#EnergiaAIL Men’s Division 1A: Round 1 Review

Energia All-Ireland League Men’s Divisions: Round 1 Results Round-Up

The former All Black watched young winger Dan Martin bag a try in each half, while former Young Munster out-half Julian Leszczynski contributed nine points from the tee for Terenure.

Paddy Clancy rewarded Conor Tonge’s breaking work with a booming opening penalty for a much-changed UCD, and it took a good while for ‘Nure to show some of their recent Leinster Senior Cup-winning form at the Bowl.

Spencer’s side crucially took advantage of Daniel Hurley’s sin-binning to build a 17-3 half-time lead. Martin crossed from Ethan Reilly’s long kick through, and Aran Egan then finished off a breathless break that was launched from far out by centres John Devine and Reilly.

With Max Russell seeing yellow early in the second half, the students rallied. Ireland Under-20 international Charlie Molony thundered over from Clancy’s neat assist, and their forwards were inches away from a second try amid a sustained bout of pressure.

Instead, Terenure stung them on the counter. Martin’s kick chase put pressure on Molony, and Reilly evaded a tackle to put his supporting winger over from the right in the 65th minute. Leszczynski tucked away his third successful kick for a 24-10 advantage.

Neither side could claim a closing bonus point, which UCD deserved for a strong finish. Good hands from Clancy and Tom Murtagh released full-back Molony to go over in the final play, yet Clancy’s missed conversion left it at a nine-point margin.

Meanwhile, Nenagh Ormond’s first ever Division 1A match ended in disappointment as Old Belvedere used a superior second-half performance to win 23-13 in Lisatunny.

The first Tipperary club to play in the top fight, Nenagh led 6-3 at the end of a cagey opening 40 minutes on their all-weather pitch. Conor McMahon landed two penalties, with Belvedere out-half David Wilkinson replying just before half-time.

Quenton O’Neale’s team talk worked a treat for ‘Belvo, number 8 Will McDonald picking up swiftly from a 44th-minute ruck to score soon after John O’Flaherty’s yellow card. Wilkinson converted for a 10-6 advantage.

Despite losing skipper Calum Dowling to the bin, last season’s Division 1B champions widened the margin to 20-6. New signing Morgan Meredith threatened from a quick tap, before Chris O’Connor fed replacement hooker Luke McLaughlin to charge over from Nenagh’s 22-metre line.

Wilkinson’s reliable left boot wrapped up the result, firstly with a 70th-minute penalty and then with a three-pointer from distance with a minute remaining. In between, Nenagh player-coach Derek Corcoran ran in their only try with a lovely step and burst of acceleration.

St. Mary’s College, who were beaten semi-finalists last April, and Ballynahinch shot straight to the top of the table following their respective bonus point victories over Clontarf (32-21) and Young Munster.

Led by Conor Dean, St. Mary’s brilliantly grabbed their Dublin derby opener at Templeville Road by the scruff of the neck. They were 22-0 ahead after 37 minutes thanks to tries from Ruairi Shields, Jack Nelson Murray, and Myles Carey.

Mary’s found their way to the edges almost straight away, setting up Dan Goggin to break into the Clontarf 22 before the ever-reliable Mick O’Gara registered the opening three points from the kicking tee.

Defending champions ‘Tarf failed to profit from a bout of pressure brought on by Peter Maher’s fine fielding. Instead it was Mary’s who added to their lead in the 12th minute, striking for a slick first-phase try off a lineout.

Leandro Ramirez glided through a midfield gap just on halfway, and fed the supporting Shields out wide. He took the ball on from 40 metres out, maintaining a high speed to slice inside Ross Deegan and go in behind the posts.

New Zealander Josh Gimblett came up with a crucial turnover close to the Mary’s try-line, as the Clontarf pack fell agonisingly short of a reply. Centre Carey then sparked another quick-witted attack off a lineout, as play swiftly swung back downfield.

Dean dinked a penalty into the left corner, and hooker Nelson Murray used a well-executed maul to put 15 points between the teams.

Carey and Goggin’s efforts at the breakdown then lifted a siege at the other end, as ‘Tarf, who had won a scrum penalty and pressed through a series of lineout drives, remained scoreless.

Andy Wood’s men fell further behind in the 36th minute when out-half Dean’s deft kick over the top bounced invitingly for the onrushing Carey. He collected the ball at pace, just ahead of Dylan O’Grady, and produced a pacy finish from just inside the ‘Tarf half.

