UCD had a good win over Mary's, they could quite well this year.
Anyone else at any other games/ got a ligit report from them.
Any thoughts on the elite amatur comp in the land?
AIL
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Leinster Zulu
- Rob Kearney
- Posts: 7975
- Joined: November 18th, 2006, 7:56 pm
AIB League: Ballymena Bounce Back, Blackrock Hold On For Four-Try Victory
A second half revival against Clontarf at Castle Avenue on Saturday saw Ballymena battle to their first AIB League win since last January, while Blackrock College also secured their first win of the new campaign with a four-try 29-22 dismissal of Dungannon at home.
AIB LEAGUE: DIVISION ONE: Saturday, November 10
Clontarf 22 Ballymena 23, Castle Avenue
Scorers: Clontarf: Tries: Alan Trenier, Niall Carson, Derek Keane, Penalty try; Con: Ian Keatley
Ballymena: Tries: Craig Woods, Adrian Kirkpatrick; Cons: Donovan Raw 2; Pens: Donovan Raw 3
Ballymena picked up their first win of the current AIB League campaign as they beat Clontarf 23-22 at Castle Avenue thanks to a late Donovan Raw penalty.
The Braidmen came from 22-13 behind to beat Clontarf for the eighth time in 12 league games. Tries from lock Alan Trenier, hooker Niall Carson and winger Derek Keane helped the Dubliners into a 15-10 interval lead.
They tagged on a penalty try, but tries from winger Craig Woods and prop Adrian Kirkpatrick and out-half Raw’s 13-point kicking contribution saw the visitors come out on top.
Ballymena ventured south looking to gain some revenge from last March’s 36-6 league defeat to the same opposition at their Eaton Park base.
Coach Jacques Benade was able to include Ulster centre Seamus Mallon in his side, while Clontarf stuck with the young half-back partnership of Ian Keatley and Paul O’Donohoe that served them so well in last weekend’s 31-15 win at St. Mary’s College.
In what was a dour game dominated by the windy conditions, Ballymena had the benefit of the elements in the opening half but ‘Tarf frustrated them by holding onto possession for long stretches.
‘Tarf’s back row unit of Simon Crawford, New Zealander Chris Elvin and Martin Garvey were to the fore and the hosts took a first quarter lead thanks to Trenier’s try, with Keatley supplying the try-scoring pass.
A similar maul effort led to Carson’s score and Keane had the strength and speed to make the corner late in the half. At the other end, a neat back-line move led to Woods crossing the whitewash, with Raw’s penalty and conversion ensuring that the visitors were only five points behind.
A penalty try, which came as Ballymena pulled down a maul close to their posts, edged the Dubliners further clear but that was as good as it got for Andy Wood’s men.
Keatley and Donohoe were not having much influence on the proceedings and the boot of South African recruit Raw helped Ballymena get back in touch.
He kicked two penalties, either side of Kirkpatrick’s seven-pointer, to see Benade’s charges claim a much-needed win – their first win in ten AIB League games. Their last victory was back in the first week of January (40-10 away to UCD).
Blackrock College 29 Dungannon 22, Stradbrook
Scorers: Blackrock: Tries: Fionn Carr, Gary Brown, Shane Monahan 2; Cons: Fionn Carr 3; Pen: Fionn Carr
Dungannon: Tries: Dale Black, Michael Rainey, Paul Magee; Cons: John McGuckin 2; Pen; John McGuckin
Blackrock College beat Dungannon to gain their first win of the new AIB League campaign, with Leinster ‘A’ player Fionn Carr tallying up 14 points in the 29-22 success at Stradbrook.
Leinster winger Gary Brown and former Leinster and Ireland hooker Shane Byrne both started for ‘Rock with the Stradbrook residents notching their bonus point try by the 53rd-minute.
A converted try and penalty from full-back Carr had ‘Rock leading 10-3 at half-time and tries from wingers Brown and Shane Monahan (2) followed. 29-3 down, Dungannon salvaged a losing bonus point with tries from Dale Black, Michael Rainey and Paul Magee.
Having only won once in their last eleven visits to Leinster, Dungannon travelled south hoping to make amends for some previous missed opportunities – including last Saturday’s 23-13 reversal at UCD.
‘Rock, who were pipped 24-23 at Terenure College seven days ago, have kept largely the same side together over the past three weeks but were bolstered by the addition this afternoon of Leinster man Brown, whose pace has lit up many an AIB League match.
The hosts hit the front in the seventh-minute when Carr converted a penalty and they moved 10-0 clear in the 25th-minute thanks to a well-taken try and conversion from the same player.
Dungannon full-back John McGuckin, kicking in the absence of regulars Richard McCarter and Adam Larkin, landed a 33rd-minute penalty for the visitors’ only points of the opening half.
‘Gannon were caught off guard just a minute after the restart though as Brown used his pace to finish over an excellent ‘Rock move in the corner – 15-3.
‘Rock were beginning to dominate up front and with things clicking behind the scrum, winger Monahan, a member of Ireland Under-20s’ Grand Slam-winning side, cut loose.
He scored his two tries after 48 and 53 minutes to race the hosts into a 29-3, with Carr converting both efforts. ‘Gannon lost winger Dale Black to the sin bin during this time.
‘Rock also had a player yellow carded – back rower Darren Hayes walked in the 52nd-minute for a technical offence – and this seemed to spark the beginning of the Tyrone side’s comeback.
