Fraser McMullen Cup Final Preview: MU Barnhall v Clontarf
The MU Barnhall Under-20 Men's team have qualified for the Fraser McMullen Cup final at their first attempt ©Isobel Walsh
There is a huge amount of interest surrounding today’s Fraser McMullen Cup final, as Clontarf and MU Barnhall – the top two finishers in Leinster’s JP Fanagan Premier 1 League – fight it out to be crowned All-Ireland Under-20 Men’s champions.
FRASER MCMULLEN ALL-IRELAND UNDER-20 MEN’S CUP FINAL:
Saturday, April 12 –
MU BARNHALL v CLONTARF, Lakelands Park, Terenure College RFC, 2pm
Paths To The Final – MU Barnhall: Won 64-23 v Garryowen (home); Won 28-28 v UCC (away) * MU Barnhall won after extra-time on the away team tiebreak); Clontarf: Won 26-21 v Dublin University (home); Won 23-17 v UCD (home)
Preview: This is the fourth year in a row that the Fraser McMullen Cup final is an all-Leinster affair, and it shows the sheer competitives of Under-20 rugby within the province that MU Barnhall are first-time finalists, and Clontarf last reached this stage in 2018.
Coached by Ian Smith, the Clontarf U-20A team dethroned 2024 champions UCD in last week’s semi-finals, winning 23-17 on home soil thanks to tries from Sean Finlay, influential number 8 Ruairi Munnelly, and Eoin McDermott.
It has already been the MU Barnhall U-20s’ best ever season under Tom McKeown, the legendary All-Ireland League player who is Rugby Development Manager at Maynooth University. They want silverware to show for it after a gut-wrenching finish to their provincial league.
Despite finishing level on points and having the best attacking and defensive records, MU Barnhall were narrowly beaten to the JP Fanagan Premier 1 title by Clontarf who won on head-to-head points accumulation.
The Leixlip-based club has enjoyed some notable success at U-20 level, lifting the JP Fanagan Premier 2 trophy three times. Some of those players have gone on to help the Barnhall senior side to qualify for next weekend’s Energia All-Ireland League Men’s Division 1B promotion play-offs.
McKeown says that their ambition is to ‘supply the senior team with a pipeline of talent to facilitate momentum and gaining promotions in the All-Ireland League’.
The future certainly looks bright for the MUB U-20 set-up and the Blue Bulls, with 14 of their matchday squad from their Fraser McMullen Cup semi-final victory over UCC in their first year out of school.
McKeown’s youngsters advanced on the away team tiebreak, after it finished 28-all at the Mardyke following extra-time. They have used 38 players across their league and cup competitions, and winger Dylan Bruton has starred with 17 tries in as many competitive matches.
The MU Barnhall U-20 head coach praised the ‘assured place-kicking’ of Neil Byrne, and the effectiveness at lineout time of Sean Walsh, who starts on the bench tomorrow having played for the Ireland Under-19s away to Wales last Sunday.
McKeown says that Oisin O’Neill and Luke Fogarty have directed the team ‘exceptionally well’ from half-back, while Conall O’Callaghan and Cian Behal slot in as the starting centres. Sean Hopkins replaces Rob Niland at loosehead prop, starting alongside hooker and captain Finn Brien.
“The emergence of other local talent, nurtured through the club has bedded in really well. We’re looking forward to the massive challenge of facing an excellent Clontarf team, and hope to showcase the rugby we have delivered all season,” he said.
Clontarf won the sides’ first meeting back in October, scoring four tries in a 35-19 win, before Barnhall gained revenge with a 38-26 triumph at Parsonstown in January. The Kildare outfit are also through to next week’s McCorry Cup semi-finals.
Clontarf’s well-drilled lineout drive has been hugely important to their success in 2024/25, with a total of 21 maul tries scored so far across the Leinster and All-Ireland competitions. Captain Charlie Coghlan leads from the second row.
They had three maul scores, and a try from full-back Tadg Duff, during their 26-21 Fraser McMullen Cup quarter-final victory over Dublin University. ‘Tarf great Matt D’Arcy, who won two All-Ireland League Division 1A titles, is part of their U-20A coaching group.
As the north Dubliners bid to win the JP Fanagan Premier 1 and Fraser McMullen Cup for the first time in the same season, head coach Smith has kept the changes to a minimum, bringing in McDermott for John Cadogan at tighthead prop.
Mention some players who have stood out, Clontarf team manager Shane Coghlan said: “Ruairi Munnelly’s ball carrying and lineout work has been impressive, as has (winger) Daniel Baugh’s ability to score tries.
“Paddy Martin has been very solid from the tee, and his half-back partner (Sean) Finlay, coming back from a long injury, has been super for us this side of Christmas.”
Coghlan picked out two other members of the pack, Sean Lavin and Daragh Doyle, who are ‘real pests at the breakdown’, which is sure to a fiercely-contested area of the game, and possibly crucial to the overall outcome.
These teams know each other so well, and with a national cup on offer, this is shaping up to be a fascinating conclusion to the blue riband age-grade competition named in honour of McMullen, a former Ireland international and an ex-Clontarf captain.
MU BARNHALL U-20: Neil Byrne; Dylan Bruton, Conall O’Callaghan, Cian Behal, Adam Gray; Oisin O’Neill, Luke Fogarty; Sean Hopkins, Finn Brien (capt), Conan Gartland, Harry Peavoy, Laurence Power, Finn Leach, David Moore, Eoghan Staunton.
Replacements: Dylan O’Sullivan, Billy Dowling, Padraic Cullen, Rob Niland, Sean Walsh, Sam Mills, Ethan Fennell, Dylan Kelly.
CLONTARF U-20: Tadg Duff; Daniel Baugh, Jack Grant, Luke Carley, Rian Treacy; Paddy Martin, Sean Finlay; Karl Brennan, Fionn Hickey, Eoin McDermott, Daragh Doyle, Charlie Coghlan (capt), Johnny Cahalan, Sean Lavin, Ruairi Munnelly.
Replacements: Josh Montgomery, Conal Lohan Kilraine, John Cadogan, Ryan McCann, Darragh Mathews, Louis Gaughan, Eoghan O’Hanlon, Loclainn Harris.
IrishRugby.ie Prediction: MU Barnhall to win