All-Ireland League: Play-Off Results Round-Up
Mullingar youngster Sean O'Brien runs in the second try during Clontarf's impressive semi-final win over Lansdowne at Castle Avenue ©INPHO/Dan Sheridan
Clontarf and table toppers Cork Constitution advance to next Sunday’s Division 1A final at the Aviva Stadium (kick-off 3pm), while the All-Ireland League will have another new club involved next season following Clonmel’s historic play-off win which relegated Seapoint from Division 2C.
ALL-IRELAND LEAGUE RESULTS: Saturday, April 27
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DIVISION 1A SEMI-FINALS:
CLONTARF 23 LANSDOWNE 15, Castle Avenue
Scorers: Clontarf: Tries: Matt D’Arcy, Sean O’Brien, Michael Courtney; Con: David Joyce; Pens: David Joyce 2
Lansdowne: Tries: Daniel McEvoy, Penalty try; Con: Pen try con; Pen: Scott Deasy
HT: Clontarf 18 Lansdowne 0
CLONTARF: Jack Power; Michael Courtney, Sean O’Brien, Matt D’Arcy, Mick McGrath; David Joyce, Angus Lloyd; Ivan Soroka, Paddy Finlay, Royce Burke-Flynn, Cormac Daly, Ben Reilly, Tony Ryan, Adrian D’Arcy, Michael Noone (capt).
Replacements: Declan Adamson, Tom Ryan, Niall Carson, Andrew Feeney, Conor Kelly, Cian O’Donoghue, Brian Deeny.
LANSDOWNE: Eamonn Mills (capt); Peter Sullivan, Foster Horan, Tom Roche, Daniel McEvoy; Scott Deasy, Tim Murphy; Martin Mulhall, Jack Dinneen, Ian Prendiville, David O’Connor, Jack Dwan, Jack O’Sullivan, Tom Murphy, Willie Earle.
Replacements: James Rael, Ntinga Mpiko, Greg McGrath, Joe O’Brien, Aaron Conneely, James Kenny, Harry Brennan.
CORK CONSTITUTION 23 DUBLIN UNIVERSITY 3, Temple Hill
Scorers: Cork Constitution: Tries: Sean French, Aidan Moynihan; Cons: Aidan Moynihan 2; Pens: Aidan Moynihan 3
Dublin University: Pen: Micheal O’Kennedy
HT: Cork Constitution 13 Dublin University 3
CORK CONSTITUTION: Liam O’Connell; Sean French, Shane Daly, Niall Kenneally (capt), Rob Jermyn; Aidan Moynihan, Jason Higgins; Gavin Duffy, Vincent O’Brien, Dylan Murphy, Brian Hayes, Evan Mintern, Joe McSwiney, Kevin Sheahan, Luke Cahill.
Replacements: Patrick Casey, Brendan Quinlan, James Murphy, Alex McHenry, Ross O’Neill, Duncan Williams, Jonathan Wren.
DUBLIN UNIVERSITY: Michael Silvester; Colm Hogan (capt), James Hickey, Philip Murphy, Jack Kelly; Micheal O’Kennedy, Rowan Osborne; Giuseppe Coyne, Dan Sheehan, Dylan Doyle, Reuben Pim, Jack Dunne, Johnny McKeown, Max Kearney, Niall O’Riordan.
Replacements: Joe Horan, Aziz Naser, Bart Vermeulen, Arthur Greene, Conor Lowndes, James Fennelly, Rob Russell.
DIVISION 1A PROMOTION/RELEGATION PLAY-OFF SEMI-FINALS:
UCC 27 MALONE 11, the Mardyke
Scorers: UCC: Tries: James Taylor, Michael Clune, Murray Linn; Cons: James Taylor 3; Pens: James Taylor 2
Malone: Try: Rory Campbell; Pens: Callum Smith 2
HT: UCC 3 Malone 6
UCC: Rob Hedderman; Michael Clune, Cian Bohane, Peter Sylvester, Murray Linn; James Taylor, John Poland; Shane O’Hanlon, Paidi McCarthy, Bryan O’Connor, Cian Barry, Brian O’Mahony, Daire Feeney (capt), John Hodnett, Jack O’Sullivan.
Replacements: Fergus Hennessey, Rob Loftus, Richard Thompson, Ryan Murphy, Cian Fitzgerald, Colin Sisk, Adam O’Connor.
MALONE: Andy Bryans; Rory Campbell, Josh Pentland, Nathan Brown, Ben McCaughey; Callum Smith, Shane Kelly; Ben Halliday, Dave Cave, Ricky Greenwood, James McAllister, Stuart Dodington, Joe Dunleavy, Ross Todd (capt), Ryan Clarke.
