#EnergiaAIL Men’s Division 1A: Semi-Final Previews
St. Mary's College winger Aaron O'Sullivan takes on Terenure College's Adam La Grue during the sides' February clash at Templeville Road ©Seb Daly/Sportsfile
It is a massive day in the Energia All-Ireland League as the Men’s Division 1A final pairing will be made. Neighbouring rivals St. Mary’s College and Terenure College will go head-to-head, before Clontarf and Lansdowne meet north of the Liffey. Watch both semi-finals live on irishrugby+.
Tickets for the final at the Aviva Stadium on Sunday, April 26 (kick-off 4pm) – the third 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 18 –
ST. MARY’S COLLEGE (1st) v TERENURE COLLEGE (4th), Templeville Road, 2pm (live on irishrugby+)
Energia All-Ireland League Season’s Form: St. Mary’s College: WWWWWLWWLWDWWWWLLW; Terenure College: WLWWWWLLLWLWLWWLWW
Energia All-Ireland League Top Scorers – St. Mary’s College: Points: Mick O’Gara 187; Tries: Myles Carey 8; Terenure College: Points: Chris Cosgrave 100; Tries: Aran Egan 10
Preview: The top flight’s first finalists will emerge from this potentially explosive Dublin 6W derby. It is an all-ticket affair as St. Mary’s College, earning home advantage for their table-topping finish, look to go one step further than last year when Cork Constitution handed them a home semi-final defeat.
Despite parting ways with head coach Carlos Spencer in February, Terenure College have rallied impressively, winning four of their last five games to edge out Cork Con for the final play-off place. Having ended up sixth last season, ‘Nure now have a chance to reach their fourth final in five seasons.
It was one win apiece during the regular season, with tries from provincial players John McKee and Oisin McCormack helping Terenure to prevail 14-12 at home in November. St. Mary’s reversed that result in early February, taking a 28-21 verdict after Ireland Club international Myles Carey crossed twice.
Mark McHugh’s Mary’s side have had the best defensive record this season, conceding an average of 16.33 points per game. Mick O’Gara (187 points) is well clear at the top of the scoring charts, while Terenure’s Aran Egan (10 tries) and Will Hickey, the division’s second leading ball carrier with 179, have also stood out.
Selection wise, Carey and former Ireland Sevens international Aaron O’Sullivan return to the Mary’s back-line for this last-four showdown. Carey’s inclusion means a move from midfield back to number 8 for the versatile Dan Goggin, with Oisin Michel and Jack Nelson Murray also restored to the front row.
For the 2023 champions, Leinster hooker McKee comes in as a starter. His provincial colleague, Caspar Gabriel, swaps places with Egan, who switches from full-back to out-half, alongside New Zealander Griffin Culver. Terenure’s top scorer Chris Cosgrave (100 points) will line out on the left wing.
ST. MARY’S COLLEGE: Ruairi Shields; Aaron O’Sullivan, Myles Carey, Mick O’Gara, Leandro Ramirez; Conor Dean (capt), Rob Gilsenan; Oisin Michel, Jack Nelson Murray, Mick McCormack, Greg Jones, Daniel Leane, Josh Gimblett, Ronan Watters, Dan Goggin.
Replacements: Richie Bergin, Tom O’Reilly, Andrew Sparrow, Conor Pierce, Finn Burke, Ethan Baxter, Mark Fogarty, Steven Kilgallen.
TERENURE COLLEGE: Aran Egan; Adam La Grue, Craig Adams, Ethan Reilly, Chris Cosgrave; Caspar Gabriel, Griffin Culver; Marcus Hanan, John McKee, Adam Tuite, Seán Rigney, Harrison Brewer, Luke Clohessy (capt), Max Russell, Will Hickey.
Replacements: Mark Nicholson, Karl O’Brien, Luke Rigney, Oisin Shannon, Arthur Ashmore, Conor McKeon, Caolan Dooley, Henry McErlean.