Black returned to score their first try. Lock Rainey bulldozed over in the 70th-minute and in the final minute of normal time, outside centre Magee crashed through to earn a losing bonus for his side at 29-22.
The result moves ‘Rock up to eleventh in the Division One table, while Dungannon have slipped down to twelfth ahead of next weekend’s visit of bottom side Greystones to Stevenson Park.
A second half revival against Clontarf at Castle Avenue on Saturday saw Ballymena battle to their first AIB League win since last January, while Blackrock College also secured their first win of the new campaign with a four-try 29-22 dismissal of Dungannon at home.
AIB LEAGUE: DIVISION ONE: Saturday, November 10
Clontarf 22 Ballymena 23, Castle Avenue
Scorers: Clontarf: Tries: Alan Trenier, Niall Carson, Derek Keane, Penalty try; Con: Ian Keatley
Ballymena: Tries: Craig Woods, Adrian Kirkpatrick; Cons: Donovan Raw 2; Pens: Donovan Raw 3
Ballymena picked up their first win of the current AIB League campaign as they beat Clontarf 23-22 at Castle Avenue thanks to a late Donovan Raw penalty.
The Braidmen came from 22-13 behind to beat Clontarf for the eighth time in 12 league games. Tries from lock Alan Trenier, hooker Niall Carson and winger Derek Keane helped the Dubliners into a 15-10 interval lead.
They tagged on a penalty try, but tries from winger Craig Woods and prop Adrian Kirkpatrick and out-half Raw’s 13-point kicking contribution saw the visitors come out on top.
Ballymena ventured south looking to gain some revenge from last March’s 36-6 league defeat to the same opposition at their Eaton Park base.
Coach Jacques Benade was able to include Ulster centre Seamus Mallon in his side, while Clontarf stuck with the young half-back partnership of Ian Keatley and Paul O’Donohoe that served them so well in last weekend’s 31-15 win at St. Mary’s College.
In what was a dour game dominated by the windy conditions, Ballymena had the benefit of the elements in the opening half but ‘Tarf frustrated them by holding onto possession for long stretches.
‘Tarf’s back row unit of Simon Crawford, New Zealander Chris Elvin and Martin Garvey were to the fore and the hosts took a first quarter lead thanks to Trenier’s try, with Keatley supplying the try-scoring pass.
A similar maul effort led to Carson’s score and Keane had the strength and speed to make the corner late in the half. At the other end, a neat back-line move led to Woods crossing the whitewash, with Raw’s penalty and conversion ensuring that the visitors were only five points behind.
A penalty try, which came as Ballymena pulled down a maul close to their posts, edged the Dubliners further clear but that was as good as it got for Andy Wood’s men.
Keatley and Donohoe were not having much influence on the proceedings and the boot of South African recruit Raw helped Ballymena get back in touch.
He kicked two penalties, either side of Kirkpatrick’s seven-pointer, to see Benade’s charges claim a much-needed win – their first win in ten AIB League games. Their last victory was back in the first week of January (40-10 away to UCD).
Blackrock College 29 Dungannon 22, Stradbrook
Scorers: Blackrock: Tries: Fionn Carr, Gary Brown, Shane Monahan 2; Cons: Fionn Carr 3; Pen: Fionn Carr
Dungannon: Tries: Dale Black, Michael Rainey, Paul Magee; Cons: John McGuckin 2; Pen; John McGuckin
Blackrock College beat Dungannon to gain their first win of the new AIB League campaign, with Leinster ‘A’ player Fionn Carr tallying up 14 points in the 29-22 success at Stradbrook.
Leinster winger Gary Brown and former Leinster and Ireland hooker Shane Byrne both started for ‘Rock with the Stradbrook residents notching their bonus point try by the 53rd-minute.
A converted try and penalty from full-back Carr had ‘Rock leading 10-3 at half-time and tries from wingers Brown and Shane Monahan (2) followed. 29-3 down, Dungannon salvaged a losing bonus point with tries from Dale Black, Michael Rainey and Paul Magee.
Having only won once in their last eleven visits to Leinster, Dungannon travelled south hoping to make amends for some previous missed opportunities – including last Saturday’s 23-13 reversal at UCD.
‘Rock, who were pipped 24-23 at Terenure College seven days ago, have kept largely the same side together over the past three weeks but were bolstered by the addition this afternoon of Leinster man Brown, whose pace has lit up many an AIB League match.
The hosts hit the front in the seventh-minute when Carr converted a penalty and they moved 10-0 clear in the 25th-minute thanks to a well-taken try and conversion from the same player.
Dungannon full-back John McGuckin, kicking in the absence of regulars Richard McCarter and Adam Larkin, landed a 33rd-minute penalty for the visitors’ only points of the opening half.
‘Gannon were caught off guard just a minute after the restart though as Brown used his pace to finish over an excellent ‘Rock move in the corner – 15-3.
‘Rock were beginning to dominate up front and with things clicking behind the scrum, winger Monahan, a member of Ireland Under-20s’ Grand Slam-winning side, cut loose.
He scored his two tries after 48 and 53 minutes to race the hosts into a 29-3, with Carr converting both efforts. ‘Gannon lost winger Dale Black to the sin bin during this time.
‘Rock also had a player yellow carded – back rower Darren Hayes walked in the 52nd-minute for a technical offence – and this seemed to spark the beginning of the Tyrone side’s comeback.
