#EnergiaAIL Men’s Division 1A: Semi-Final Previews
Lansdowne centre Rory Parata is tackled by Clontarf's Aaron Coleman during the Bank of Ireland Leinster Senior Cup final earlier in the season ©SPORTSFILE/Tom Beary
Two of the last three title winners, Cork Constitution and Clontarf, last season’s Division 1B champions St. Mary’s College, and Bateman Cup holders Lansdowne form the line-up for Saturday’s Energia All-Ireland League Men’s Division 1A semi-finals. Watch both matches live on irishrugby+.
Tickets for the final at the Aviva Stadium on Sunday, April 27 (kick-off 4pm) – the second ever #EnergiaAIL Men’s and Women’s finals double header – are on sale now from Ticketmaster – buy here.
ENERGIA ALL-IRELAND LEAGUE MEN’S DIVISION 1A SEMI-FINALS:
Saturday, April 19
Kick-off 2.30pm unless stated –
ST. MARY’S COLLEGE (2nd) v CORK CONSTITUTION (3rd), Templeville Road (live on irishrugby+)
Energia All-Ireland League Season’s Form: St. Mary’s College: LWLWWWDWWLWLLWWWWL; Cork Constitution: LWWLLWDWWWWWWLLWWW
Energia All-Ireland League Top Scorers – St. Mary’s College: Points: Conor Hayes 152; Tries: Mark Fogarty 14; Cork Constitution: Points: James Taylor 118; Tries: Sean French, Matthew Bowen 8 each
Preview: After romping their way to the Division 1B crown last season, St. Mary’s College showed they are right at home in the top flight with a second place finish. Their haul of 11 wins and 13 try-scoring bonus points has earned them a home semi-final against reigning champions Cork Constitution.
In a timely boost, Mary’s welcome back captain Ronan Watters from injury for his first appearance since mid-February. Head coach Mark McHugh rested a number of players in the last round, so there are 10 personnel changes, including the return of other key men like Conor Hayes, Mark Fogarty, Conor Dean, Greg Jones, and Ethan Baxter.
Fleet-footed winger Fogarty is Division 1A’s joint-top try scorer, racking up 14 tries along the way. Notably, his best performance in terms of crossing the whitewash came in their home game against Cork Con with four tries scored, including a hat-trick between the 71st and 79th minutes.
There was only a point between these teams across their two meetings during the regular season. Jacob Sheahan and Richie Bergin swapped final-quarter maul tries during a 27-all draw at Temple Hill, while Cork Con won January’s rematch, 30-29, thanks to Adam Maher’s 73rd-minute try.
Whereas Mary’s are bidding to reach their first league final since 2010, Jonny Holland’s Con side are regular fixtures at the business end of the season, chasing title number eight for the much-decorated club.
With a place in Sunday week’s Aviva Stadium finals double header up for grabs, former Con captain Niall Kenneally and David Good both start, the latter coming into the front row for Mark Donnelly, who is on Munster’s bench for their clash with the Vodacom Bulls.
ST. MARY’S COLLEGE: Conor Hayes; Mark Fogarty, Myles Carey, Mick O’Gara, Michael Silvester; Conor Dean, Richie Fahy; Tom O’Reilly, Jack Nelson Murray, Mick McCormack, Daniel Leane, Greg Jones, Ronan Watters (capt), Ethan Baxter, Dan Goggin.
Replacements: Richie Bergin, Ciaran Scott, Andy Keating, Lucas Culliton, Conor Pierce, Adam McEvoy, Aaron O’Neill, Leandro Ramirez.
CORK CONSTITUTION: Billy Crowley; Daniel Hurley, Sean French, Niall Kenneally, Matthew Bowen; James Taylor, Adam Maher; David Good, Billy Scannell, Luke Masters, Sean Duffy, John Forde, Jack Kelleher, Ronán O’Sullivan, David Hyland (capt).
