 TERENURE COLLEGE 8, Ballymacarn Park
Scorers: Ballynahinch: Try: Mark Best; Con: Greg Hutley; Pen: Greg Hutley
Terenure College: Try: Craig Adams; Pen: Callum Smith
HT: Ballynahinch 0 Terenure College 8
BALLYNAHINCH: Greg Hutley; Harry Hitchens, George Pringle, Mark Best, Aaron Cairns; Jake Flannery, Chris Gibson; George Saunderson, Claytan Milligan, Kyle McCall, Thomas Donnan (capt), Bradley Luney, Zack McCall, Marcus Rea, Jamie Macartney.
Replacements: Josh Hanlon, Nacho Cladera Crespo, Joe Charles, Tom Martin, Conor McAuley, Jack Milligan.
TERENURE COLLEGE: Adam La Grue; Stephen O’Neill, Colm de Buitléar, Peter Sylvester, Craig Adams; Callum Smith, Alan Bennie; Adam Tuite, Levi Vaughan, Andy Keating, Harrison Brewer (capt), Mick Melia, Conall Boomer, Luke Clohessy, Jordan Coghlan.
Replacements: Campbell Classon, Craig Trenier, Matthew Caffrey, Adam Melia, Conor McKeon, Sam Coghlan Murray.
CLONTARF 27 YOUNG MUNSTER 24, Castle Avenue
Scorers: Clontarf: Tries: Cian O’Donoghue, Tadhg Bird, Noah Sheridan, Matt D’Arcy; Cons: Tadhg Bird, Conor Kelly; Pen: Conor Kelly
Young Munster: Tries: Stephen Lyons, Shay McCarthy, Jack Lyons, Conor Hayes; Cons: Evan Cusack
HT: Clontarf 10 Young Munster 12
CLONTARF: Tadhg Bird; Noah Sheridan, Michael Courtney, Matt D’Arcy (capt), Cian O’Donoghue; Steve Crosbie, Angus Lloyd; Ivan Soroka, Dylan Donnellan, Ben Griffin, Fionn Gilbert, Mick Kearney, Alex Soroka, JJ O’Dea, Tony Ryan.
Replacements: Cathal O’Flynn, Darragh Bolger, Ed Kelly, Ben Murphy, Conor Kelly, JP Phelan.
YOUNG MUNSTER: Conor Hayes; Shay McCarthy, Dan Goggin, Evan O’Gorman, Stephen Lyons; Evan Cusack, Jack Lyons; David Begley, George Jacobs, Conor Bartley, Sean Rigney, Alan Kennedy (capt), Bailey Faloon, Ronan O’Sullivan, John Foley.
Replacements: Mark O’Mara, Paulo Leleisiuao, Craig Hannon, Luke Fitzgerald, Donnchadh O’Callaghan, Patrick Campbell.
LANSDOWNE 25 CORK CONSTITUTION 19, Aviva Stadium back pitch
Scorers: Lansdowne: Tries: Peter Sullivan, Michael Silvester 2, Tom Monaghan; Con: Stephen Madigan; Pen: Stephen Madigan
Cork Constitution: Tries: George Coomber, Penalty try, James Murphy; Cons: Pen try con, Aidan Moynihan
HT: Lansdowne 13 Cork Constitution 12
LANSDOWNE: Daniel McEvoy; Peter Sullivan, Cillian Redmond, Tom Monaghan, Michael Silvester; Stephen Madigan, James Kenny; Ben Popplewell, Tadgh McElroy, Temi Lasisi, Jack Dwan, Ruairi Clarke, Clive Ross, Liam Forster, Jack O’Sullivan (capt).
Replacements: Jamie Kavanagh, Conan Dunne, Dan Murphy, James Doyle, Mike Walsh, Peter Hastie.
CORK CONSTITUTION: George Coomber; Daniel Hurley, Harry O’Riordan, Niall Kenneally, Billy Crowley; Aidan Moynihan (capt), Louis Kahn; Alessandro Heaney, Billy Scannell, Luke Masters, Sean Duffy, Matisse Lamarque d’Arrouzat, Jack Kelleher, James Murphy, David Hyland.
Replacements: Gordon Good, Jonny Blair, Anthony Ryan, Ross O’Neill, Luke Kerr, Greg Higgins.
SHANNON 43 DUBLIN UNIVERSITY 17, Thomond Park back pitch
Scorers: Shannon: Tries: Lee Nicholas, Jordan Prenderville 2, Luke Rigney, Dan Hurley, Daniel Okeke, Penalty try; Cons: John O’Sullivan 3, Pen try con
Dublin University: Tries: Jack Kearney, Aran Egan, Bart Vermeulen; Con: Aran Egan
HT: Shannon 10 Dublin University 5
SHANNON: John O’Sullivan; Cian O’Halloran, Harry Long, Alan Flannery, Dan Hurley; Mike Cooke, Aran Hehir; Kieran Ryan, Jordan Prenderville, Luke Rigney, Sean McCarthy, David Maher, Odhran Ring, Kelvin Brown, Lee Nicholas.