Black returned to score their first try. Lock Rainey bulldozed over in the 70th-minute and in the final minute of normal time, outside centre Magee crashed through to earn a losing bonus for his side at 29-22.
The result moves ‘Rock up to eleventh in the Division One table, while Dungannon have slipped down to twelfth ahead of next weekend’s visit of bottom side Greystones to Stevenson Park.
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Leinster Zulu
- Rob Kearney
- Posts: 7975
- Joined: November 18th, 2006, 7:56 pm
AIB League: Dolphin Downed By Garryowen, Lane Steers Con To Third Win
Garryowen required a last-gasp penalty from their scrum half Gerry Hurley to guided them past a battling Dolphin side at Dooradoyle on Saturday, while Cork Constitution maintained their run at the top of the Division One table thanks to an 18-7 home triumph against Old Belvedere.
AIB LEAGUE: DIVISION ONE: Saturday, November 10
Garryowen 19 Dolphin 18, Dooradoyle
Scorers: Garryowen: Try: Conan Doyle; Con: Conor Kilroy; Pens: Conor Kilroy 2, Gerry Hurley; Drop: Conor Kilroy
Dolphin: Tries: James Coughlan, Eric Maloney; Con: Barry Keeshan; Pens: Barry Keeshan 2
Garryowen almost slipped to their second successive AIB League defeat as Dolphin pressed last season’s Division One champions hard at Dooradoyle.
Garryowen required a last-minute penalty from scrum half Gerry Hurley who stood in as place kicker, to beat the Corkmen on a 19-18 score-line. Dolphin led 13-10 at half-time with Barry Keeshan kicking two penalties to add to a James Coughlan try.
Out-half Conan Doyle had touched down for Garryowen and while centre Eric Maloney bagged a second Dolphin try, full-back Conor Kilroy (11 points) and Hurley kicked Garryowen home.
Having lost 8-6 to arch rivals Shannon last weekend, Garryowen needed a win to keep the pressure on the top four and they did just enough on Saturday to raise their standing from sixth place to third.
Still, there were plenty of errors for coaches Dara Ryan and Greig Oliver to iron out ahead of the Limerick side’s crunch trip to table toppers Cork Constitution next weekend.
For Dolphin, this was very much a missed opportunity and they paid the price for having two players sin-binned in the closing stages. The Cork club were also agonisingly beaten 24-23 on their last Division One visit to Dooradoyle in March 2004.
Dolphin opened the scoring with a well-struck third-minute penalty from Keeshan before Doyle finished off a neat tee-up from Hurley and his pack for a try on the quarter-hour mark.
Kilroy converted and tagged on a penalty but Dolphin hit back with ten points before the break – Munster-capped back rower Coughlan grabbed a fine try which Keeshan converted and the visitors’ out-half also succeeded with a 35-metre penalty attempt in the dying embers of the half.
A penalty and drop goal from Kilroy, who was off-colour with his kicking last week against Shannon, saw Garryowen nip ahead at 16-13 before centre Maloney burst through for his second league try in six days.
That looked to be the match-winning score but Keeshan’s missed conversion proved extremely costly when Hurley, who filled in for the replaced Kilroy, stepped up to boot Garryowen to victory in deepest injury-time.
Cork Constitution 18 Old Belvedere 7, Temple Hill
Scorers: Cork Constitution: Tries: Richie Lane 2; Con: Richie Lane; Pens: Richie Lane 2
Old Belvedere: Try: Barry Kinsella; Con: Richie Murphy
Richie Lane did all of Cork Constitution’s points scoring at Temple Hill on Saturday afternoon as they saw off a dogged Old Belvedere side, winning by 18-7.
Winger Lane, who usually plays at full-back, scored two tries and kicked a conversion and two penalties to keep Con top of the table after three wins from three.
Lane touched down after 10 and 25 minutes to set up a 15-7 interval lead for the hosts who leaked a fourth-minute try to Belvedere’s Barry Kinsella.
In a stop-start game, a Lane penalty was the only score of the second half as Con secured the points despite never hitting top gear. With Munster’s Jeremy Manning named at out-half, Con selected a full strength side for the meeting with last season’s beaten Division Two finalists.
Belvedere included two stars of recent Ireland underage sides in their line-up – the Under-20s’ Felix Jones at full-back and Under-19 World Cup player Eoin O’Malley in the centre – and as ever, they had the experienced Richie Murphy pulling the strings at out-half.
The Dubliners had been unfortunate not to gain more out of their recent games against Shannon and Dolphin than two losing bonus points and their luck looked like it might change when they skipped in for a fourth-minute try against Con.
A crisp passing move led to inside centre Kinsella charging through and over the whitewash, allowing Murphy to ping the conversion over from close range.
Con took the lead though in the tenth-minute when a simple overlap allowed Lane round in close to the posts for a try which he converted himself. A second try followed for the former Ireland Under-21 international after 25 minutes.
But in a tie that never really got going, two penalties from Lane either side of the break were enough for Con to hold on to their lead and maintain their 100% start to the season, ahead of next Saturday’s mouth-watering clash with defending champions Garryowen at Temple Hill.
Con did have the lion’s share of possession but they could not convert it into points and the closest they came to another score was when a Manning drop goal attempt just went wide of the uprights.
