THE D’ARCY TWINS, Matt and Adrian, both scored tries as Energia All-Ireland League Division 1A leaders Clontarf ran out convincing 23-9 winners over Dublin University at College Park yesterday.
Aran Egan, Trinity’s scoring star against UCC last week, landed three penalties but they found scores hard to come by against Andy Wood’s power-packed team.
Clontarf captain Matt D’Arcy intercepted a pass inside his own half and embarked on a lung-busting run to register a second-minute try, converted by Leinster’s David Hawkshaw.
A knock-on near the try-line foiled Trinity as they failed to take advantage of the subsequent sin-binning of ‘Tarf flanker Martin Moloney.
Instead, while the students’ Leinster Academy hooker Lee Barron was in the bin, ‘Tarf skipper D’Arcy’s well-judged kick was chased down by winger Cian O’Donoghue for a 28th-minute try.
Egan clawed it back to 12-3 at the break, and after Trinity had a try ruled out on the resumption, another penalty from the young out-half cut the gap to just six points in the 52nd minute.
Hawkshaw coolly cancelled out Egan’s latest kick, four minutes later, and Clontarf were able to strike again when a try-scoring opportunity presented itself.
After Alex Soroka blocked down an attempted clearance, the visitors piled on the pressure. Despite losing Michael Courtney to the bin, Matt D’Arcy managed to release his sibling Adrian for a result-sealing try with 12 minutes remaining.
Hawkshaw and Egan swapped further penalties during the final minutes, but Clontarf were already assured of their sixth win on the trot, which has them five points clear at the summit.
Garryowen claimed the result of the day when ending their six-match losing streak, as they battled past local rivals Young Munster on a 31-24 scoreline.
Mike Sherry’s men also earned a deserved try-scoring bonus point thanks to two scores from Colm Quilligan and one each from Munster scrum-half Neil Cronin and Bryan Fitzgerald.
Munster Academy out-half Tony Butler pulled the strings for the Light Blues by having a hand in three of the tries and kicking 11 points from the tee.
Young Munster took a 13-10 lead into the second half, in front of a large Dooradoyle crowd. A Butler grubber kick was brilliantly finished off by winger Quilligan for an 11th-minute try.
Ennis youngster Butler nailed the touchline conversion, before Evan Cusack responded with a 45-metre penalty, punishing the hosts for not rolling away.
Butler kicked Garryowen back in front on the half-hour mark, but Munsters seized the initiative as half-time approached. They were held up before Butler’s goal-line drop-out was blocked down by David Begley and Sean Rennison knocked on.
From the resulting five-metre scrum, the Cookies’ stand-in captain Dan Walsh powered over for their first try. Cusack converted and tagged on a late penalty for a sudden three-point advantage.
Impressively, Garryowen were quickest out of the blocks again when play resumed. Eleven minutes in, Rennison freed his arms in a tackle and sent Cronin speeding away to score under the posts.
Munsters appealed for a knock-on but the try was given and converted by Butler, making it 17-13. Cusack hit back with a penalty, only for a pinpoint cross-field kick to set up Quilligan’s second try soon after.
Butler added the extras and then released a flat pass on the 10-metre line, picking out a superb line from centre Fitzgerald who raced through to score at the posts. Butler’s conversion put 15 points between the sides.
Walsh’s second try gave the Cookies hope of a comeback, but they had to settle for a losing bonus point when Cusack kicked a late penalty to complete his 14-point haul.
Elsewhere, James Ryan’s younger brother David scored the match-winning try in UCD’s exciting 32-27 defeat of 14-man Lansdowne.
The students turned over the division’s second-placed side in Belfield, aided by a brace of tries from Munster scrum-half Paddy Patterson and the impact of Leinster duo Tommy O’Brien and Scott Penny.
It was a tough day at the office for Lansdowne who, after scoring a first-minute try, fell foul of referee Stuart Gaffikin’s whistle and endured two early sin-binnings, including one for ex-Ulster flanker Clive Ross.
Patterson and Bobby Sheehan crossed to give UCD a 17-7 half-time lead, with Lansdowne having to regroup after winger Liam O’Sullivan’s 37th-minute red card for taking out Jack Ringrose in the air.
