ARAN EGAN WAS Terenure College’s last-gasp penalty hero as he kept their dreams alive of winning back-to-back Energia All-Ireland League Men’s Division 1A titles.
Lansdowne fought back brilliantly from 19 points down at a sunny Lakelands Park, drawing level thanks to tries from Cathal Eddy, lively replacement James Kenny, and current Ireland Under-20 international Hugo McLaughlin.
Terenure looked Aviva Stadium-bound when captain Harrison Brewer went in under the posts inside the opening minute of the second half, leaving Declan Fassbender’s charges with it all to do at 25-6 down.
Craig Adams and Jordan Coghlan had both crossed before that, with the former’s try a tremendous, lung-busting effort – involving Adam La Grue and Conor Phillips – that began back at a lineout inside their own half.
However, with Terenure having to deal with two second half yellow cards and the teams locked at 25 points apiece, this semi-final turned into a kicking duel between Egan and Stephen Madigan.
The opposing out-halves traded late penalties, before Egan’s final kick, from over 40 metres out on the left hand side, gave ‘Nure a breathless 31-28 win.
Sean Skehan’s side will face Cork Constitution in next Sunday’s decider, which will form part of a historic AIL Men’s and Women’s finals double header at Irish Rugby HQ.
Con won 40-34 at home to last season’s runners-up Clontarf, with the talismanic James Taylor kicking 17 points and flying winger Matthew Bowen slicing through for his 14th try of the campaign.
In what was another excellent advertisement for the league, a three-try first half salvo gave Jonny Holland’s men a 27-17 half-time lead. Former captain Niall Kenneally was able to add to those touchdowns from John Forde, Ronan O’Sullivan, and the electric Bowen.
Clontarf ran in five tries in the end, including a terrific long-range score from Leinster’s Ben Murphy, with Noah Sheridan instrumental in it. Nonetheless, Con out-half Taylor continued to chip away with the boot, landing seven successful kicks.
Con are through to their first Division 1A final since 2019 when they were last champions, while Terenure, who are on a 13-match winning run, are bidding to become the first club to retain the trophy since Shannon in the mid-2000s.
It was a disappointing day for Shannon’s current crop as they suffered relegation after two seasons back in the top flight. Old Belvedere were too strong on Thomond Park’s back pitch, winning the Division 1A promotion/relegation play-off semi-final by a clear margin – 46-8.
Influential out-half David Wilkinson contributed 23 points from the tee for Belvedere. The fourth place finishers in Division 1B extended their season with second half tries from Jack Keating and Joe White.
‘Belvo will be back in Limerick for next Saturday’s promotion decider, paying a visit to Garryowen who got the better of Old Wesley on a 32-21 scoreline. The Light Blues are bidding to bounce straight back up to Division 1A, and Connacht’s Oran McNulty scored a key try and set up a late clincher for replacement Jack Delaney.
Meanwhile, Queen’s University dominated Ulster rivals Banbridge, winning 59-17 in their bid to stay up in Division 1B. They will host MU Barnhall in next week’s final, with the Blue Bulls edging out Cashel 25-23 thanks to Adam Chester’s late penalty.
There was late drama at Annacotty where a retaken conversion from Harry Byrne, following an Ihechi Oji try, gave Division 2A’s UL Bohemian a 13-12 verdict against Sligo.
Bohs will be at home to promotion-hunting Galway Corinthians, who impressively came from 14 points down to win 35-21 against Wanderers. Current Ireland U-20 out-half Sean Naughton cut through for two tries.
Home advantage helped Dolphin and Galwegians advance to the Division 2B promotion/relegation play-off final. Dolphin gave Enniscorthy a 15-point headstart, but Craig O’Connell, Cameron O’Shaughnessy (2), Sam Boyle and Richie Heaslip all got over the whitewash, adding to a penalty try, in an eventual 42-20 triumph.
Naughton’s Connacht Academy colleague, Shane Mallon, came off the bench to run in two second half tries as ‘Wegians enjoyed a 40-17 success against Bruff. The Blues are bidding to regain the Division 2B place they lost twelve months ago.
DIVISION 1A SEMI-FINALS:
CORK CONSTITUTION 40 CLONTARF 34, Temple Hill
- Scorers: Cork Constitution: Tries: John Forde, Ronan O’Sullivan, Matthew Bowen, Niall Kenneally; Cons: James Taylor 4; Pens: James Taylor 3, Rob Hedderman
- Clontarf: Tries: Ben Murphy, Noah Sheridan, Peter Maher, Tadhg Bird, Mark O’Sullivan; Cons: Conor Kelly 3; Pen: Conor Kelly
CORK CONSTITUTION: Rob Hedderman; Daniel Hurley, Harry O’Riordan, Niall Kenneally, Matthew Bowen; James Taylor, Adam Maher; Alessandro Heaney, Billy Scannell, Luke Masters, Sean Duffy, John Forde, Jack Kelleher, Ronan O’Sullivan, David Hyland (capt).
Replacements: Danny Sheahan, Brendan Quinlan, Charlie Connolly, Eoin Quilter, Matisse Lamarque d’Arrouzat, Kamil Nowak, Louis Kahn, Rob Jermyn.
CLONTARF: Noah Sheridan; Aitzol King, Tadhg Bird, Matt D’Arcy, Peter Maher; Conor Kelly, Ben Murphy; Ivan Soroka, Dylan Donnellan (capt), Ben Griffin, Fionn Gilbert, Josh Murphy, Ruadhan Byron, JJ O’Dea, Tony Ryan.