Garryowen required a last-gasp penalty from their scrum half Gerry Hurley to guided them past a battling Dolphin side at Dooradoyle on Saturday, while Cork Constitution maintained their run at the top of the Division One table thanks to an 18-7 home triumph against Old Belvedere.
AIB LEAGUE: DIVISION ONE: Saturday, November 10
Garryowen 19 Dolphin 18, Dooradoyle
Scorers: Garryowen: Try: Conan Doyle; Con: Conor Kilroy; Pens: Conor Kilroy 2, Gerry Hurley; Drop: Conor Kilroy
Dolphin: Tries: James Coughlan, Eric Maloney; Con: Barry Keeshan; Pens: Barry Keeshan 2
Garryowen almost slipped to their second successive AIB League defeat as Dolphin pressed last season’s Division One champions hard at Dooradoyle.
Garryowen required a last-minute penalty from scrum half Gerry Hurley who stood in as place kicker, to beat the Corkmen on a 19-18 score-line. Dolphin led 13-10 at half-time with Barry Keeshan kicking two penalties to add to a James Coughlan try.
Out-half Conan Doyle had touched down for Garryowen and while centre Eric Maloney bagged a second Dolphin try, full-back Conor Kilroy (11 points) and Hurley kicked Garryowen home.
Having lost 8-6 to arch rivals Shannon last weekend, Garryowen needed a win to keep the pressure on the top four and they did just enough on Saturday to raise their standing from sixth place to third.
Still, there were plenty of errors for coaches Dara Ryan and Greig Oliver to iron out ahead of the Limerick side’s crunch trip to table toppers Cork Constitution next weekend.
For Dolphin, this was very much a missed opportunity and they paid the price for having two players sin-binned in the closing stages. The Cork club were also agonisingly beaten 24-23 on their last Division One visit to Dooradoyle in March 2004.
Dolphin opened the scoring with a well-struck third-minute penalty from Keeshan before Doyle finished off a neat tee-up from Hurley and his pack for a try on the quarter-hour mark.
Kilroy converted and tagged on a penalty but Dolphin hit back with ten points before the break – Munster-capped back rower Coughlan grabbed a fine try which Keeshan converted and the visitors’ out-half also succeeded with a 35-metre penalty attempt in the dying embers of the half.
A penalty and drop goal from Kilroy, who was off-colour with his kicking last week against Shannon, saw Garryowen nip ahead at 16-13 before centre Maloney burst through for his second league try in six days.
That looked to be the match-winning score but Keeshan’s missed conversion proved extremely costly when Hurley, who filled in for the replaced Kilroy, stepped up to boot Garryowen to victory in deepest injury-time.
Cork Constitution 18 Old Belvedere 7, Temple Hill
Scorers: Cork Constitution: Tries: Richie Lane 2; Con: Richie Lane; Pens: Richie Lane 2
Old Belvedere: Try: Barry Kinsella; Con: Richie Murphy
Richie Lane did all of Cork Constitution’s points scoring at Temple Hill on Saturday afternoon as they saw off a dogged Old Belvedere side, winning by 18-7.
Winger Lane, who usually plays at full-back, scored two tries and kicked a conversion and two penalties to keep Con top of the table after three wins from three.
Lane touched down after 10 and 25 minutes to set up a 15-7 interval lead for the hosts who leaked a fourth-minute try to Belvedere’s Barry Kinsella.
In a stop-start game, a Lane penalty was the only score of the second half as Con secured the points despite never hitting top gear. With Munster’s Jeremy Manning named at out-half, Con selected a full strength side for the meeting with last season’s beaten Division Two finalists.
Belvedere included two stars of recent Ireland underage sides in their line-up – the Under-20s’ Felix Jones at full-back and Under-19 World Cup player Eoin O’Malley in the centre – and as ever, they had the experienced Richie Murphy pulling the strings at out-half.
The Dubliners had been unfortunate not to gain more out of their recent games against Shannon and Dolphin than two losing bonus points and their luck looked like it might change when they skipped in for a fourth-minute try against Con.
A crisp passing move led to inside centre Kinsella charging through and over the whitewash, allowing Murphy to ping the conversion over from close range.
Con took the lead though in the tenth-minute when a simple overlap allowed Lane round in close to the posts for a try which he converted himself. A second try followed for the former Ireland Under-21 international after 25 minutes.
But in a tie that never really got going, two penalties from Lane either side of the break were enough for Con to hold on to their lead and maintain their 100% start to the season, ahead of next Saturday’s mouth-watering clash with defending champions Garryowen at Temple Hill.
Con did have the lion’s share of possession but they could not convert it into points and the closest they came to another score was when a Manning drop goal attempt just went wide of the uprights.
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Leinster Zulu
- Rob Kearney
- Posts: 7975
- Joined: November 18th, 2006, 7:56 pm
G'wan Lansdowne.
AIB League: Bohs Beaten By Shannon, Bonus Point Win For Lansdowne
Shannon gained some revenge for their league defeat to the same opposition last season when they got the better of their Limerick rivals UL Bohemians at Coonagh on Saturday, while Lansdowne moved up to fifth in the Division One table on the back of a fine four-try win over Greystones at Dr. Hickey Park.