Clontarf did manage to take the lopsided look off the scoreboard with a timely try heading into the second half. A bout of close-in carrying ended with captain Dylan Donnellan burrowing over for Conor Kelly to convert.

Leading 22-7 at the interval, Mark McHugh’s side were first to threaten when play resumed. Goggin increased his influence at the breakdown and as a ball carrier, before tighthead Tom O’Reilly notched the hosts’ bonus point try from a 52nd-minute maul.

After O’Gara’s accurate right boot had curled over the conversion, Oran Walsh lifted Clontarf with a well-won penalty at the breakdown. Mary’s kept making metres, though, and O’Gara punished Luke Brady’s high tackle to make it 32-7.

Clontarf came home without a point despite managing to get on the front foot for much of the last quarter. They pulled back two tries in the end, the first one coming after a scrum penalty. A well-worked maul saw replacement Declan Adamson ground the ball.

Kelly’s conversion from out on the right left the deficit at 18 points, and the title holders shaved seven more off that with a last-minute penalty try, awarded for a maul infringement right on the Mary’s line.

Young Munster also had the final say at Ballymacarn Park with two closing tries, but Ballynahinch held on to take the spoils, winning a high-scoring contest 35-33.

Adam Craig’s ‘Hinch outfit did almost all of the damage during the first half with a four-try salvo. Bradley Luney barged through tackles from Alan Kennedy and Ajae Hanson to set them on their way with a seventh-minute try.

Ballynahinch captain Claytan Milligan soon squeezed over from a lineout maul, and Fintan Coleman’s yellow card for a high tackle on Bryn Ward had Young Munster under further pressure entering the second quarter.

The home side made him pay with two quick-fire tries, as centres Mark Best and Matthew Booth both made it over, the latter diving in under the posts via Ethan Graham’s jinking run and well-timed offload.

A series of penalties put the Cookies in range to strike back before the interval. Aided by Ward’s sin-binning for a maul infringement, they opened their account when Hubert Gilvarry evaded Graham’s clutches to scamper over from the edge of the ‘Hinch 22.

Trailing 28-7 at half-time, the Cookies were able to chip away at the deficit, bringing it down to nine points. Gilvarry countered superbly from a clearance kick, leading to Munster’s Shay McCarthy crossing just two minutes into the second period.

Christian Foley burrowed over in the 53rd minute, with replacement James Horrigan on the latch, as ‘Hinch were punished for their indiscipline again.

The Ulster Senior Cup finalists made their next visit to the Munsters’ 22 count, though, as tighthead Tom McAllister muscled over to make it 35-19.

Craig’s men were down to 14 again due to scrum-half Chris Gibson’s yellow card for ‘playing the 9′, and it opened the door for the visitors’ fourth try.

Gilvarry doubled his tally before burly replacement Paul Allen ran a great line to score under the posts, setting up a grandstand finish with just two points in it.

The scoreboard remained untouched during a tense finale, nonetheless, as Munsters’ Kelvin Langan, who had landed four conversions, was slightly off target with a long-range penalty attempt. A relieved ‘Hinch finished the game back inside the Cookies’ half.

On the Aviva Stadium’s back pitch, Stephen Madigan kicked an important 12 points as Lansdowne got the better of Cork Constitution, last year’s beaten finalists, on a 27-22 scoreline.

In a barnstorming first-half display from Lansdowne, their new hooker Bobby Sheehan helped himself to two tries, one from a well-controlled maul and the second arrived when he scooped up a loose Cork Con lineout and broke free for the corner.

A pacy break down the short side saw Leinster Academy back Todd Lawlor touch down in same right corner. With Madigan also mopping up points from the tee, Constitution were a full 27 points adrift.

Munster Academy hooker Danny Sheahan responded from a lineout drive, right on the stroke of half-time, and Eoghan Smyth’s impact off the bench boosted Con further.

They ultimately battled their way to a losing bonus point. Matthew Bowen and Cian Barry added second-half tries, the latter scoring while Lansdowne’s Jack Matthews was in the sin.

Full-back George Coomber fired over a monster penalty from inside his own half, giving Con a losing bonus point. Yet they will be kicking themselves, as their maul misfired at a key stage when Lansdowne were on the ropes late on.

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