The headquarters club showed plenty of character and resilience, edging into a 24-22 lead thanks to tries from Dan Murphy and replacement Ruairi Clarke, along with a 69th-minute penalty from Charlie Tector.
However, losing Jack Dwan to injury was another big blow for Lansdowne, and James Tarrant kicked Kevin Croke’s youngsters back in front before winger Ryan raced through for a 76th-minute match winner.
Tarrant and Tector both finished with 12 points from the tee, the latter splitting the posts right at the death for a losing bonus point. UCD’s first triumph in six rounds has increased their cushion over the bottom two to 12 points.
Ballynahinch went close to recording their first win of the league campaign, but Terenure College took a 27-23 verdict thanks to a hat-trick of tries from former Connacht back Colm de Buitléar.
Ever-reliable out-half Greg Hutley fired over a trio of penalties, giving Ballynahinch a 9-8 advantage at the break.
Centre de Buitléar had quietened the Ballymacarn Park faithful with the first half’s lone try, following an initial break by former ‘Hinch back rower Conall Boomer and great hands from skipper Harrison Brewer.
In-form Terenure turned up the heat during the third quarter, de Buitléar crossing again in the 45th minute and then Jordan Coghlan thundered through a gap to send Craig Adams over for his eighth try of the campaign.
The Dubliners bagged their bonus point on the hour mark, a well-executed maul teeing up de Buitléar from close range. The result has moved Sean Skehan’s side up to third place.
‘Hinch fought back in brilliant fashion, replacement Rory Butler providing the inspiration with a quick-fire brace of tries. It was enough for a losing bonus point which lifts them off the bottom of the table.
UCC now sit in the tenth place following a 24-7 derby defeat to Cork Constitution at Temple Hill. A late Jack Kelleher effort came in response to tries from Con’s Sean French, Max Abbott and David Hyland.
Division 1A
BALLYNAHINCH 23 TERENURE COLLEGE 27, Ballymacarn Park
Scorers: Ballynahinch: Tries: Rory Butler 2; Cons: Greg Hutley 2; Pens: Greg Hutley 3
Terenure College: Tries: Colm de Buitléar 3, Craig Adams; Cons: Jake Swaine 2; Pen: Jake Swaine
BALLYNAHINCH: Conor Rankin; Ronan Patterson, Tagen Strydom, Ryan Wilson, Aaron Cairns; Greg Hutley, Conor McAuley; Nacho Cladera Crespo, Diego Vidal Souza, Kyle McCall, Thomas Donnan, John Donnan, Bradley Luney, Oli Loughead, Callum Irvine.
Replacements: David Cooper, John Dickson, Tom Martin, Rory Butler, Chris Gibson, Connor Phillips.
TERENURE COLLEGE: Jake Swaine; Sam Coghlan Murray, Colm de Buitléar, Peter Sylvester, Craig Adams; Cathal Marsh, Alan Bennie; Campbell Classon, Levi Vaughan, Andy Keating, Matthew Caffrey, Michael Melia, Harrison Brewer (capt), Conall Boomer, Jordan Coghlan.
Replacements: Dewald Barnard, Adam Tuite, Mike Murphy, Adam Melia, James Thornton, Stephen O’Neill.
CORK CONSTITUTION 24 UCC 7, Temple Hill
Scorers: Cork Constitution: Tries: Sean French, Max Abbott, David Hyland; Cons: Aidan Moynihan 3; Pen: Aidan Moynihan
UCC: Try: Jack Kelleher; Con: Cian Whooley
CORK CONSTITUTION: Tomas Quinlan; JJ O’Neill, Greg Higgins, Niall Kenneally, Sean French; Aidan Moynihan (capt), Gerry Hurley; Liam O’Connor, Max Abbott, Paddy Casey, Cian Barry, Eoin Quilter, John Forde, Luke Cahill, David Hyland.
Replacements: Luke McAuliffe, Shane O’Hanlon, Dylan Murphy, Michael Casey, Gary Bradley, Johnny Murphy.
