Terenure avenged November’s loss away to neighbours St Mary’s with a deserved 27-24 win at a jam-packed Lakelands Park on Saturday in Division 1A of the Energia All-Ireland League. The bonus-point victory elevates them above their rivals into second place behind new leaders Cork Con, who beat Terenure in last season’s final.
That followed Terenure’s third successive home semi-final and Saturday’s derby has been described as a semi-final on steroids. In front of a crowd of almost 4,000, Terenure were generally on top and had some standout performances in Will Hickey, Jordan Coghlan and Caspar Gabriel, Leinster’s Austrian academy outhalf, who graced the game with some eye-catching moments, including a couple of brilliant high takes.
A quick-fire double toward the end of the first period by hooker Max Russell, from a lineout maul, and Coghlan put Terenure 20-14 ahead at the break. Prolific fullback Conor Hayes kept St Mary’s in touch before Coghlan’s second try effectively sealed the win. A questionable Hayes try did earn the visitors a losing bonus point.
A slightly weakened Clontarf were knocked off the top following a 27-14 loss away to Young Munster. The Cookies were 12-0 up inside 10 minutes through tries by winger Ihechi Oji and Ruadhán Quinn, who returned along with fellow Munster players Evan O’Connell, Shay McCarthy and Jake O’Riordan. Quinn’s second try had the home side 19-7 up at the break and a try by Hubert Gilvarry sealed the bonus point.
Con lead the table on 47 points, ahead of Terenure on 45, followed by Clontarf and St Mary’s. Clontarf, who have a game in hand, host Con next week.
Lansdowne had a vital win in Ballynahinch, who led 14-5 after the first quarter before Lansdowne imposed themselves with tries by Liam Molony and a brace by South African lock Juan Beukes. Kyle Gill’s 56th-minute try put Hinch back in front but Lansdowne’s outside centre Andy Marks capped another fine performance with the match-winning, bonus-point try – his 10th of the season – 10 minutes from time.
Ballynahinch are on 37 points, with Lansdowne and Young Munster, who meet next week on the Aviva back pitch, both on 36 points.
Cork Con went top with a bonus-point 31-19 victory over City of Armagh, who lost both influential fullback Kyle Faloon and try scorer Matthew Hooks to potentially season-ending injuries. Con outhalf James Taylor converted tries by Rob Jermyn, Joe O’Leary, Daniel Hurley and Jack Kelleher, and landed a penalty.
UCD thus moved to within two points of City of Armagh with a hugely significant 26-15 bonus-point win over Garryowen, whose 12th successive defeat leaves them 10 points adrift in 10th place. The students’ hooker Bobby Sheehan maintained the familial liking for the try line with a hat-trick.
Old Belvedere took a big step toward automatic promotion from Division 1B with a 30-10 win in Highfield to move eight points clear of second-placed Nenagh after their 24-14 defeat to Queen’s. Old Wesley moved to within four points of Nenagh after sharing 14 tries in an astonishing 44-41 win at home to UCC, for whom replacement hooker Luke McAuliffe scored four second-half tries.
Results
Division 1A: Ballynahinch 21 Lansdowne 24; Cork Con 31 City of Armagh 19; UCD 26 Garryowen 15; Young Munster 27 Clontarf 14; Terenure College 27 St Mary’s College 24;
Division 1B: Highfield 10 Old Belvedere 30; Old Wesley 44 UCC 41; Queen’s 24 Nenagh Ormond 14; Shannon 16 Blackrock College 20.
Division 2A: Ballymena 22 Buccaneers 12; Corinthians 19 MU Barnhall 15; Greystones 25 Banbridge 12; Navan 14 Cashel 26; Old Crescent 29 Instonians 40.
Division 2B: Dungannon 31 Wanderers 28; Malahide 15 Clogher Valley 26; Malone 42 Skerries 15; Sligo 19 Rainey 22; UL Bohemian 24 Galwegians 25.
Division 2C: Bruff 11 Midleton 15; Clonmel 19 Ballyclare 17; Dolphin 46 Belfast Harlequins 33; Omagh Academicals 21 Enniscorthy 33; Tullamore 17 Monkstown 26.
Women’s Division: Railway Union 28 Galwegians 0 (W/O); Blackrock 93 Ballincollig 0; Old Belvedere 56 Cooke 3; Suttonians 24 Tullow 0; UL Bohemian 68 Wicklow 21.
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