AIB LEAGUE: DIVISION ONE: Saturday, November 10
Shannon 16 UL Bohemians 6, Coonagh
Scorers: Shannon: Try: Stephen Kelly; Con: Andrew Thompson; Pens: Andrew Thompson 2; Drop: Tadhg Bennett
UL Bohemians: Pens: Fergal Lawlor 2
Speedy winger Stephen Kelly scored the only try of this Division One encounter at Coonagh, helping Shannon to a 16-6 victory over their Limerick rivals UL Bohemians.
Kelly, a regular on Limerick Gaelic football panels in recent years, touched down in the first half for his first try of the league campaign.
Shannon led 13-3 at half-time with Andrew Thompson kicking two penalties to one from Bohs out-half Fergal Lawlor. A Tadhg Bennett drop goal (57 minutes) and a second Lawlor penalty (66) were the second half’s only scores.
Meeting for only the fourth time in the AIB League and with Shannon victorious in two of the three previous clashes, Bohemians looked to be up against it on Saturday afternoon but one should remember that Bohs beat the perennial champions 15-6 when they met at Thomond Park last March.
Matches between these two are always particularly tight with place kicks more often than not deciding who take the spoils on the day. So it proved at Coonagh with veteran Thompson, with a little bit of help from last weekend’s match winner against Garryowen, Bennett, kicking Shannon to their third straight win of the league campaign.
Eight-times a Division One winner, Thompson continued to show why he has left such a lasting impression on the league with two excellent penalties after 8 and 17 minutes.
Lawlor managed to reply before Shannon put Kelly over for a fine try in the left corner. It came off scrum ball as centre John Clogan was given crash ball to try and plough to the middle. The Bohs defenders were sucked in and numbers out wide saw captain David Quinlan give the try-scoring pass to Kelly.
Thompson converted for a 13-3 half-time lead and things were looking good for a Shannon side that included the fit-again Mossie Lawlor at full-back and lock Donnacha Ryan, who is coming back from a hand injury.
The second half was a rather listless affair with defences on top and space at a premium. Well able to defend the most slender of leads, Shannon edged further in front through Bennett and while Lawlor replied for Bohs, their try-scoring chances were far too limited for them to make any impression in the final quarter.
Greystones 10 Lansdowne 35, Dr. Hickey Park
Scorers: Greystones: Try: Simon Malone; Con: Reinhard Gerber; Pen: Reinhard Gerber
Lansdowne: Tries: Robbie Dolan, Gavin O’Meara, Luke Cozens, Stuart McCarron; Cons: Luke Cozens 3; Pens: Luke Cozens 3
Greystones are still waiting for their first win since regaining their Division One status following this comfortable victory for Lansdowne at Dr. Hickey Park.
Luke Cozens’ control at out-half and Devin Toner’s lineout dominance steered Lansdowne to their first ever league win over ‘Stones. The visitors were 20-3 in front at the break with winger Robbie Dolan and hooker Gavin O’Meara touching down.
Cozens and full-back Stuart McCarron added further touchdowns in a second half that saw wide man Simon Malone grab ‘Stones’ only try.
One has to feel sorry for the Wicklow men who has shown plenty of fight and spirit over the league’s opening three weekends but the results just have not gone their way and they sit bottom of the pile in Division One. Minus the likes of Cian McNaughton, Alex O’Sullivan and regular try scorer David McKechnie, ‘Stones struggled in the opening half in front of a vocal 600-strong crowd.
Lansdowne have the makings of a good squad this season and are deservedly riding high in fifth place at the moment, after this win. They laid the platform for it with two tries around the half hour mark.
Cozens, who regained the number 10 jersey from Donal Crotty who started last weekend’s 18-6 loss at UL Bohemians, kicked a brace of early penalties for a 6-0 lead.
Full-back Reinhard Gerber, ‘Stones most recent in a long line of South African signings, pinged over a penalty in reply but Dolan made use of numbers out wide to score and a simple yet very effective lineout maul put O’Meara over for his try.
A penalty from the confident Cozens, two minutes into the second half, stretched Lansdowne into a 23-3 lead and ‘Stones looked out of it.
That proved to be the case when McCarron, the former UCD player, notched Lansdowne’s bonus point try. The best moment of the match for the home side came when Malone finished out a quick passing move and Gerber converted brilliantly from the touchline.
AIB League: Bohs Beaten By Shannon, Bonus Point Win For Lansdowne
Shannon gained some revenge for their league defeat to the same opposition last season when they got the better of their Limerick rivals UL Bohemians at Coonagh on Saturday, while Lansdowne moved up to fifth in the Division One table on the back of a fine four-try win over Greystones at Dr. Hickey Park.
AIB LEAGUE: DIVISION ONE: Saturday, November 10
Shannon 16 UL Bohemians 6, Coonagh
Scorers: Shannon: Try: Stephen Kelly; Con: Andrew Thompson; Pens: Andrew Thompson 2; Drop: Tadhg Bennett
UL Bohemians: Pens: Fergal Lawlor 2
Speedy winger Stephen Kelly scored the only try of this Division One encounter at Coonagh, helping Shannon to a 16-6 victory over their Limerick rivals UL Bohemians.
Kelly, a regular on Limerick Gaelic football panels in recent years, touched down in the first half for his first try of the league campaign.
Shannon led 13-3 at half-time with Andrew Thompson kicking two penalties to one from Bohs out-half Fergal Lawlor. A Tadhg Bennett drop goal (57 minutes) and a second Lawlor penalty (66) were the second half’s only scores.
