All The League Drama On ‘Against The Head’
Make sure you tune in to ‘Against The Head’ on RTE Two tonight (8pm) to relive all the action from a drama-filled final day of the regulation season in AIB League Division One.
With plenty to play for at the top and bottom of the table, Division One’s regulation phase came to a memorable conclusion on Saturday afternoon – Clontarf, Garryowen and UL Bohemians joined Cork Constitution in the semi-finals, edging out champions Shannon, while in their relegation ‘play-off’, UCD pipped Belfast Harlequins 6-3 to send the Ulster side down to Division Two.
Shannon were agonisingly edged out for a place in the top four on scoring difference, as despite finishing level on 48 points with both Garryowen and UL Bohemians, a +117 scoring difference was still not enough for Mick Galwey’s men to progress to the knockout stages. There was only a kick in it as fourth-placed Bohs, 24-16 losers at Blackrock College, finished just two points better off – +119 – then their Limerick rivals.
UCD centre Fergus McFadden was the students’ saviour at Belfield as his brace of penalties – the second coming just six minutes from time – saw them beat ‘Quins to leapfrog Andy Ward’s men in the table and preserve their top flight status.
‘Against The Head’, RTE’s popular rugby magazine show, will have highlights of some of the key matches in Division One as well as post-match reaction from some of the captains and coaches.
Tonight’s show is presented by Con Murphy with former Ireland captain and coach Ciaran Fitzgerald and Brendan Fanning, the Sunday Independent’s rugby correspondent, offering expert analysis on the AIB League games, Ulster’s Magners League trip to Cardiff and the weekend’s Heineken Cup semi-finals.