CALLUM SMITH HAD his fingerprints all over Terenure College’s terrific 29-24 bonus point win over defending Energia All-Ireland League champions Clontarf at Castle Avenue.
It was a rare home defeat for Clontarf – their first since last November – and leaves Terenure, who are unbeaten after seven rounds, with a seven-point lead at the top of Division 1A.
Back-three flyers Craig Adams and Adam La Grue scored two tries each for Terenure, with some of their most potent attacks masterminded by Ireland Club international out-half Smith.
‘Tarf trailed 24-7 at one stage, but tries in the final ten minutes from Hugh Cooney and former Connacht, Leinster and Ulster lock Mick Kearney gave them two bonus points to limit the damage.
Cork Constitution brought their kicking boots and a dominant scrum to Ballymacarn Park where they got the better of Ballynahinch on a 20-13 scoreline.
Two well-struck penalties from Cork Con captain Aidan Moynihan and George Coomber – the latter’s incredible strike coming from 60 metres out – helped to give wind-backed Con a 13-point buffer at the break.
The only try of the first half arrived in the 28th minute, a bout of scrum pressure from Con proved hugely costly for Ballynahinch, who had to replace Ulster Academy prop George Saunderson and then lost tighthead Kyle McCall to the sin bin.
The Con front row of Brendan Quinlan, Billy Scannell and Luke Masters duly got their reward with a penalty try.
As the rain-soaked conditions worsened, Ballynahinch hit back with a barnstorming 42nd-minute try. Lock James Simpson brilliantly barrelled through from a dropped Con pass, and centre George Pringle, released by Greg Hutley, broke in between two defenders.
Hutley converted and tagged on a 54th-minute penalty to make it a three-point game. Yet, Con, pushing for their fifth straight victory, turned to their set piece again and their forwards chipped away, shoved ‘Hinch backwards to earn a second penalty try.
‘Hinch battled on and collected a deserved losing bonus point, courtesy of a 78th-minute penalty from out-half Hutley. It was enough to see Jonny Holland’s side move up one place to third in the standings, level on points with Trinity in second.
Two weeks on from slaying reigning champions Clontarf, Young Munster produced a superb two-try finish to edge out Dublin University 25-24 at College Park.
The Cookies have closed the gap on the top four to eight points following Munster winger Conor Phillips’ last-gasp match winner in the capital.
The students notched two tries in each half, their ninth-minute opener coming from James Dillon.
Munsters, who replied with an Evan Cusack penalty, piled on the pressure at scrum time before influential hooker Walsh spun away from Anthony Ryan to crash over to the left of the posts. Cusack’s conversion gave them a three-point advantage.
Ulster Academy lock Harry Sheridan did well to lunge over past two defenders for Trinity’s second try, but a closing penalty from out-half Cusack had Gearoid Prendergast’s side leading 13-12 at the turnaround.
Trinity successfully came through Diarmuid McCormack’s sin bin period without conceding, and actually crossed the whitewash while down to 14 men, Jones twisting his way over from a few metres out.
Tony Smeeth’s youngsters extended their lead when Ronan Quinn showed his footballing skills to coolly nudge the ball past Donnchadh O’Callaghan and get the touchdown.
Egan’s conversion widened the margin to 11 points, but the final quarter provided yet more drama. A monster maul from Munsters forced a penalty try and they got one last chance from a lineout, taking it with both hands thanks to Phillips’ slick finish.
Elsewhere, Lansdowne picked up a much-needed second win of the season, doing most of the damage during the first half against Garryowen.
Mark McHugh’s men led 33-0 at the break and ran out eventual 47-28 winners. Captain Clive Ross scored two of their seven tries.
Bottom side Garryowen left the Aviva Stadium’s back pitch with a hard-earned try-scoring bonus point. Their second half fight-back including a brace of tries from Ireland Under-18 Schools international Brian Gleeson.
Shannon won for the second time in three rounds, prevailing 36-24 at home to UCD in a thrilling nine-try contest. Three tries inside the first 26 minutes, including the opener from Munster Academy prop Kieran Ryan, set them on their way.