Meeting for only the fourth time in the AIB League and with Shannon victorious in two of the three previous clashes, Bohemians looked to be up against it on Saturday afternoon but one should remember that Bohs beat the perennial champions 15-6 when they met at Thomond Park last March.
Matches between these two are always particularly tight with place kicks more often than not deciding who take the spoils on the day. So it proved at Coonagh with veteran Thompson, with a little bit of help from last weekend’s match winner against Garryowen, Bennett, kicking Shannon to their third straight win of the league campaign.
Eight-times a Division One winner, Thompson continued to show why he has left such a lasting impression on the league with two excellent penalties after 8 and 17 minutes.
Lawlor managed to reply before Shannon put Kelly over for a fine try in the left corner. It came off scrum ball as centre John Clogan was given crash ball to try and plough to the middle. The Bohs defenders were sucked in and numbers out wide saw captain David Quinlan give the try-scoring pass to Kelly.
Thompson converted for a 13-3 half-time lead and things were looking good for a Shannon side that included the fit-again Mossie Lawlor at full-back and lock Donnacha Ryan, who is coming back from a hand injury.
The second half was a rather listless affair with defences on top and space at a premium. Well able to defend the most slender of leads, Shannon edged further in front through Bennett and while Lawlor replied for Bohs, their try-scoring chances were far too limited for them to make any impression in the final quarter.
Greystones 10 Lansdowne 35, Dr. Hickey Park
Scorers: Greystones: Try: Simon Malone; Con: Reinhard Gerber; Pen: Reinhard Gerber
Lansdowne: Tries: Robbie Dolan, Gavin O’Meara, Luke Cozens, Stuart McCarron; Cons: Luke Cozens 3; Pens: Luke Cozens 3
Greystones are still waiting for their first win since regaining their Division One status following this comfortable victory for Lansdowne at Dr. Hickey Park.
Luke Cozens’ control at out-half and Devin Toner’s lineout dominance steered Lansdowne to their first ever league win over ‘Stones. The visitors were 20-3 in front at the break with winger Robbie Dolan and hooker Gavin O’Meara touching down.
Cozens and full-back Stuart McCarron added further touchdowns in a second half that saw wide man Simon Malone grab ‘Stones’ only try.
One has to feel sorry for the Wicklow men who has shown plenty of fight and spirit over the league’s opening three weekends but the results just have not gone their way and they sit bottom of the pile in Division One. Minus the likes of Cian McNaughton, Alex O’Sullivan and regular try scorer David McKechnie, ‘Stones struggled in the opening half in front of a vocal 600-strong crowd.
Lansdowne have the makings of a good squad this season and are deservedly riding high in fifth place at the moment, after this win. They laid the platform for it with two tries around the half hour mark.
Cozens, who regained the number 10 jersey from Donal Crotty who started last weekend’s 18-6 loss at UL Bohemians, kicked a brace of early penalties for a 6-0 lead.
Full-back Reinhard Gerber, ‘Stones most recent in a long line of South African signings, pinged over a penalty in reply but Dolan made use of numbers out wide to score and a simple yet very effective lineout maul put O’Meara over for his try.
A penalty from the confident Cozens, two minutes into the second half, stretched Lansdowne into a 23-3 lead and ‘Stones looked out of it.
That proved to be the case when McCarron, the former UCD player, notched Lansdowne’s bonus point try. The best moment of the match for the home side came when Malone finished out a quick passing move and Gerber converted brilliantly from the touchline.
Last edited by Leinster Zulu on November 12th, 2007, 4:44 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Leinster Zulu
- Rob Kearney
- Posts: 7975
- Joined: November 18th, 2006, 7:56 pm
AIB League: Tight Wins For Terenure And UCD
A converted try from centre John Bollard was enough for Terenure College to end Galwegians' winning start to the AIB League campaign at Lakelands Park on Saturday, while a late drop goal from Andy Cummiskey guided UCD past St. Mary's College at Belfield.
AIB LEAGUE: DIVISION ONE: Saturday, November 10
Terenure College 7 Galwegians 5, Lakelands Park
Scorers: Terenure: Try: John Bollard; Con: David McAllister
Galwegians: Try: John Cleary
Galwegians failed to turn a late bout of pressure into points as Terenure College clung on for their second win of the current Division One campaign – a 7-5 success at Lakelands Park.
In a game dictated by the wind, ‘Nure struck for the crucial try in the third quarter when former Leinster out-half David McAllister sent centre John Bollard through on a 40-metre dash to the line.
‘Wegians, who included former Ireland internationals Matt Mostyn and Tom Tierney, struck for an unconverted try in the 32nd-minute through winger John Cleary.
‘Wegians, having won their two opening games, should really have made it a hat-trick with their Connacht centre Alipate Tuilevuka putting in a man of the match performance before he was unfortunately injured during the second half.
With Peter Durcan required by Connacht on Friday night, Cormac O’Beirne stepped in at out-half for the visitors. Fresh from starring in last weekend’s win over Blackrock College, ‘Nure had the influential McAllister at number 10.
In a hard-fought game that was slugged out between the forwards for long stretches, the deadlock continued past the 20-minute mark until some relentless pressure from the visitors told and Cleary got over for the only score of the half.
But with Frenchman Bertrand Guiry, who hails from Perpignan, his back row colleague Brian Moroney and prop and captain Stephen Nolan excelling for the hosts, ‘Nure managed to fight back and claim their fourth win in eight league meetings with the westerners.
