Aviva Stadium set for Clontarf and Terenure College rematch in the Energia All-Ireland League Men’s Division 1A Final
Dublin rivals Clontarf and Terenure College are set to face each other in the final of the Energia All-Ireland League Men’s Division 1A at the Aviva Stadium on May 7. Reigning champions Clontarf defeated Young Munster 13-12 in a tense game at Castle Avenue. Meanwhile, Terenure College secured their place in the final after winning 30-12 against Cork Constitution. Terenure’s Caolan Dooley kicked 20 points, while Adam La Grue and Jordan Coghlan each scored a try.
Clontarf narrowly beats Young Munster
In a tightly contested game, Clontarf relied on hooker Dylan Donnellan’s try to defeat Young Munster and reach their third successive league final. The game was tied at six points apiece at half-time, and it was Donnellan’s 22nd try of the season that sealed the win for the champions. Munster Academy centre Fionn Gibbons was sin-binned in the game, along with Steve Crosbie of Clontarf.
Promotion/Relegation Play-off Semi-Finals
Shannon secured their position in the top flight after beating Old Wesley 24-6 in the promotion/relegation play-off semi-final. Shannon replied with two tries, including a Jordan Prenderville maul effort. Former captain Chris Banon scored a decisive 50th-minute try for Highfield, who ended Old Belvedere’s hopes by winning 19-17 at Ollie Campbell Park.
Division 2A Rugby
MU Barnhall beat Banbridge 20-18 in their play-off clash, securing their place in Division 2A rugby next season. Blackrock College beat Nenagh Ormond 10-8, while Sligo lost 16-14 to UL Bohemians. Dungannon will face UL Bohs in the deciding game, having won 16-12 against Galway Corinthians. Galwegians were relegated at the hands of Bruff.
Skerries, the second place finishers in Division 2C, will have home advantage in the promotion decider. They advanced to face Bruff after a quartet of penalties from full-back Ronan Mulcahy saw them overcome Tullamore 12-3 at Holmpatrick.
ENERGIA ALL-IRELAND LEAGUE MEN’S DIVISION 1A SEMI-FINALS:
CLONTARF 13 YOUNG MUNSTER 12, Castle Avenue
Scorers: Clontarf: Try: Dylan Donnellan; Con: Tadhg Bird; Pens: Tadhg Bird 2
Young Munster: Pens: Conor Hayes 4
HT: Clontarf 6 Young Munster 6
CLONTARF: Tadhg Bird; Michael Brown, Michael Courtney, Matt D’Arcy, Cian O’Donoghue; Steve Crosbie, Angus Lloyd; Ivan Soroka, Dylan Donnellan, Ben Griffin, Fionn Gilbert, Ed Kelly, Mick Kearney, JJ O’Dea, Tony Ryan.
Replacements: Cathal O’Flynn, Darragh Bolger, Ed Brennan, Sam Owens, Conor Kelly, JP Phelan, Paul Deeny.
YOUNG MUNSTER: Conor Hayes; Shay McCarthy, Fionn Gibbons, Harry Fleming, Conor Phillips; Jack Lyons, Donnchadh O’Callaghan; David Begley, Mark O’Mara, Conor Bartley, Sean Rigney, Alan Kennedy (capt), Bailey Faloon, Ronan O’Sullivan, John Foley.
Replacements: Conor Nesbitt, George Jacobs, Paul Allen, Tom Goggin, James Horrigan, Evan Cusack, Luke Fitzgerald, Stephen Lyons.
TERENURE COLLEGE 30 CORK CONSTITUTION 12, Lakelands Park
Scorers: Terenure College: Tries: Adam La Grue, Jordan Coghlan; Con: Caolan Dooley; Pens: Caolan Dooley 6
Cork Constitution: Tries: James Murphy, Cathal O’Flaherty; Con: Aidan Moynihan
HT: Terenure College 18 Cork Constitution 0
TERENURE COLLEGE: Adam La Grue; Caolan Dooley, Colm de Buitléar, Peter Sylvester, Craig Adams; Callum Smith, Alan Bennie; Marcus Hanan, Levi Vaughan, Adam Tuite, Matthew Caffrey, Mick Melia (capt), Adam Melia, Luke Clohessy, Jordan Coghlan.