UCD capitalised on two yellow cards to get back on level terms, with tries from Gus McCarthy, Ross Deegan (2) and Mark Fleming – his third of the campaign – setting up a grandstand finish at 24 points apiece.
Credit to Pat O’Connor’s Shannon outfit, full-back Jamie McGarry swiftly squeezed over for their bonus point try to put them back in front. The knockout punch came from Mike Cooke who had the legs to run in a rousing 78th-minute intercept score.
******
Energia All-Ireland League Men’s Divisions – Round 7 results
Saturday 26 November
Division 1A
- SHANNON 36 UCD 24, Thomond Park back pitch
Scorers: Shannon: Tries: Kieran Ryan, Penalty try, Sean McCarthy, Jamie McGarry, Mike Cooke; Cons: Mike Cooke 2, Pen try con, John O’Sullivan; Pen: Mike Cooke
UCD: Tries: Gus McCarthy, Ross Deegan 2, Mark Fleming; Cons: Tim Corkery 2
HT: Shannon 21 UCD 5
SHANNON: Jamie McGarry; Aran Hehir, Killian Dineen, Jack O’Donnell, Dan Hurley; Mike Cooke, Ethan Coughlan; Cathal Hynes, Jordan Prenderville, Kieran Ryan, Ronan Coffey (capt), David Maher, Sean McCarthy, Kelvin Brown, Lee Nicholas.
Replacements: Alex Long, Matty Burke, Jade Kriel, Odhran Ring, John O’Sullivan, Alan Flannery.
UCD: Niall Carroll; Alex O’Grady, Harry Donnelly, James Tarrant, Ross Deegan; Tim Corkery, Michael Moloney; Chris Hennessy, Gus McCarthy, Evin Coyle, Gerry Hill, Mark Morrissey, Bobby Sheehan (capt), Bill Burns, Mark Fleming.
Replacements: Rory McGuire, Hugo O’Malley, Diarmuid Mangan, Joe Cronin, Rob Gilsenan, Jack Ringrose.
- BALLYNAHINCH 13 CORK CONSTITUTION 20, Ballymacarn Park
Scorers: Ballynahinch: Try: George Pringle; Con: Greg Hutley; Pens: Greg Hutley 2
Cork Constitution: Tries: 2 Penalty tries; Cons: 2 Pen try cons; Pens: Aidan Moynihan, George Coomber
HT: Ballynahinch 0 Cork Constitution 20
BALLYNAHINCH: Rory Butler; Aaron Cairns, George Pringle, Mark Best, Ethan Graham; Greg Hutley, Conor McAuley; George Saunderson, Claytan Milligan, Kyle McCall, Tom Donnan (capt), James Simpson, Bradley Luney, Zack McCall, Jamie Macartney.
Replacements: Nacho Cladera Crespo, Joe Charles, Tom Martin, Chris Gibson, Oscar Yandall, Ben McMullan.
CORK CONSTITUTION: George Coomber; Daniel Hurley, Bruce Matthews, Niall Kenneally, Billy Crowley; Aidan Moynihan (capt), Luke Kerr; Brendan Quinlan, Billy Scannell, Luke Masters, Eoin Quilter, Cathal O’Flaherty, Jack Kelleher, James Murphy, David Hyland.
Replacements: Max Abbott, Alessandro Heaney, Anthony Ryan, Mark Stafford, Ian Leonard, Harry O’Riordan.
- CLONTARF 24 TERENURE COLLEGE 29, Castle Avenue
Scorers: Clontarf: Tries: Dylan Donnellan, Matt D’Arcy, Hugh Cooney, Mick Kearney; Cons: Conor Kelly, Conor Kearns
Terenure College: Tries: Adam Tuite, Craig Adams 2, Adam La Grue 2; Cons: Caolan Dooley 2
HT: Clontarf 7 Terenure College 12
CLONTARF: Tadhg Bird; Hugh Cooney, Michael Courtney, Matt D’Arcy (capt), Cian O’Donoghue; Conor Kelly, Angus Lloyd; Ivan Soroka, Dylan Donnellan, Ben Griffin, Brian Deeny, Mick Kearney, Cormac Daly, Cian Walsh, Tony Ryan.
