Far from being another tight arm wrestle, a strong Clontarf selection made something of a statement when ending the five-match winning run of leaders Ballynahinch at Ballymacarn Park with a 32-12 bonus-point win. By contrast, there was again late drama aplenty in the other four Division 1A games, which were decided by margins of four points or fewer.
Storm Darragh’s slipstream ensured the wind was a significant factor throughout Saturday’s AIL programme, which almost survived intact. Clontarf laid the foundations into the first-half wind to lead 3-0 at half-time before maximising the elements.
Tadgh Bird, whose move from fullback has helped to fill the Matt D’Arcy midfield void, crashed over for ‘Tarf’s first try before Conor Kelly scored off his own chip. Ballynahinch, missing some of their Ulster contingent, responded with Ethan Graham’s try before Aitzol King’s intercept try and after another for the hosts by Ronan McCusker, Bird took his seasonal tally to six when scoring for the fourth game running to clinch the bonus point.
Newly promoted St Mary’s went top with a hard-earned 26-24 win over Young Munster at Templeville Road. St Mary’s led 12-0 through tries by Tom O’Reilly and Myles Carey, before tries by Manuel Covella, Shane O’Leary and Oisín Pepper, the latter with a fine chip and chase, put Munster 17-12 ahead only for Michael Silvester’s try to leave the home side 19-17 ahead at the break.
Munster led through Covella’s second try before Dan Goggin finished off a multiphase attack against his old club and Conor Hayes, another ex-Munster man, landed the winning conversion from the touchline in the swirling wind.
Terenure remain fourth after playing a get-out-of-jail card at a blowy Bowl. They led 21-17 when Conor Phillips’ intercept try augmented first-half scores by Craig Adams and Alan Bennie but UCD, stacked with eight Leinster academy players, looked likely winners after Conor Ó Tighearnaigh’s bonus-point try put them 24-21 ahead.
Levi Vaughan made inroads off an overthrow before Chris Cosgrave levelled with a wind-assisted penalty from inside halfway and after the restart went out on the full, Harrison Brewer’s charge up the middle was deliberately knocked on for Cosgrave to land the winning penalty with the game’s last kick.
Con remain fifth after a hard-earned 19-17 win away to a game Garryowen side with a number of Munster academy players. Two Brian Gleeson tries and a Dylan Hicks penalty had Garryowen 17-14 in front but Con, who had scored first-half tries through Scott Buckley, after three successive penalties off lineout mauls, and a well-worked try by the recalled Matthew Bowen, won courtesy of a late penalty try from another catch-and-drive. It was awarded by American referee Lee Wiener, who had earlier sinbinned two Con players for high hits.
Similarly, both sides played better into the wind at the Palace Grounds, where Lansdowne prevailed by 19-15 over City of Armagh thanks to Andy Marks’ sixth try of the season, a timely fillip before hosting leaders on the Aviva back pitch next Friday night.
Energia All-Ireland League results
Men’s Division 1A: Garryowen 17 Cork Constitution 19; Ballynahinch 12 Clontarf 32; City of Armagh 15 Lansdowne 19; St. Mary’s College 26 Young Munster 24; UCD 24 Terenure College 27.
Division 1B: Blackrock College 25 UCC 5; Highfield 17 Queens 35; Nenagh Ormond 19 Naas 18; Old Belvedere 39 Shannon 24; Old Wesley 38 Dublin University 17.
Division 2A: Ballymena 12 Greystones 28; Banbridge 27 Corinthians 0; Buccaneers 7 Navan 41; Cashel 25 Instonians 40; Old Crescent 21 MU Barnhall 29.
Division 2B: Clogher Valley 39 Skerries 24; Galwegians 29 Malahide 22; Malone 20 Rainey 13; UL Bohemian 33 Dungannon 26; Wanderers 43 Sligo 12.
Division 2C: Ballyclare 31 Monkstown 39; Bruff 27 Omagh Academicals 19; Enniscorthy 12 Dolphin 5; Midleton 24 Clonmel 20; Tullamore v Belfast Harlequins, match postponed.
Women’s Division 1: Tullow 8 Blackrock College 51; Cooke 0 Railway Union 115; Old Belvedere 34 Galwegians 7; UL Bohemian 28 Suttonians 0 (Match called off – UL Bohemian awarded 28-0 result and five league points; Suttonians deducted five points for conceding match); Wicklow 49 Ballincollig 5.