UCC: George Coomber; Louis Bruce, Killian Coghlan, Daniel Squires, Joe O’Leary; Cian Whooley, Andrew O’Mahony; Alessandro Heaney, Tadgh McCarthy, James French, Richard Thompson, Mark Bissessar, Jack Kelleher (capt), Jack O’Sullivan, Jack O’Sullivan.
Replacements: Billy Kingston, Corey Hanlon, Peter Hyland, Sam O’Sullivan, Eoin Monahan, Timothy Duggan.
DUBLIN UNIVERSITY 9 CLONTARF 23, College Park
Scorers: Dublin University: Pens: Aran Egan 3
Clontarf: Tries: Matt D’Arcy, Cian O’Donoghue, Ivan Soroka; Con: David Hawkshaw; Pens: David Hawkshaw 2
DUBLIN UNIVERSITY: Rob Russell; Ronan Quinn, Liam Turner, Gavin Jones, Hugh Twomey; Aran Egan, Louis O’Reilly (capt); Giuseppe Coyne, Lee Barron, Thomas Clarkson, Jack Dunne, Joe McCarthy, Harry Sheridan, Alan Francis, Diarmuid McCormack.
Replacements: Cole Kelly, Mark Nicholson, Thomas Connelly, Anthony Ryan, Ted Walsh, Louis McDonough.
CLONTARF: Conor Kearns; Tadhg Bird, Michael Courtney, Matt D’Arcy (capt), Cian O’Donoghue; David Hawkshaw, Angus Lloyd; Ivan Soroka, Dylan Donnellan, JP Phelan, Alex Soroka, Fionn Gilbert, Martin Moloney, Adrian D’Arcy, Tony Ryan.
Replacements: Cathal O’Flynn, Ben Griffin, Darragh Bolger, Andrew Feeney, Aitzol Arenzana-King, Ed Kelly.
GARRYOWEN 31 YOUNG MUNSTER 24, Dooradoyle
Scorers: Garryowen: Tries: Colm Quilligan 2, Neil Cronin, Bryan Fitzgerald; Cons: Tony Butler 4; Pen: Tony Butler
Young Munster: Tries: Dan Walsh 2; Con: Evan Cusack; Pens: Evan Cusack 4
GARRYOWEN: Liam Coombes; Colm Quilligan, Bryan Fitzgerald, Jack Delaney, Tommy O’Hora; Tony Butler, Neil Cronin; Mark Donnelly, Dylan Murphy, Jack Mullany, Tim Ferguson, Kevin Seymour (capt), Roy Whelan, Jack Daly, Sean Rennison.
Replacements: Kieran McCarthy, James Kendrick, Dan Feasey, Alan Fitzgerald, Evan Maher, Dave McCarthy.
YOUNG MUNSTER: Patrick Campbell; Conor Hayes, Pa Ryan, Dan Goggin, Jack Harrington; Evan Cusack, Adam Maher; David Begley, Aaron Hennessy, Conor Bartley, Tom Goggin, Sean Rigney, Conor Moloney, John Foley, Dan Walsh (capt).
Replacements: Mark O’Mara, Colm Skehan, Eoin O’Connor, Bailey Faloon, Jack Lyons, Evan O’Gorman.
UCD 32 LANSDOWNE 27, UCD Bowl
Scorers: UCD: Tries: Paddy Patterson 2, Bobby Sheehan, David Ryan; Cons: James Tarrant 3; Pens: James Tarrant 2
Lansdowne: Tries: Liam O’Sullivan, Dan Murphy, Ruairi Clarke; Cons: Charlie Tector 3; Pens: Charlie Tector 2
UCD: Dylan O’Grady; David Ryan, Ben Brownlee, Tommy O’Brien, Jack Ringrose (capt); James Tarrant, Paddy Patterson; Rory Mulvihill, Bobby Sheehan, Evin Coyle, Jonathan Fish, Mark Morrissey, Sean O’Brien, Scott Penny, James Culhane.
Replacements: Charlie O’Carroll, Chris Hennessy, Robert Byrne, Gerard Hill, Richie Fahy, Tim Corkery.