Replacements: Barry Gray, George Hadden, Fionn Gilbert, Ben Murphy, Conor Kearns, JP Phelan.
TERENURE COLLEGE: Adam La Grue; Caolan Dooley, Colm de Buitléar, Peter Sylvester, Stephen O’Neill; Callum Smith, Alan Bennie; Marcus Hanan, Sean McNulty, Adam Tuite, Harrison Brewer (capt), Michael Melia, Adam Melia, Luke Cohessy, Conall Boomer.
Replacements: Levi Vaughan, Craig Trenier, Matthew Caffrey, Niall Lalor, Cathal Marsh, Craig Adams.
- DUBLIN UNIVERSITY 24 YOUNG MUNSTER 25, College Park
Scorers: Dublin University: Tries: James Dillon, Harry Sheridan, Gavin Jones, Ronan Quinn; Cons: Aran Egan 2.
Young Munster: Tries: Dan Walsh, Penalty try, Conor Phillips; Cons: Evan Cusack, Pen try con; Pens: Evan Cusack 2.
HT: Dublin University 12 Young Munster 13
DUBLIN UNIVERSITY: Colm Hogan; James Dillon, Louis McDonough, Gavin Jones, Ronan Quinn; Aran Egan, Louis O’Reilly (capt); Paddy McCarthy, Mark Nicholson, Thomas Connolly, Max Dunne, Harry Sheridan, Diarmuid McCormack, Anthony Ryan, Ruadhan Byron.
Replacements: Conall Henchy, Bart Vermeulen, Dan Barron, Aaron Coleman, Cormac King, Hugh O’Kennedy.
YOUNG MUNSTER: Patrick Campbell; Conor Hayes, Shay McCarthy, Harry Fleming, Conor Phillips; Evan Cusack, Donnchadh O’Callaghan; George Jacobs, Dan Walsh, Paulo Leleisiuao, Sean Rigney, Eoin O’Connor, Alan Kennedy (capt), John Foley, Bailey Faloon.
Replacements: Ronan O’Sullivan, David Begley, Conor Bartley, Dan Goggin, Jack Lyons, Fionn Gibbons.
- LANSDOWNE 47 GARRYOWEN 28, Aviva Stadium back pitch
Scorers: Lansdowne: Tries: Clive Ross 2, Michael Silvester, Cillian Redmond, Tadgh McElroy, Darragh Murphy, Ben Popplewell; Cons: Peter Hastie 6
Garryowen: Tries: Henry Buttimer, Jack Delaney, Brian Gleeson 2; Cons: Jack Delaney 4
HT: Lansdowne 33 Garryowen 0
LANSDOWNE: Michael Silvester; Peter Sullivan, Kyle Dixon, Conall Doherty, Cillian Redmond; Peter Hastie, Mike Walsh; Ben Popplewell, Tadgh McElroy, Temi Lasisi, Arthur Greene, James Doyle, Clive Ross (capt), Joey Szpara, Darragh Murphy.
Replacements: Jamie Kavanagh, Frank Kavanagh, Conor McMenamin, Sam Prendergast, Daniel McEvoy, Sam Burns.
GARRYOWEN: Jamie Shanahan; Henry Buttimer, Matt Sheehan, JJ O’Neill, Tommy O’Hora; Jack Delaney, Jack Oliver; Max Clein, Dean Fanning, Darragh McCarthy, Brian Gleeson, Cian Hurley, Mikey Sheahan, Johnny Keane, Sean Rennison (capt).
Replacements: Larry Kelly, Ben O’Sullivan, Scott Leahy, Evan Maher, Ed Barry, Sam Hanrahan.
