Energia All-Ireland Men’s Junior Cup Final Preview: Dromore v Seapoint

ENERGIA ALL-IRELAND MEN’S JUNIOR CUP FINAL:

Saturday, January 24 –

DROMORE v SEAPOINT, Ashbourne RFC, 2.30pm (live on irishrugby+)

Energia Junior Cup Titles – Dromore: 0; Seapoint: 1 (2007); Previous Final Appearances – Dromore: 1 (2020 Runners-up); Seapoint: 1 (2007 Champions)

Previous Energia Junior Cup Finals –

2024/25: Bective Rangers 37 Enniskillen 31, Ashbourne RFC
2023/24: Ballyclare 48 Bective Rangers 8, Dundalk RFC
2022/23: Clogher Valley 30 Enniskillen 18, Kingspan Stadium
2021/22: Ballyclare 11 Clogher Valley 13, Kingspan Stadium
2020/21: Competition cancelled due to Covid-19
2019/20: Kilfeacle & District 28 Dromore 24, Coolmine RFC
2018/19: Ashbourne 16 Enniscorthy 11, Edenderry RFC
2017/18: Ashbourne 18 Kilfeacle & District 9, Portlaoise RFC
2016/17: Ashbourne 22 Enniscorthy 20, Old Wesley RFC
2015/16: Enniscorthy 23 Instonians 7, Ashbourne RFC
2014/15: Bangor 5 Dundalk 55, Portadown RFC
2013/14: Clogher Valley 9 Enniscorthy 10, Coolmine RFC
2012/13: Enniscorthy 10 Tullamore 29, Cill Dara RFC
2011/12: Monivea 3 Tullamore 9, Buccaneers RFC
2010/11: Crosshaven 17 Monivea 9, St. Mary’s College RFC
2009/10: City of Armagh 17 City of Derry 19, Buccaneers RFC
2008/09: Navan 13 Tullamore 23, Buccaneers RFC
2007/08: Navan 20 Tullamore 6, Buccaneers RFC
2006/07: Coleraine 15 Seapoint 47, Buccaneers RFC
2005/06: Rainey Old Boys 27 Youghal 5, Lansdowne Road

Pre-Match Quotes – Aaron Stewart (Dromore): “2020 was big, real big for the club. There was buzz around the whole town. And even this year too, you have people from all corners of Ulster asking me about it, and they’re coming down on the bus to watch the game, so it’s a big buzz about it.

“I remember, I’d been there from about 2010, 2011, I started playing senior rugby. I think the first time we got into the All-Ireland Junior Cup was 2015. And we played Enniscorthy, and we didn’t even have enough players to go down.

“So we conceded the game before we even went. 13 boys going down there, and then two of the Enniscorthy boys playing with us. So to come from there, within five years, to get to the final, just showed how far we’d actually dug in and moved on as a club.

“It’s good to have the opportunity to be there (in the final) again. Even for myself to be there for the first time (after missing the 2020 decider due to neck surgery), but I never thought we would get that chance again. It would be good to get back there and win the trophy from not even playing that year.”

Donal McMahon (Seapoint): “It’s been a hugely enjoyable lead up to the final. They’ve all been tough games along the way and we’ve taken our learnings from each and every one of them and positives as well.

“We probably haven’t clicked as well as we would have liked to. We would have liked to not have those close games. We feel like we’re getting really into that flow state now where things are clicking and all at the right time.

“To be honest with you, we haven’t actually really looked at Dromore a huge amount. Because I think if we focus on ourselves and go into Saturday with being the best version of ourselves, we really back ourselves to beat anyone in the junior leagues.

“Obviously we’ll give them the due respect. I know that they’ve been up there and close to beating Bective Rangers last year in the semi-final of the promotion play-offs. We ran Bective close. We beat Bective in previous years. We’re not worried that we won’t be at the level whatsoever.”

Paths To The Final –

DROMORE:

First Round
– won 26-5 v Bandon away

Quarter-Final
– won 23-0 v Enniskillen home

Semi-Final
– won 32-21 v Creggs away

SEAPOINT:

First Round
– won 27-25 v Cooke home

Quarter-Final
– won 30-20 v Wicklow home

Semi-Final
– won 32-19 v Athy home

Preview: A year on from Bective Rangers’ barnstorming comeback win over Enniskillen, first-time finalists Dromore and 2007 champions Seapoint will do battle for the Energia All-Ireland Men’s Junior Cup. Busloads of supporters are making the trip to Ashbourne Rugby Club for the title decider.