A yellow card for Cleary helped their cause and McAllister’s quick thinking helped see the speedy Bollard over for a fine breakaway try which McAllister tellingly converted.
‘Wegians were not the same team after they lost Tuilevuka to a knee injury and despite some late pressure from their pack, they could not breach the hosts’ defence and ‘Nure held on to move from eighth to fourth in the Division One table. ‘Wegians have gone the opposite way and are now seventh ahead of next weekend’s visit to Dolphin.
UCD 16 St. Mary’s College 15, Belfield
Scorers: UCD: Tries: Vasily Artemiev, Kevin Croke; Pen: Killian Lett; Drop: Andy Cummiskey
St. Mary’s: Pens: Jonathan Sexton 5
Centre Andy Cummiskey kicked a late drop goal as UCD edged out St. Mary’s College by 16-15 in this well-contested Division One clash at Belfield. The students made it two league wins on the bounce as they came back after Jonathan Sexton had kicked Mary’s in front. Sexton, the Leinster out-half, landed five penalties in all – four in the second half – to give Mary’s a 15-13 lead.
UCD, who led 8-3 at half-time, had tries from winger Vasily Artemiev and back rower Kevin Croke.
As well as Sexton, Mary’s included young Leinster stars Matthew D’Arcy, Richard Sweeney, Conor McInerney and Kevin Sheahan in their starting line-up – the latter three being former UCD players.
UCD, for their part, had former Ireland Schools winger Artemiev on from the start as well as Leinster prop Ronan McCormack and Ireland Under-20 Grand Slam back rower Sean O’Brien.
Searching for their first league win over Mary’s in six meetings, UCD made the better start and were 8-0 to the good after the first quarter-hour’s play. The confidence gained from last weekend’s 23-13 dismissal of Dungannon was obvious as the Belfield side put the powerful Russian-born Artemiev over for a well-worked try in the left corner.
Centre Killian Lett was off target with the conversion but he did succeed with a penalty which Sexton managed to reply to after a good spell of pressure for Mary’s in the hosts’ half.
Shortly after the restart, UCD’s pack, helped by the bulk of McCormack, made the hard yards for former skipper Croke to crash over the line for a 13-3 buffer.
But a loss of discipline for the final half-hour almost saw Mary’s snatch the win. With a kicker of Sexton’s standing on the pitch, UCD knew any infringement would be punished and the Leinster man kicked four successive penalties to see the Dublin 6W club into a late lead.
It was a lead which they were destined to cough up though as UCD deservedly hit back at the death with Cummiskey, who scored two tries in the students’ previous two games, coolly dropping a goal from close to the 22 to see Bobby Byrne’s youngsters end the game in the ascendancy.
A converted try from centre John Bollard was enough for Terenure College to end Galwegians' winning start to the AIB League campaign at Lakelands Park on Saturday, while a late drop goal from Andy Cummiskey guided UCD past St. Mary's College at Belfield.
AIB LEAGUE: DIVISION ONE: Saturday, November 10
Terenure College 7 Galwegians 5, Lakelands Park
Scorers: Terenure: Try: John Bollard; Con: David McAllister
Galwegians: Try: John Cleary
Galwegians failed to turn a late bout of pressure into points as Terenure College clung on for their second win of the current Division One campaign – a 7-5 success at Lakelands Park.
In a game dictated by the wind, ‘Nure struck for the crucial try in the third quarter when former Leinster out-half David McAllister sent centre John Bollard through on a 40-metre dash to the line.
‘Wegians, who included former Ireland internationals Matt Mostyn and Tom Tierney, struck for an unconverted try in the 32nd-minute through winger John Cleary.
‘Wegians, having won their two opening games, should really have made it a hat-trick with their Connacht centre Alipate Tuilevuka putting in a man of the match performance before he was unfortunately injured during the second half.
With Peter Durcan required by Connacht on Friday night, Cormac O’Beirne stepped in at out-half for the visitors. Fresh from starring in last weekend’s win over Blackrock College, ‘Nure had the influential McAllister at number 10.
In a hard-fought game that was slugged out between the forwards for long stretches, the deadlock continued past the 20-minute mark until some relentless pressure from the visitors told and Cleary got over for the only score of the half.
But with Frenchman Bertrand Guiry, who hails from Perpignan, his back row colleague Brian Moroney and prop and captain Stephen Nolan excelling for the hosts, ‘Nure managed to fight back and claim their fourth win in eight league meetings with the westerners.
A yellow card for Cleary helped their cause and McAllister’s quick thinking helped see the speedy Bollard over for a fine breakaway try which McAllister tellingly converted.
‘Wegians were not the same team after they lost Tuilevuka to a knee injury and despite some late pressure from their pack, they could not breach the hosts’ defence and ‘Nure held on to move from eighth to fourth in the Division One table. ‘Wegians have gone the opposite way and are now seventh ahead of next weekend’s visit to Dolphin.
UCD 16 St. Mary’s College 15, Belfield
Scorers: UCD: Tries: Vasily Artemiev, Kevin Croke; Pen: Killian Lett; Drop: Andy Cummiskey
St. Mary’s: Pens: Jonathan Sexton 5
Centre Andy Cummiskey kicked a late drop goal as UCD edged out St. Mary’s College by 16-15 in this well-contested Division One clash at Belfield. The students made it two league wins on the bounce as they came back after Jonathan Sexton had kicked Mary’s in front. Sexton, the Leinster out-half, landed five penalties in all – four in the second half – to give Mary’s a 15-13 lead.