Replacements: Robbie Smyth, Campbell Classon, Andy Keating, Harrison Brewer, Niall Lalor, Conor McKeon, Cathal Marsh, Stephen O’Neill.
CORK CONSTITUTION: George Coomber; Billy Crowley, Harry O’Riordan, Niall Kenneally, Michael Hand; Aidan Moynihan (capt), Gerry Hurley; Brendan Quinlan, Billy Scannell, Luke Masters, Sean Duffy, Eoin Quilter, Jack Kelleher, Ross O’Neill, David Hyland.
Replacements: Max Abbott, Alessandro Heaney, Ashley Deane, James Murphy, Cathal O’Flaherty, Louis Kahn, Daniel Hurley, Greg Higgins.
DIVISION 1A PROMOTION/RELEGATION PLAY-OFF SEMI-FINALS:
SHANNON 24 OLD WESLEY 6, Thomond Park back pitch
Scorers: Shannon: Tries: Jordan Prenderville, Colm Heffernan, Josh Costello, Aran Hehir; Cons: Mike Cooke 2
Old Wesley: Pens: Ian Cassidy 2
HT: Shannon 12 Old Wesley 6
SHANNON: John O’Sullivan; Aran Hehir, Cian O’Halloran, Harry Long, Josh Costello; Mike Cooke, Ethan Coughlan; Conor Glynn, Jordan Prenderville, Darragh McSweeney, Ronan Coffey (capt), Jade Kriel, Daniel Okeke, Colm Heffernan, Lee Nicholas.
Replacements: Shane Carew, David Maher, Kelvin Brown, Odhran Ring, Jack O’Donnell, James O’Brien, Cathal Hynes, Luke Rigney.
OLD WESLEY: Alex Molloy; Nathan Randles, James O’Donovan, Eoin Deegan, Tommy O’Callaghan; Ian Cassidy, Gary Bradley; Harry Noonan, Howard Noonan, Cronan Gleeson, David Motyer, Iain McGann (capt), Will Fay, Dom Maclean, Sam Pim.
Replacements: Finn Tierney, Sam Kenny, Rob Loftus, Josh O’Hare, Adrien Charbonnier, David Poff, Keith Kavanagh, Eoin Monahan.
OLD BELVEDERE 17 HIGHFIELD 19, Ollie Campbell Park
Scorers: Old Belvedere: Tries: Calum Dowling, Connor Owende; Cons: Mick O’Kennedy 2; Pen: Michael O’Kennedy
Highfield: Tries: Luke Kingston, Daragh Fitzgerald, Chris Banon; Cons: James Taylor 2
HT: Old Belvedere 7 Highfield 12
OLD BELVEDERE: Joe White; Ariel Robles, Jayden Beckett, Mick O’Kennedy, Luke McDermott; David Wilkinson, Peter O’Beirne; James Bollard (capt), Calum Dowling, Ronan Foxe, Fionn McWey, Connor Owende, Óran O’Brien, Tom Mulcair, Kale Thatcher.
Replacements: Joe Horan, Jamie Mulhern, Hugh Flood, James Ruddy, Jack Breen, Briain Leonard, Jed Tormey, Jack Keating.
HIGHFIELD: Cian Bohane; Ben Murphy, Liam McCarthy, Mark Dorgan, Luke Kingston; James Taylor, Chris Banon; Cillian Buckley, Travis Coomey, Daragh Fitzgerald, Sean Garrett, Eoin Keating, Dave O’Connell (capt), Amhlaoibh Porter, Miah Cronin.
Replacements: Robert Murphy, Ian McCarthy, Niall Downing, Mark Fitzgibbon, John O’Callaghan, Richard Cassidy, Seán Quaid, Gavin O’Leary.
DIVISION 1B PROMOTION/RELEGATION PLAY-OFF SEMI-FINALS:
Banbridge 18 MU Barnhall 20, Rifle Park
Blackrock College 10 Nenagh Ormond 8, Stradbrook
DIVISION 2A PROMOTION/RELEGATION PLAY-OFF SEMI-FINALS:
UL Bohemians 16 Sligo 14, Annacotty
Galway Corinthians 8 Dungannon 12, Corinthian Park
DIVISION 2B PROMOTION/RELEGATION PLAY-OFF SEMI-FINALS:
Galwegians 12 Bruff 24, Crowley Park
Skerries 12 Tullamore 3, Holmpatrick
