Unbeaten Garryowen Go Top

…Garryowen full-back Andrew Finn, pictured in action for Ireland Under-21s at the 2004 U-21 World Cup in Scotland…

Tries from full-back Andrew Finn (2) and winger Cillian O’Boyle guided Garryowen to a 28-17 win at Cork Constitution on Sunday, and top spot in AIB League Division One.

AIB LEAGUE: DIVISION ONE: Saturday, January 21-Sunday, January 22

CORK CONSTITUTION 17 GARRYOWEN 28, Temple Hill

Scorers: Cork Con: Des Murray, Conrad O’Sullivan; Cons: Daragh Lyons 2; Pen: Lyons

Garryowen: Tries: Andrew Finn 2, Cillian O’Boyle; Cons: Conor Kilroy 2; Pens: Kilroy 3

Garryowen galloped to the top of the Division One standings thanks a three-try win over Cork Constitution at Temple Hill.

Paul Cunningham’s side are the only unbeaten side left in the top flight after their ninth consecutive win of the season.

A brace of tries from full back Andrew Finn on 17 and 36 minutes, the second converted by Conor Kilroy, helped the Limerick men into a 15-3 lead at the interval.

Fly half Daragh Lyons kicked a 24th-minute penalty for Con, who lost both lock Shane O’Connor and flanker Brendan O’Connor to injuries in the opening half.

The hosts did come back into it – hooker Des Murray and outside centre Conrad O’Sullivan notched tries for Con, late in the second half, but winger Cillian O’Boyle’s 59th-minute effort had put Garryowen almost out of sight at 25-3.

Kilroy kicked 13 points for the visitors, who now hold a three-point lead over champions Shannon at the summit. Garryowen have a mouth-watering home tie with third-placed Clontarf next Saturday, ahead of the Six Nations’ break.

The game’s victors took hold of the Barry Memorial Cup, which commemorates the much-loved Trevor Barry.

UL BOHEMIANS 18 ST MARY’S COLLEGE 14, Thomond Park

Scorers: UL Bohs: Tries: Ryan Hartigan, Ian Hanly; Con: Ben Martin; Pen: Martin; Drop: Fergal Lawlor

St Mary’s: Try: James Norton; Pens: Jonathan Sexton 2, Mark McHugh

Ryan Hartigan and Ian Hanly helped themselves to tries as UL Bohemians got the better of St Mary’s College at Thomond Park.

The win, which moved the students up to eighth in the Division One table, looked on the cards in the first minute when a brilliant move, started by winger Martin McPhail, was finished off over the Mary’s line by blindside flanker Hartigan, who claimed the man-of-the-match award.

Helped by a subsequent penalty by centre Ben Martin and drop goal from fly half Fergal Lawlor, Bohs led 11-8 at the break – winger James Norton bagged a 13th-minute try for Mary’s, dancing through the cover to nab a great individual try.

Jonathan Sexton squared it up at 11-11 with his second penalty on 46 minutes, but his Ireland Under-21 colleague Hanly had the deciding say, nine minutes later. The Bohs winger sailed over for Martin to convert for 18-11.

Mary’s Connacht centre Mark McHugh, who only recently came back from a serious knee injury, landed a lengthy penalty in the closing minutes, but Bohs held firm for a valuable victory.

LANSDOWNE 71 BLACKROCK COLLEGE 15, Lansdowne Road

Scorers: Lansdowne: Tries: Corey Burt, Justin Meagher 2, Brendan McGeever 2, Niall Ronan, Brian O’Meara, Kevin Corrigan, Killian Kennedy, Fiachra Baynes; Cons: Burt 9; Pen: Burt

Blackrock: Tries: Eddie Manawaiti, Fionn Carr; Con: Alan Henry; Pen: Henry

Lansdowne put in the performance of the weekend in Division One, scoring 10 tries in their thumping of Blackrock College at headquarters.

Player-coach Brian O’Meara, who started himself at fly half, said a result like this was “coming for some time” for his side and he was proven right as Lansdowne tore into their Dublin rivals.

Kiwi full back Corey Burt converted all bar one of Lansdowne’s tries, managing a handsome personal haul of 26 points as he also notched a try and a penalty.

Leinster favourite O’Meara was on target just before the break – Lansdowne ended the first half with a 38-8 buffer. Hooker Kevin Corrigan, centre Killian Kennedy, flanker Niall Ronan, wingers Brendan McGeever (2) and Fiachra Baynes, and replacement full-back Justin Meagher (2) also crossed the ‘Rock whitewash.

Meagher and his brother Stuart were recruited in the summer from Buccaneers and Galwegians respectively.

The win was further boosted by the number of notable ‘firsts’ that O’Meara’s men managed to achieve – the 71 points was Lansdowne’s highest ever score in the All-Ireland League, Baynes’ try also saw him eclipse the previous mark of 20, set by Brian Glennon and Marcus Dillon, for most tries scored by a Lansdowne player in the league.

The 56-point winning margian and 10 tries scored also set new standards, as did Burt’s achievement of converting 10 out of 11 kicks at goal.

Saturday’s visitors ‘Rock, who were completely off the pace and decisively lost New Zealander player-coach Dave Dillon, who failed a late fitness test, before kick-off, managed tries in either half from Kiwi back row Eddie Manawaiti and Ireland Under-21 winger Fionn Carr.