Replacements: Scott Finlay, Lee Barlow, Josh Davidson, Gary Crawford, Graham Curtis, Mark O’Connor, Matthew Agnew.
OLD WESLEY 20 NAAS 17, Energia Park (after extra-time)
Scorers: Old Wesley: Tries: Tommy O’Callaghan, Ben Burns; Cons: Rory Stynes 2; Pens: Josh Miller 2
Naas: Tries: Peter Osborne 2; Cons: Peter Osborne 2; Pen: Peter Osborne
HT: Old Wesley 14 Naas 7
OLD WESLEY: Rory Stynes; Tommy O’Callaghan, Alan Gaughan, David Poff, Paul Harte (capt); Tom Kiersey, Charlie O’Regan; Conor Maguire, Ben Burns, Cronan Gleeson, JJ O’Dea, Iain McGann, Conor Barry, Josh Pim, Paul Derham.
Replacements: Craig Telford, Ciaran McHugh, Mark Rowley, Darren Horan, Josh Miller, Alan Jeffares, Lachlan Anderson.
NAAS: Peter Osborne; Fionn Higgins, Johne Murphy, Eoin Walsh, Andy Ellis; Peter Hastie, Richard Fahy; Conor Doyle, Graham Reynolds, Adam Coyle, Paul Monahan, David Benn, Ryan Casey, Will O’Brien, James Connolly.
Replacements: Cathal Duff, Jack Barry, Peter King, Niall Delahunt, Cillian Dempsey, Ruadhan McDonnell, Fionn Carr.
UCC’s points machine James Taylor scored a try and kicked 12 points as they completed the first part of their mission to avoid relegation from All-Ireland League Division 1A. They will have home advantage in next Saturday’s play-off final against Old Wesley.
In today’s play-off semi-final at Energia Park, Morgan Lennon’s Wesley team outlasted Naas after 100-plus absorbing minutes of hugely-committed and entertaining rugby to prevail 20-17. Replacement Josh Miller’s extra-time penalty was the difference between the sides. Naas player-coach Johne Murphy has confirmed he is stepping down and also hanging up his boots after a distinguished playing career in Ireland and England.
Notably, three of the weekend’s four promotion/relegation play-off deciders were won by away teams. Clonmel will join Round Robin winners Enniscorthy in Division 2C next season following a gritty 15-12 win at Seapoint. Dylan Cadogan’s coolly-struck last-minute penalty saw the south Tipperary club secure a historic All-Ireland League place.
Navan’s stunning rise up the divisions continued with their third promotion in as many years, which was sealed by a 34-19 triumph over Queen’s University. They finished sixth in Division 2C in 2016, but a league title and two play-off final wins have followed under Alan Kingsley, firstly, and now Ray Moloney. They booked a Division 1B berth thanks to tries from James McInerney (2), Willie Staunton and Leigh Jackson, as well as a penalty try.
A late Staunton penalty denied Rainey Old Boys promotion to the third tier last year, but the Magherafelt club will compete in Division 2A next season. First half tries from Oisin Quinn, Brad Roberts and Michael O’Neill inspired their tense 35-21 win at Stradbrook, which demoted a Blackrock side which has James Blaney coming on board as their new head coach.
Although out-half Andrew Magrath touched down to cancel out a Blackrock try and complete his 13-point haul, the Dubliners fought back with two more converted scores to make it a seven-point game. However, Rainey survived two yellow cards and replacement prop Aidan McSwiggan’s last-minute match-winning try was converted in front of the posts by retiring lock Tim Barker, whose final season has been hampered by a recurring back problem.
Two years on from gaining senior status, Malahide blitzed Bruff 36-13 at Kilballyowen Park to ensure Division 2B rugby at Estuary Road come the autumn. Marcus McAllister saved the best for last, intercepting a loose ball on halfway, darting downfield and throwing an outstanding offload behind his back to send fellow winger Daniel Hayes over for the Dubliners’ fifth and final try.
DIVISION 1B PROMOTION/RELEGATION PLAY-OFF FINAL:
Navan 34 Queen’s University 19, Balreask Old
DIVISION 2A PROMOTION/RELEGATION PLAY-OFF FINAL:
Blackrock College 21 Rainey Old Boys 35, Stradbrook
DIVISION 2B PROMOTION/RELEGATION PLAY-OFF FINAL:
Bruff 13 Malahide 36, Kilballyowen Park
DIVISION 2C PROMOTION/RELEGATION PLAY-OFF FINAL:
Seapoint 12 Clonmel 15, Kilbogget Park