Replacements: Barry Gray, Alex Usanov, Declan Adamson, Jack Murphy, Louis O’Reilly, Mark O’Sullivan, Jim Peters, Darragh Bolger.
TERENURE COLLEGE 31 LANSDOWNE 28, Lakelands Park
- Scorers: Terenure College: Tries: Craig Adams, Jordan Coghlan, Harrison Brewer; Cons: Aran Egan 2; Pens: Aran Egan 4
- Lansdowne: Tries: Cathal Eddy, James Kenny, Hugo McLaughlin; Cons: Stephen Madigan 2; Pens: Stephen Madigan 3
TERENURE COLLEGE: Adam La Grue; Conor Phillips, Sam Berman, Peter Sylvester, Craig Adams; Aran Egan, Alan Bennie; Campbell Classon, Levi Vaughan, Adam Tuite, Harrison Brewer (capt), Matthew Caffrey, Adam Melia, Luke Clohessy, Jordan Coghlan.
Replacements: Max Russell, Ben Howard, Conan O’Donnell, Mikey O’Reilly, Jim White, Conor McKeon, Yago Fernandez Vilar, Barry Galvin.
LANSDOWNE: Hugo McLaughlin; Cillian Redmond (capt), Andy Marks, Rory Parata, Cathal Eddy; Stephen Madigan, Jack Matthews; George Morris, Tom Barry, Greg McGrath, Jack Cooke, Ruairi Clarke, Clive Ross, Barry Fitzpatrick, Hardus van Eeden.
Replacements: Luke Thompson, Temi Lasisi, Adam Boland, Donough Lawlor, Liam Forster, James Kenny, Steve McMahon, Sean Galvin.
DIVISION 1A PROMOTION/RELEGATION PLAY-OFF SEMI-FINALS:
OLD WESLEY 21 GARRYOWEN 32, Energia Park
- Scorers: Old Wesley: Tries: Cronan Gleeson, Tom Larke, Eoin Deegan; Cons: Ian Cassidy 3
- Garryowen: Tries: Max Clein 2, Gordon Wood, Oran McNulty, Jack Delaney; Cons: Kelvin Langan 2; Pen: Jack Oliver
OLD WESLEY: Tom Larke; Nathan Randles, Alex Molloy, Eoin Deegan, Eoin Murphy; Ian Cassidy, Ben Stephens; Harry Noonan, Stephen Smyth, Cronan Gleeson, Reuben Pim (capt), Billy Corrigan, Cathal Kelly, Josh Pim, Will Fay.
Replacements: Kieran O’Shea, Sam Kenny, Rory Duggan, David Motyer, Sam Pim, Bill Corrigan, Keith Kavanagh, Andrew Vincent.
GARRYOWEN: Colm Hogan; Colm Quilligan, Bryan Fitzgerald (capt), Gordon Wood, Oran McNulty; Kelvin Langan, Neil Cronin; George Hadden, Max Clein, Oisin Kearney, Jeronimo Ureta Saenz Peña, Cian Hurley, Des Fitzgerald, Jack Daly, Donnacha Byrne.
Replacements: Dean Fanning, Mikey Veale, Darragh McCarthy, Kevin Seymour, Sean Rennison, Jack Oliver, Jack Delaney, JJ O’Neill.
SHANNON 8 OLD BELVEDERE 46, Thomond Park back pitch
- Scorers: Shannon: Try: Dan Hurley; Pen: Mike Cooke
- Old Belvedere: Tries: Adam Howard, James Doyle, Jack Keating, Joe White; Cons: David Wilkinson 4; Pens: David Wilkinson 5, Johnny Kiely
SHANNON: Stephen Kiely; Jack O’Donnell, Cian O’Halloran, Harry Long, Dan Hurley; Mike Cooke, Will Reilly; Kieran Ryan, Adam Moloney, Luke Rigney, David Maher, Gus Ryan, Kelvin Brown, Lee Nicholas (capt), Daniel Okeke.
Replacements: Shane Carew, Conor Glynn, Darragh McSweeney, Ciaran Vaughan, Luke Moylan, Alan Flannery, Cillian O’Connor, Evin Crowe.
OLD BELVEDERE: Gavin Nugent; Jack Keating, Jayden Beckett, Joe White, Ariel Robles; David Wilkinson, Saul Fitzpatrick; Adam Howard, Calum Dowling (capt), Hugh Flood, Fionn McWey, Connor Owende, James Doyle, Tom Mulcair, Kale Thatcher.
Replacements: Cian Cunningham, Hugh Hogan, Jacob Barrett, Paddy Dowling, Evan O’Boyle, Peter O’Beirne, Johnny Kiely, Hugh Reddan.
DIVISION 1B PROMOTION/RELEGATION PLAY-OFF SEMI-FINALS:
- Cashel 23 MU Barnhall 25, Spafield
- Queen’s University 59 Banbridge 17, Dub Lane
DIVISION 2A PROMOTION/RELEGATION PLAY-OFF SEMI-FINALS:
- UL Bohemian 13 Sligo 12, Annacotty
- Galway Corinthians 35 Wanderers 21, Corinthian Park
DIVISION 2B PROMOTION/RELEGATION PLAY-OFF SEMI-FINALS:
- Dolphin 42 Enniscorthy 20, Virgin Media Park
- Galwegians 40 Bruff 17, Crowley Park