LANSDOWNE: Stephen Madigan; Liam O’Sullivan, Andy Marks, Corey Reid, Peter Sullivan; Charlie Tector, Jack Matthews; Ben Popplewell, Luke Thompson, Conan Dunne, Dan Murphy, Jack Dwan, Clive Ross, Jack O’Sullivan (capt), Mark Boyle.
Replacements: Jamie Kavanagh, Temi Lasisi, Ruairi Clarke, James Kenny, Paul Kiernan, James Reynolds.
Division 1B
BANBRIDGE 16 OLD WESLEY 21, Rifle Park
Scorers: Banbridge: Try: Penalty try; Con: Pen try con; Pens: Adam Doherty 3
Old Wesley: Tries: Iain McGann, Josh Pim; Con: Ian Cassidy; Pens: Ian Cassidy 3
BANBRIDGE: Adam Doherty; Conor Field, Andrew Morrison, Joe Finnegan, Andrew Denver; Harry Bird, Neil Kilpatrick; Callum Reid, Jonny Murphy, Stuart Cromie, Brendan McSorley, Matthew Laird, Alex Weir, Peter Cromie (capt), Max Lyttle.
Replacements: Timothy Savage, Josh Chambers, Martin Vorster, Ryan Hughes, Aaron Kennedy, Dean Hayes.
OLD WESLEY: Alex Molloy; Tommy O’Callaghan, Eoin Deegan, James O’Donovan, David Poff; Ian Cassidy, Ben Murphy; Harry Noonan, Ben Burns, Cronan Gleeson, JJ O’Dea, Iain McGann (capt), Alastair Hoban, Josh Pim, Reuben Pim.
Replacements: Howard Noonan, Jacob Barrett, Sam Pim, Conor Gaston, Paddy McKenzie, Charlie O’Regan.
CITY OF ARMAGH 27 HIGHFIELD 21, Palace Grounds
Scorers: City of Armagh: Tries: Jack Treanor, Ross Taylor, Matthew Hooks; Cons: Harry Boyd 3; Pens: Harry Boyd 2
Highfield: Tries: 2 Penalty tries, Mark Dorgan; Cons: James Taylor, 2 Pen try cons
CITY OF ARMAGH: Kyle Faloon; Andrew Willis, Tim McNiece (capt), Ross Taylor, Shea O’Brien; Harry Boyd, Gerard Treanor; Peter Lamb, Jack Treanor, Paul Mullen, Josh McKinley, John Glasgow, Nigel Simpson, Ryan O’Neill, Neil Faloon.
Replacements: Jonny Morton, Philip Fletcher, James Crummie, James Morton, Chris Colvin, Matthew Hooks.
HIGHFIELD: Shane O’Riordan; Ben Murphy, Paddy O’Toole, Mark Dorgan, Paul Stack; James Taylor, Chris Banon (capt); James Rochford, Travis Coomey, Daragh Fitzgerald, Eoin Keating, Fintan O’Sullivan, Dave O’Connell, Ronan O’Sullivan, Miah Cronin.
Replacements: Robert Murphy, Callum Mackintosh, Ryan Murphy, Cathal Gallagher, David O’Sullivan, Sam Burns.
NAVAN 30 OLD BELVEDERE 37, Balreask Old
Scorers: Navan: Tries: Ben McEntagart, Evan Dixon, David Clarke; Cons: Mark Farrell 3; Pens: Mark Farrell 3
Old Belvedere: Tries: Ryan McMahon, Will McDonald, David Wilkinson, Fionn McWey, Conall Bird; Cons: Justin Leonard 3; Pens: Justin Leonard 2
NAVAN: Ben Daly; Paddy Fox, Sean McEntagart, Evan Dixon, Ben McEntagart; Colm O’Reilly, Mark Farrell; Liam Carroll, Jack Nelson, Niall Farrelly, Colm Carpenter, Conor Hand, Shane Faulkner, Conor Farrell (capt), Hardus van Eeden.
Replacements: David Clarke, Leigh Jackson, Eoghan Noonan, Conor Ryan, Harry Hester, Keith Kavanagh.
