Irish Rugby | Energia All-Ireland League Rewind: 2019 Final – Cork Constitution v Clontarf

The top two sides in the regular season reached the final and were looking to build on their success of previous seasons. Con were chasing their second title in three years while Tarf were looking to secure their third AIL title in six seasons.

Cork Constitution v Clontarf

Energia AIL Division 1A Final

Sunday 5th May, 2019

Con had taken the spoils in both meetings between the sides earlier in the season as they went on to record 15 wins and amass 13 bonus points across the league campaign. Tarf missed out on the top four the previous season but back to back victories over Lansdowne catapulted them into their seventh AIL final.

Con’s prolific out-half Aidan Moynihan had clocked 162 points already in the campaign and he would prove pivotal again as the Cork outfit dominated proceedings. Moynihan’s educated boot added to the potency of a backline containing Shane Daly, Sean French and Alex McHenry and kept Tarf on the back foot for most of the game.

Cork Constitution's Sean French tackled by Jack Power of Clontarf

Despite some glimmers of resistance from Matt D’Arcy, Angus Lloyd and the Tarf pack, this sunny afternoon at the Aviva Stadium belonged to Cork Con.

CORK CONSTITUTION 28 CLONTARF 13, Aviva Stadium

Scorers: Cork Constitution: Tries: Shane Daly, Rob Jermyn, Duncan Williams; Cons: Aidan Moynihan 2; Pens: Aidan Moynihan 3

Clontarf: Try: Matt D’Arcy; Con: David Joyce; Pens: David Joyce 2

CORK CONSTITUTION: Liam O’Connell; Sean French, Shane Daly, Alex McHenry, Rob Jermyn; Aidan Moynihan, Jason Higgins; Gavin Duffy, Vincent O’Brien, Dylan Murphy, Brian Hayes (capt), Evan Mintern, Joe McSwiney, Kevin Sheahan, Luke Cahill.

Replacements: James Murphy, Duncan Williams, Jonathan Wren, Patrick Casey, Ross O’Neill, Max Abbott, Brendan Quinlan.

CLONTARF: Jack Power; Michael Courtney, Sean O’Brien, Matt D’Arcy, Cian O’Donoghue; David Joyce, Angus Lloyd; Ian Soroka, Paddy Finlay, Royce Burke-Flynn, Cormac Daly, Ben Reilly, Tony Ryan, Adrian D’Arcy, Michael Noone (capt).

Replacements: Vakh Abdaladze, Andrew Feeney, Declan Adamson, Conor O’Brien, Brian Deeny, Tom Ryan, Conor Kelly.