Dromore are itching to get their hands on All-Ireland silverware, having roared their way to Ulster Rugby Championship 1 glory last March. They had their share of disappointments too last season, failing at the Energia Junior Cup’s semi-final hurdle to Bective, and losing to Thomond in the Energia All-Ireland League promotion play-offs.

Kilfeacle & District denied the County Down side in the 2020 Junior Cup final, and a shot at redemption for that four-point defeat comes this afternoon for Matthew McMaster, Richard Dickson, Andrew Rutledge, and Andrew Black, the four surviving members in the matchday squad.

Dromore earned wins over teams from the three other provinces to get back to this stage, two of which were on the road. After beating Bandon 26-5, they made quite a statement with a 23-0 quarter-final victory over Enniskillen, their fierce Ulster rivals and last year’s Junior Cup runners-up.

Captained by back rower Ryan Hughes, they went on to end Creggs’ hopes in a keenly-contested December semi-final. Hooker Harry Long claimed two tries from mauls, emphasising Dromore’s forward power on the day, with Matthew Miller, the former Queen’s University prop, their player-of-the-match.

Centre Dean Dillon has impressed with three tries in the last two rounds, featuring in an unchanged back-line led by Jonny Hunter and Harvey Patterson. Gary Dillon’s injury-enforced absence is covered by Hughes who moves to number 8, with Ben Carey coming in at openside flanker.

Dromore warmed up for the Energia Junior Cup final with a 31-5 triumph away to Cooke in Ulster’s Towns Cup. Cooke were Seapoint’s opening opponents in this season’s Junior Cup competition, the Dubliners advancing thanks to a hard-fought 27-25 win back in October.

Adam Philpot’s men have had a ‘home’ run through to the final, albeit that their semi-final against Athy was switched to the St. Michael’s College 4G pitch due to Kilbogget Park being unplayable that weekend.

Their confidence and quality of play has grown through dispatching both Wicklow (30-20) and Athy (32-19), with captain Donal McMahon – a try scorer in each round – taking his haul to four tries overall. Winger Oisin McKenna has matched that tally, closely followed by Matt Jungmann on three.

Seapoint’s outside backs have caught the eye this season, and Jungmann switches to full-back today due to Cormac Hurley being sidelined. In all, head coach Philpott has made six personnel changes to the team that put together that five-try performance against Athy.

Charlie McLoughlin takes over from Conor Byrne at out-half, Dave O’Reilly fills the left wing berth, and Patrick Perrem teams up with Matt McKenna, the same centre pairing from last week’s agonising 35-34 defeat to Tullow which leaves them fourth in Leinster League Division 1A.

Callum Kavanagh and Eoin Mahon join tighthead Conor Eivers in the front row, and Liam Forster, who comes in at openside flanker, is preferred to Dan O’Donovan in the back row. The talismanic McMahon, who has played with Blackrock College and UCD, reverts to number 8.

Seapoint have a very proud link back to the early days of the Junior Cup, being crowned champions 19 years ago when head coach Declan Keegan and skipper Jonathan Walsh were at the helm. They overcame Coleraine, winning 47-15 with Felix Jones (2) and Aaron Dundon among the try scorers.

IrishRugby.ie Prediction: Dromore to win

DROMORE: Jack Dillon; Aaron Stewart, Ethan Patterson, Dean Dillon, Samuel Dillon; Jonny Hunter, Harvey Patterson; Callum Bradley, Harry Long, Matthew Miller, Matthew McMaster, Matthew Thompson, Richard Dickson, Ben Carey, Ryan Hughes (capt).

Replacements: Rory Stewart, Adam Hanna, Andrew Black, Ryan Hanna, Blair McDonald, Jason Gribbon, Adam Keating, Andrew Rutledge.

SEAPOINT: Matt Jungmann; Oisin McKenna, Patrick Perrem, Matt McKenna, Dave O’Reilly; Charlie McLoughlin, Sam O’Donovan; Callum Kavanagh, Eoin Mahon, Conor Eivers, Hugh Ross, Tom Chadwick, Dave Murphy, Liam Forster, Donal McMahon (capt).

Replacements: Hugh Bourke, Dylan Kirara, Josh Whelan, Jack Campbell, Dan O’Donovan, James Newman, Gareth Hughes.

Referee: Shane Tuohy (IRFU)