Replacements: George Good, David Bamidele, Charlie Connolly, Eoin Quilter, Jacob Sheahan, Louis Kahn, Eoghan Smyth, George Coomber.
Recent League Meetings – Saturday, November 16, 2024: Cork Constitution 27 St. Mary’s College 27, Temple Hill; Saturday, January 25, 2025: St. Mary’s College 29 Cork Constitution 30, Templeville Road
IrishRugby.ie Prediction: Cork Constitution to win
CLONTARF (1st) v LANSDOWNE (4th), Castle Avenue, 4.30pm (live on irishrugby+)
Energia All-Ireland League Season’s Form: Clontarf: WWWLWWLWWWWLWWWWLW; Lansdowne: LWLWLLWWLWWLWWWWWW
Energia All-Ireland League Top Scorers – Clontarf: Points: Conor Kelly 188; Tries: Dylan Donnellan 14; Lansdowne: Points: Stephen Madigan 98; Tries: Andy Marks 11
Preview: The chances of a Dublin club lifting the trophy next weekend remain strong. Three teams from the capital have made the play-offs for the third time in four seasons, and old rivals Clontarf and Lansdowne meet at Castle Avenue after Andy Wood’s men finished top of the table.
Twelve months ago, both of these sides fell agonisingly short of an away semi-final win. Clontarf rebounded this season by winning the Leinster Senior Cup, with a late Aaron Coleman try proving decisive in a 19-17 final victory over Lansdowne, and climbing above St. Mary’s at the summit of Division 1A most recently.
Wood has stuck with that winning formula from two weeks ago, his only change seeing winger Stephen Ryan return. Leinster’s Hugh Cooney combines with current Ireland Under-20 international Connor Fahy in the centre, and talismanic captain Dylan Donnellan, with 14 tries this term, leads the forwards.
26-17 winners when they hosted ‘Tarf in November, Lansdowne return to the scene of an epic January encounter which produced 12 tries and ended in a narrow 49-46 triumph for the north Dubliners.
Three weeks prior to that, Declan Fassbender’s charges were crowned Bateman Cup champions, and Leinster’s Charlie Tector, Cormac Foley, and Liam Molony bolster their semi-final selection as starters. Temi Lasisi and Hugo McLaughlin are also part of the matchday 23.
With the headquarters club without a Division 1A final appearance since 2018, captain Jack Cooke and his team-mates are fiercely determined to keep their double dreams alive. They boast the division’s best defensive record, conceding an average of 18.8 points per game with locks Ruairi Clarke and Juan Beukes standing out.
CLONTARF: Tadhg Bird; Peter Maher, Hugh Cooney, Connor Fahy, Stephen Ryan; Conor Kelly, Sam Owens; Ivan Soroka, Dylan Donnellan (capt), Ben Griffin, Fionn Gilbert, Jim Peters, Callum Smith, Aaron Coleman, John Vinson.
Replacements: Declan Adamson, Charlie Ward, Luke Brady, Will Reilly, Noah Sheridan, Mark O’Sullivan, Oran Walsh, Conor Bateman.
LANSDOWNE: Cillian Redmond; Peter Sullivan, Andy Marks, Charlie Tector, Rob Hedderman; Stephen Madigan, Cormac Foley; Jerry Cahir, Jack Treanor, Greg McGrath, Ruairi Clarke, Juan Beukes, Jack Cooke (capt), Liam Molony, Hardus van Eeden.
Replacements: Chris Poole, George Morris, Temi Lasisi, Barry Fitzpatrick, Donough Lawlor, Jack Matthews, Rory Parata, Hugo McLaughlin.
Recent League Meetings – Saturday, November 16, 2024: Lansdowne 26 Clontarf 17, Aviva Stadium back pitch; Saturday, January 25, 2025: Clontarf 49 Lansdowne 46, Castle Avenue
IrishRugby.ie Prediction: Clontarf to win
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