Replacements: Colm Heffernan, Daniel Okeke, Conor Glynn, Darragh McSweeney, Jack O’Donnell, Richie Mullane.
DUBLIN UNIVERSITY: Colm Hogan; Max O’Reilly, Louis McDonough, Gavin Jones, James Dillon; Aran Egan, Louis O’Reilly (capt); Bart Vermeulen, Mark Nicholson, Thomas Connolly, Jack Kearney, Stephen Woods, Anthony Ryan, Felix Campbell, Sean McCrohan.
Replacements: Zach Baird, Jerry Cahir, Cuan Doyle, David Walsh, Ted Walsh, Harry Colbert, Liam Molony.
UCD 52 GARRYOWEN 12, UCD Bowl
Scorers: UCD: Tries: Gerry Hill, Evin Coyle, Sean O’Brien 2, Harry Donnelly, Ryan McMahon, Alex O’Grady, Ben Brownlee; Cons: Michael Moloney 4, Chris Cosgrave, Tim Corkery
Garryowen: Tries: Sean Rennison, Neil Cronin; Con: Tony Butler
HT: UCD 26 Garryowen 0
UCD: Chris Cosgrave; Harry Donnelly, David Ryan, Ben Brownlee, Alex O’Grady; James Tarrant, Michael Moloney; Chris Hennessy, Bobby Sheehan (capt), Evin Coyle, Martin Fallon, Gerry Hill, Bill Burns, Mark Fleming, Sean O’Brien.
Replacements: Ben Porter, Hugo Malley, Ryan McMahon, Joe Cronin, Rob Gilsenan, Tim Corkery.
GARRYOWEN: Jamie Shanahan; Henry Buttimer, Matt Sheehan, Jamie Heuston (capt), Tommy O’Hora; Tony Butler, Neil Cronin; Michael Veale, Larry Kelly, Darragh McCarthy, Oisin Cooke, Kevin Seymour, Johnny Keane, Des Fitzgerald, Tim Ferguson.
Replacements: Max Clein, Michael Mbaud, Sean Rennison, Rhys O’Malley, Evan Maher, Sam Hanrahan, Mark Donnelly.
DIVISION 1B:
CITY OF ARMAGH 34 BANBRIDGE 12, Palace Grounds
Scorers: City of Armagh: Tries: Andrew Willis, Sam Cunningham, John Glasgow, Evin Crummie; Cons: Michael McDonald 4; Pens: Michael McDonald 2
Banbridge: Tries: James Buller, David McCann; Con: James Humphreys
HT: City of Armagh 10 Banbridge 12
CITY OF ARMAGH: Sam Cunningham; Andrew Willis, Matthew Hooks, Tim McNiece (capt), Glen Faloon; Evin Crummie, Michael McDonald; Dylan Poyntz, Jack Treanor, Paul Mullen, Josh McKinley, John Glasgow, Nigel Simpson, Ryan O’Neill, Neil Faloon.
Replacements: Jonny Morton, Philip Fletcher, James Crummie, Ryan Finlay, Ross Taylor, Ryan Purvis.
BANBRIDGE: Adam Doherty; James Buller, Conor Field, Josh Cromie, Jamie Mullan; James Humphreys, Neil Kilpatrick; Callum Reid, Peter Cromie (capt), Michael Cromie, Dale Carson, Alex Thompson, Robin Sinton, Max Lyttle, David McCann.
Replacements: Arthur Allen, Ryan Emerson, Alex Weir, Aaron Kennedy, Matthew Laird, Ross Cartmill.
MALONE 17 OLD WESLEY 17, Gibson Park
Scorers: Malone: Tries: David Shanahan, Declan Moore; Cons: David Shanahan 2; Pen: David Shanahan
Old Wesley: Tries: Cronan Gleeson, Dom Maclean; Cons: Josh Miller 2; Pen: Josh Miller
HT: Malone 0 Old Wesley 10
MALONE: Aaron Sexton; Andy Bryans, Ben Gibson, Nathan Brown, David McMaster; Angus Curtis, David Shanahan; Ben Halliday, Declan Moore, Gareth Milasinovich, Neill Alcorn, Cory Tipping, Daryl Maxwell, Dave Cave (capt), Michael Crothers.
Replacements: Sam Green, Lawson Porter, Stuart Dodington, Shane Kelly, Yasser Omar, Rory Campbell.
OLD WESLEY: Alex Molloy; Tommy O’Callaghan, James O’Donovan, Eoin Deegan, Nathan Randles; Josh Miller, Keith Kavanagh; Harry Noonan, Howard Noonan, Cronan Gleeson, David Motyer, Iain McGann (capt), Reuben Pim, Will Fay, Sam Pim.
Replacements: Dom Maclean, Sam Kenny, Brian Short, Josh O’Hare, Ian Cassidy, David Poff.