OLD BELVEDERE: Colm Hogan; Jack Keating, David Butler, Justin Leonard, Ariel Robles; David Wilkinson, Peter O’Beirne; James Bollard, John McKee, Ryan McMahon, Will McDonald, Connor Owende (capt), Fionn McWey, Calum Dowling, Tom Ryan.
Replacements: Joe Horan, Hugh Flood, Dean Moore, Tommy Whittle, Conall Bird, Jamie McAleese.
SHANNON 42 MALONE 24, Thomond Park back pitch
Scorers: Shannon: Tries: Kieran Ryan, Lee Nicholas 2, Killian Dineen, Alan Flannery, Declan Moore; Cons: Jake Flannery 6
Malone: Tries: Dave Cave, Aaron Sexton, Daryl Maxwell; Cons: Andy Bryans 3; Pen: Andy Bryans
SHANNON: Jake Flannery; Aran Hehir, Killian Dineen, Alan Flannery, Josh Costello; John O’Sullivan, Ian Leonard; Kieran Ryan, Jordan Prenderville, Luke Rigney, Ronan Coffey, Jade Kriel, Lee Nicholas (capt), Kelvin Brown, Colm Heffernan.
Replacements: Declan Moore, Roman Salanoa, Conor Glynn, Ikem Ugwueru, Ethan Coughlan, Daniel Okeke.
MALONE: Aaron Sexton; Andy Bryans, David McMaster, Ben McCaughey, Rory Campbell; Callum Smith, Shane Kelly; Aidan McSwiggan, Claytan Milligan, Ricky Greenwood, Adam McNamee, Stewart McKendrick, James McAlister, Daryl Maxwell, Dave Cave (capt).
Replacements: Dan Kerr, Jonathan Caskey, Zach Devine, Thomas Leitch, Nick Andress, Connor Kelly.
ST. MARY’S COLLEGE 27 NAAS 17, Templeville Road
Scorers: St. Mary’s College: Tries: Craig Kennedy, Myles Carey; Con: Conor Dean; Pens: Conor Dean 5
Naas: Tries: Gary Kavanagh, Craig Ronaldson, Jamie Osborne; Con: Peter Osborne
ST. MARY’S COLLEGE: Dave Fanagan; Tim MacMahon, Myles Carey, Mick O’Gara, Craig Kennedy; Conor Dean, Adam McEvoy; Daniel Lyons, Richie Halpin (capt), Mick McCormack, Peter Starrett, Liam Corcoran, David Aspil, Niall Hurley, Ronan Watters.
Replacements: Niall McEniff, Padraig Dundon, Daniel Leane, Joe Nolan, Mark Fogarty, Matt Timmons.
NAAS: Peter Osborne (capt); Donal Conroy; Jamie Osborne, Craig Ronaldson, Gary Kavanagh; Bryan Croke, Tim Murphy; Jack Barry, John Sutton, Adam Coyle, Paul Monahan, David Benn, Cillian Dempsey, Will O’Brien, Ryan Casey.
Replacements: Connor Johnson, Jack Coyle, Phillip Jordan, Patrick Corrigan, Connor Halpenny, Matt Stapleton.
Division 2A
- Ballymena 42 UL Bohemians 17, Eaton Park
- Dolphin 24 Cashel 36, Musgrave Park
- MU Barnhall 20 Buccaneers 20, Parsonstown
- Old Crescent 21 Nenagh Ormond 20, Takumi Park
- Queen’s University 38 Rainey Old Boys 14, Dub Lane
Division 2B
- Galway Corinthians 43 Galwegians 15, Corinthian Park (played on Friday)
- Dungannon 20 Blackrock College 22, Stevenson Park
- Malahide 35 Ballina 25, Estuary Road
- Sligo 19 Greystones 20, Hamilton Park
- Wanderers 45 Belfast Harlequins 8, Merrion Road
Division 2C
- Bangor 24 Sunday’s Well 10, Upritchard Park
- Bruff 27 Enniscorthy 38, Kilballyowen Park
- City of Derry 14 Skerries 23, Judge’s Road
- Clonmel 6 Tullamore 15, Spafield
- Midleton 14 Omagh Academicals 21, Towns Park