UCD, who led 8-3 at half-time, had tries from winger Vasily Artemiev and back rower Kevin Croke.
As well as Sexton, Mary’s included young Leinster stars Matthew D’Arcy, Richard Sweeney, Conor McInerney and Kevin Sheahan in their starting line-up – the latter three being former UCD players.
UCD, for their part, had former Ireland Schools winger Artemiev on from the start as well as Leinster prop Ronan McCormack and Ireland Under-20 Grand Slam back rower Sean O’Brien.
Searching for their first league win over Mary’s in six meetings, UCD made the better start and were 8-0 to the good after the first quarter-hour’s play. The confidence gained from last weekend’s 23-13 dismissal of Dungannon was obvious as the Belfield side put the powerful Russian-born Artemiev over for a well-worked try in the left corner.
Centre Killian Lett was off target with the conversion but he did succeed with a penalty which Sexton managed to reply to after a good spell of pressure for Mary’s in the hosts’ half.
Shortly after the restart, UCD’s pack, helped by the bulk of McCormack, made the hard yards for former skipper Croke to crash over the line for a 13-3 buffer.
But a loss of discipline for the final half-hour almost saw Mary’s snatch the win. With a kicker of Sexton’s standing on the pitch, UCD knew any infringement would be punished and the Leinster man kicked four successive penalties to see the Dublin 6W club into a late lead.
It was a lead which they were destined to cough up though as UCD deservedly hit back at the death with Cummiskey, who scored two tries in the students’ previous two games, coolly dropping a goal from close to the 22 to see Bobby Byrne’s youngsters end the game in the ascendancy.
UCD lost badly to some northie team i cant remember.
Does anyone else actually care about this competition?
Does anyone else actually care about this competition?
Go on, give us a goo! https://twitter.com/DebRugby - rugby from Europe's eastern fringe.
Yes and No. I think its important for the clubs to have a meaningful competition, but the AIL has had its day. Why would anyone bar a few diehard members really care about the result between Wanderers and Old Crescent or Connemara v Waterpark. Going back to the provincial leagues (which existed for more than 50 years before the AIL was introduced in 1990) would create more interest in club rugby, rekindling local rivalries and probably most importantly reducing the cost to the club and time away from home to the players.tate wrote:UCD lost badly to some northie team i cant remember.
Does anyone else actually care about this competition?
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tones
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I come form a Junior Club, so would be more interested in those results. That doesn't mean I am undermining the importance of the AIL.tate wrote:UCD lost badly to some northie team i cant remember.
Does anyone else actually care about this competition?
"Munster could join the French League, or an expanded English / British league."
It has to be only a matter of time. Have a premier division AIL and provincial league below. Clubs cannot afford to travel up and down the country week after week. It makes no sense.Mauler wrote:Yes and No. I think its important for the clubs to have a meaningful competition, but the AIL has had its day. Why would anyone bar a few diehard members really care about the result between Wanderers and Old Crescent or Connemara v Waterpark. Going back to the provincial leagues (which existed for more than 50 years before the AIL was introduced in 1990) would create more interest in club rugby, rekindling local rivalries and probably most importantly reducing the cost to the club and time away from home to the players.tate wrote:UCD lost badly to some northie team i cant remember.
Does anyone else actually care about this competition?
Would agree with this. Keep the top tier of the AIL, and return the teams under this level to Provincial / Regional Senior Leagues. AIL1 is a competitive, semi pro league which is also very beneficial for up and coming players and those not getting regular game time with the provinces.epaddy wrote:It has to be only a matter of time. Have a premier division AIL and provincial league below. Clubs cannot afford to travel up and down the country week after week. It makes no sense.Mauler wrote:Yes and No. I think its important for the clubs to have a meaningful competition, but the AIL has had its day. Why would anyone bar a few diehard members really care about the result between Wanderers and Old Crescent or Connemara v Waterpark. Going back to the provincial leagues (which existed for more than 50 years before the AIL was introduced in 1990) would create more interest in club rugby, rekindling local rivalries and probably most importantly reducing the cost to the club and time away from home to the players.tate wrote:UCD lost badly to some northie team i cant remember.
Does anyone else actually care about this competition?
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groundhog
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Would agree with all these sentiments expect I would even go further and reduce the AIL Division 1 to 10 clubs. Was at the Belvo game against Terenure at the weekend and the standard wasn't much higher than Leinster League Division 1 which can't be right.harryp wrote:Would agree with this. Keep the top tier of the AIL, and return the teams under this level to Provincial / Regional Senior Leagues. AIL1 is a competitive, semi pro league which is also very beneficial for up and coming players and those not getting regular game time with the provinces.epaddy wrote:It has to be only a matter of time. Have a premier division AIL and provincial league below. Clubs cannot afford to travel up and down the country week after week. It makes no sense.Mauler wrote: Yes and No. I think its important for the clubs to have a meaningful competition, but the AIL has had its day. Why would anyone bar a few diehard members really care about the result between Wanderers and Old Crescent or Connemara v Waterpark. Going back to the provincial leagues (which existed for more than 50 years before the AIL was introduced in 1990) would create more interest in club rugby, rekindling local rivalries and probably most importantly reducing the cost to the club and time away from home to the players.
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