OLD BELVEDERE 22 HIGHFIELD 7, Ollie Campbell Park
Scorers: Old Belvedere: Tries: Jayden Beckett, Calum Dowling, Peter O’Beirne; Cons: David Wilkinson 2; Pen: David Wilkinson
Highfield: Try: Cian Bohane; Con: James Taylor
HT: Old Belvedere 19 Highfield 0
OLD BELVEDERE: Joe White; Ariel Robles, Jayden Beckett, Jed Tormey, Luke McDermott; David Wilkinson, Peter O’Beirne; James Bollard (capt), Calum Dowling, Hugh Flood, Fionn McWey, Connor Owende, Darragh O’Callaghan, Tom Mulcair, Kale Thatcher.
Replacements: Joe Horan, Jack Breen, Ronan Foxe, Mick O’Kennedy, Brian Leonard, Hugh Wilkinson.
HIGHFIELD: Cian Bohane; Ben Murphy, Liam McCarthy, Mark Dorgan, Luke Kingston; James Taylor, Richard Cassidy; Cillian Buckley, Rob Murphy, Daragh Fitzgerald, Eoin Keating, Sean Garrett, Dave O’Connell (capt), Amhlaoibh Porter, Miah Cronin.
Replacements: Niall Downing, Ian McCarthy, John O’Callaghan, Con Butler, Chris Banon, Colin O’Neill.
ST. MARY’S COLLEGE 20 NAAS 27, Templeville Road
Scorers: St. Mary’s College: Tries: Conor Hickey 2, Daniel Leane; Con: Mick O’Gara; Pen: Mick O’Gara
Naas: Tries: Donal Conroy, Fionn Higgins, Matt Stapleton, Henry Smith; Cons: Craig Ronaldson 2; Pen: Craig Ronaldson
HT: St. Mary’s College 12 Naas 14
ST. MARY’S COLLEGE: Ruari Shields; Adam McEvoy, Conor Hickey, Mick O’Gara, Max Svejdar; Conor Deans, Richie Fahy; Adam Mulvihill, Steven O’Brien, Tom O’Reilly, Harry MacDonald, Liam Corcoran, Daniel Leane, Ethan Baxter, Ronan Watters (capt).
Replacements: Richie Halpin, Jack Reidy Walsh, Daniel Lyons, Niall Hurley, Andrew Walsh, Ian Wickham.
NAAS: Fionn Higgins; Donal Conroy, Charlie Sheridan, Craig Ronaldson, Matt Stapleton; Bryan Croke, Connor Halpenny; Adam Coyle, Conor Doyle, Peter King, Paul Monahan (capt), David Benn, Cillian Dempsey, Will O’Brien, Ryan Casey.
Replacements: Nato Kiripati, Stephen Lackey, James O’Loughlin, Eoin Walsh, Derry Lenehan, Henry Smith.
UCC 10 BUCCANEERS 19, the Mardyke
Scorers: UCC: Try: Aiden Brien; Con: Daniel Squires; Pen: Daniel Squires
Buccaneers: Tries: Shane Layden, Stephen Mannion, Shane Jennings; Cons: Michael Hanley 2
HT: UCC 3 Buccaneers 12
UCC: Louis Bruce (capt); Sean Condon, Killian Coghlan, Daniel Squires, Darragh French; Cian Whooley, Ignasi Rodriguez; Rory Duggan, Scott Buckley, Dan McCarthy, Aiden Brien, Mark Bissessar, Sam O’Sullivan, Jacob Sheahan, Patrick McBarron.
Replacements: Luke McAuliffe, Corey Hanlon, Michael Cogan, Jack O’Sullivan, Oliver Young, Johnny Murphy.
BUCCANEERS: Shane Jennings; Josh O’Connor, Shane Layden, Stephen Mannion, Saul O’Carroll; Michael Hanley, Will Reilly; James Kelly, Steveni Lombard, Martin Staunton (capt), Ruairi Byrne, Danny Qualter, Oisin McCormack, Cian McCann, Ciaran Booth.
Replacements: Oisin Dolan, Sean O’Connell, Fionn McDonnell, Ryan O’Meara, Tom Shine, Ross Murphy Sweeney.
DIVISION 2A:
Cashel 10 Dolphin 10, Spafield
MU Barnhall 31 Ballymena 14, Parsonstown
Navan 21 Blackrock College 31, Balreask Old
Nenagh Ormond 28 Old Crescent 7, New Ormond Park
UL Bohemians 31 Queen’s University 19, UL Arena
DIVISION 2B:
Belfast Harlequins 20 Enniscorthy 14, Deramore Park
Galway Corinthians 21 Dungannon 24, Corinthian Park
Malahide 23 Galwegians 7, Estuary Road
Rainey Old Boys 14 Greystones 19, Hatrick Park
Sligo 13 Wanderers 12, Hamilton Park
DIVISION 2C:
Bruff 19 Instonians 33, Kilballyowen Park
Clonmel 34 Ballina 12, Ardgaoithe
Midleton 37 Bangor 29, Towns Park
Omagh Academicals 17 Skerries 22, Thomas Mellon Playing Fields
Sunday’s Well 11 Tullamore 27, Musgrave Park
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