Recent League Meetings – Saturday, November 15, 2025: Terenure College 14 St. Mary’s College 12, Lakelands Park; Saturday, February 7, 2026: St. Mary’s College 28 Terenure College 21, Templeville Road
IrishRugby.ie Prediction: St. Mary’s College to win
CLONTARF (2nd) v LANSDOWNE (3rd), Castle Avenue, 4pm (live on irishrugby+)
Energia All-Ireland League Season’s Form: Clontarf: LWWWWWWWWWWLLWWWLL; Lansdowne: WLLWWWWLWLLLWWWWWL
Energia All-Ireland League Top Scorers – Clontarf: Points: Conor Kelly 138; Tries: Dylan Donnellan 17; Lansdowne: Points: James Tarrant 67; Tries: Bobby Sheehan 10
Preview: Clontarf host Lansdowne at the semi-final stage for the second year running. They squeezed past them on a 17-15 scoreline twelve months ago, on the way to winning their fourth Division 1A crown. Ben Griffin’s try before half-time proved crucial, as did their resilient defence during a scoreless second half.
Lansdowne’s play-off hopes took a big hit either side of Christmas, with four losses in five rounds, but Declan Fassbender’s charges went on an almost unblemished run to see out the regular season. They overcame the likes of Young Munster, Terenure, and Clontarf to seal a third place finish.
With the ever-reliable Andy Wood at the helm, Clontarf won ten of their first 11 league games, before things got tougher in the spring. They come into the play-offs on the back of defeats to Lansdowne and St. Mary’s. The headquarters club triumphed 31-19 at home, helped by four tries from their forwards.
Bobby Sheehan, who starred for the Ireland Club XV earlier in the campaign, is Lansdowne’s leading try scorer with 10, but there is no catching Clontarf captain Dylan Donnellan, who for an incredible fifth season in a row is the division’s most prolific try scorer. His 17-try haul includes a run of ten in seven matches.
Hugh Cooney, ‘Tarf’s player-of-the-match in last year’s final, makes a timely return from a foot injury. The Leinster centre will pair up with Daniel Hawkshaw in midfield, and behind an unchanged pack, led by the talismanic Donnellan, there are starts for Tadhg Bird at full-back and Sam Owens at scrum half.
Lansdowne are also boosted by provincial talent in the form of Academy winger Hugo McLaughlin, who starts in the back-three, and Charlie Tector, who could be a real game changer in a bench role. Captain Andy Marks slots back in at outside centre, as do Sheehan, Greg McGrath, and Juan Beukes up front.
CLONTARF: Tadhg Bird; Dylan O’Grady, Hugh Cooney, Daniel Hawkshaw, Peter Maher; Conor Kelly, Sam Owens; Ivan Soroka, Dylan Donnellan (capt), Charlie Ward, Fionn Gilbert, Jim Peters, Paul Deeny, Aaron Coleman, Jordan Coghlan.
Replacements: Declan Adamson, Conor Bateman, Richie Whelan, Michael Moloney, Dan Magner, Conor Gibney, Darragh Doyle, Alvin Amaniampong.
LANSDOWNE: James Tarrant; Cillian Redmond, Andy Marks (capt), Harry O’Riordan, Hugo McLaughlin; Stephen Madigan, Jack Matthews; George Morris, Bobby Sheehan, Greg McGrath, Ruairi Clarke, Juan Beukes, Matt Healy, Ross O’Neill, Paul Wilson.
Replacements: Tom Barry, Julien Valleise, Evann Shelley, Louis McGauran, Barry Fitzpatrick, James Kenny, Charlie Tector, Cathal Eddy.
Recent League Meetings – Saturday, October 4, 2025: Clontarf 20 Lansdowne 17, Castle Avenue; Saturday, March 28, 2026: Lansdowne 31 Clontarf 19, Aviva Stadium back pitch
IrishRugby.ie Prediction: Clontarf to win
Keep up to date with all the latest news in our dedicated website hub at www.irishrugby.ie/energiaail, and follow #EnergiaAIL on social media channels.