Division 1B
- BANBRIDGE 35 NAAS 20, Rifle Park
Scorers: Banbridge: Tries: Robin Sinton, Neil Kilpatrick, Max Lyttle, Peter Cromie; Cons: James Humphreys 2, Rob Lyttle; Pens: James Humphreys 2, Rob Lyttle
Naas: Tries: Donal Conroy, Fionn Higgins, Charlie Sheridan; Con: Bryan Croke; Pen: Bryan Croke
HT: Banbridge 10 Naas 20
BANBRIDGE: Rob Lyttle; Jamie Mullan, Ben Carson, Josh Cromie, Cameron Millar; James Humphreys, Neil Kilpatrick; Josh Cromie, Peter Cromie (capt), Ryan Emerson, Max Lyttle, Alex Thompson, Matthew Laird, Robin Sinton, Greg Jones.
Replacements: Arthur Allen, Ross Haughey, Jake Smyth, Dale Carson, Aaron Kennedy, Ross Cartmill.
NAAS: Fionn Higgins; Jack Sheridan, Charlie Sheridan, Henry Smith, Donal Conroy; Bryan Croke, Connor Halpenny; Adam Coyle, Conor Doyle, Peter King, David Benn, Patrick O’Flaherty, Paul Monahan (capt), Will O’Brien, Eoin Walsh.
Replacements: Tadhg Dooley, Stephen Lackey, Mark Dennis, Conor McGroary, Oscar Cawley, Andrew Osborne.
- CITY OF ARMAGH 31 OLD BELVEDERE 20, Palace Grounds
Scorers: City of Armagh: Tries: James McCormick, Kyle Faloon, Jack Treanor, Shea O’Brien, Ryan O’Neill; Cons: Kyle Faloon 3
Old Belvedere: Tries: Kale Thatcher 2; Cons: Mick O’Kennedy 2; Pens: Mick O’Kennedy 2
HT: City of Armagh 14 Old Belvedere 6
CITY OF ARMAGH: Kyle Faloon; Shea O’Brien, Matthew Hooks, Tim McNiece (capt), Dylan Nelson; Evin Crummie, Jack Hughes; Jonny Morton, James McCormick, Paul Mullen, Frank Bradshaw Ryan, John Glasgow, James Crummie, Ryan O’Neill, Neil Faloon.
Replacements: Jack Treanor, Dylan Poyntz, Eoghan Heaney, Josh McKinley, Glen Faloon, Andrew Willis.
OLD BELVEDERE: David Wilkinson; Gavin Nugent, Jayden Beckett, Justin Leonard, Joe White; Mick O’Kennedy, Conall Bird; Jamie Mulhern, Calum Dowling, Ronan Foxe, Fionn McWey, Paddy Dowling, Will McDonald, Tom Mulcair, Kale Thatcher.
Replacements: Cian Cunningham, Anthony O’Donnell, Eoin Buggy, Oran O’Brien, Briain Leonard, Jamie McAleese.
- MALONE 20 HIGHFIELD 17, Gibson Park
Scorers: Malone: Tries: Rory Campbell, Gareth Milsanovich, David McMaster; Con: Rory Campbell; Pen: Rory Campbell
Highfield: Tries: Richard Cassidy, Travis Coomey; Cons: Cian Bohane 2; Pen: Shane Buckley
HT: Malone 20 Highfield 3
MALONE: Andy Bryans; Rory Campbell, Jack McMurtry, Nathan Brown, David McMaster; Conor Spence, David Shanahan; Ben Halliday, Declan Moore, Gareth Milsanovich, Adam McNamee, James McAlister, Neill Alcorn, Dave Cave (capt), Stuart Dodington.
Replacements: Dan Kerr, Lawson Porter, Zach Devine, Daryl Maxwell, Shane Kelly, Ben Gibson.
HIGHFIELD: Mark McLoughlin; Ben Murphy, Cian Bohane, Liam McCarthy, Luke Kingston; Shane Buckley, Richard Cassidy; Cillian Buckley, Robert Murphy, James French, John O’Callaghan, Aidan Keane, Dave O’Connell (capt), Amhlaoibh Porter, Miah Cronin.
Replacements: Travis Coomey, Daragh Fitzgerald, Sean Garrett, Mark Fitzgibbon, Chris Banon, Mark Dorgan.
- ST. MARY’S COLLEGE 9 BUCCANEERS 23, Templeville Road
Scorers: St. Mary’s College: Pens: Mick O’Gara 3
Buccaneers: Tries: Steveni Lombard, Shane Jennings, Harry West; Con: Harry West; Pens: Harry West 2
HT: St. Mary’s College 6 Buccaneers 5
ST. MARY’S COLLEGE: Conor Hickey; Hugo Conway, Mark Fogarty, Mick O’Gara, Steven Kilgallen; Conor Dean, Adam McEvoy; Adam Mulvihill, Steven O’Brien, Jack Reidy Walsh, Peter Starrett, Daniel Leane, Ronan Watters (capt), Ethan Baxter, Ronan Foley.
Replacements: Richie Halpin, Tom O’Reilly, Harry MacDonald, Niall Hurley, Andrew Walsh.
BUCCANEERS: Shane Jennings; Josh O’Connor, Shane Layden, Stephen Mannion, Saul O’Carroll; Harry West, Frankie Hopkins; James Kelly, Steveni Lombard, Sean O’Connell, Ruairi Byrne, Danny Qualter, Cian McCann, Darragh Murray, Oisin McCormack.
Replacements: Darren Browne, Cedric Fokam, Fergus Galvin, Will Reilly, Michael Hanley, Orrin Burgess.
- UCC 15 OLD WESLEY 25, the Mardyke
Scorers: UCC: Tries: Johnny Murphy, Sean Condon; Con: Daniel Squires; Pen: Daniel Squires
Old Wesley: Tries: Nathan Randles, Alex Molloy, Eoin Monahan; Cons: Ian Cassidy 2; Pens: Ian Cassidy 2
HT: UCC 3 Old Wesley 17
UCC: Johnny Murphy; Sean Condon, Louis Bruce (capt), Daniel Squires, Emeka Asiegbu; Cian Whooley, Andrew O’Mahony; Corey Hanlon, Luke McAuliffe, Dan McCarthy, Sam O’Sullivan, Aidan Brien, Peter Hyland, Jacob Sheahan, Patrick McBarron.
Replacements: Billy Kingston, Rory Duggan, David O’Halloran, Jack O’Sullivan, Alex Walsh, Aaron Quirke.
OLD WESLEY: Alex Molloy; Nathan Randles, James O’Donovan, Eoin Deegan, David Poff; Ian Cassidy, Keith Kavanagh; Harry Noonan, Howard Noonan, Cronan Gleeson, David Moyter, Iain McGann (capt), Sam Pim, Will Fay, Reuben Pim.
Replacements: Finn Tierney, Sam Kenny, Brian Short, Josh O’Hare, Eoin Monahan, Josh Miller.
Division 2A:
- Ballymena 26 Dolphin 10, Eaton Park
- Cashel 14 Old Crescent 8, Spafield
- MU Barnhall 32 Navan 12, Parsonstown
- Nenagh Ormond 32 Queen’s University 24, New Ormond Park
- UL Bohemians 26 Blackrock College 31, Annacotty
Division 2B:
- Belfast Harlequins 10 Dungannon 15, Deramore Park
- Galwegians 12 Greystones 14, Crowley Park
- Malahide 20 Galway Corinthians 26, Estuary Road
- Rainey Old Boys 14 Wanderers 21, Hatrick Park
- Sligo 17 Enniscorthy 10, Hamilton Park
Division 2C:
- Clonmel 14 Instonians 28, Ard Gaoithe
- Midleton 13 Ballina 13, Towns Park
- Omagh Academicals 13 Bangor 14, Thomas Mellon Playing Fields
- Sunday‘s Well 3 Bruff 10, Musgrave Park
- Tullamore 18 Skerries 16, Spollanstown