ALL-IRELAND LEAGUE — DIVISION 1A:
GARRYOWEN 17 LANSDOWNE 14, Dooradoyle
REIGNING CHAMPIONS LANSDOWNE suffered their second successive defeat of the new All-Ireland League campaign as they went down 17-14 to Garryowen at a wet and greasy Dooradoyle.
Tireless number 8 Sean Rennison ran in a late match-winning try for Conan Doyle’s men, who gained some revenge from last season’s semi-final defeat to the headquarters club.
It is the second year in a row that the Light Blues have claimed Lansdowne’s scalp on their Limerick patch. The latter’s run to the title saw them lose just twice during the regular 2017/18 season, and with two on the bounce now it is a real test of the champions’ mettle.
Three penalties from out-half Scott Deasy after 13, 36 and 43 minutes had Lansdowne leading 9-7 at half-time, with Garryowen hooker Liam Cronin – a bother of Leinster and Ireland star Sean – grabbing the hosts’ try from a monster 33rd-minute lineout maul.
The difficult conditions were having an impact as Garryowen lost their number 10 Jamie Gavin to injury following a heavy tackle. A Peadar Collins penalty nudged the home side back in front before Lansdowne gave them a taste of their own medicine.
Their maul came up trumps as hooker Tyrone Moran was able to muscle over in with 66 minutes on the clock. Deasy’s conversion was off target and Garryowen steeled themselves for a big finish, with Lansdowne losing their discipline in a flurry of yellow cards – three in all – and Rennison taking full advantage.
GARRYOWEN: Andrew O’Byrne; Jamie Heuston, Peadar Collins, David McCarthy, Cian O’Shea; Jamie Gavin, Rob Guerin; Ben Rowley, Liam Cronin, Andy Keating, Kevin Seymour, Dean Moore (capt), Tim Ferguson, Darren Ryan, Sean Rennison.
Replacements: Anson Thai, Niall Horan, Scott Leahy, Evan Maher, Ben Healy, Mike O’Donnell, Dave O’Mahony.
LANSDOWNE: Eamonn Mills (capt); Daniel McEvoy, Harry Brennan, Tom Roche, Peter Sullivan; Scott Deasy, Tim Murphy; Denis Coulson, Tyrone Moran, Greg McGrath, Willie Earle, Jack Dwan, Joe O’Brien, Aaron Conneely, Jack O’Sullivan.
Replacements: James Rael, Ian Prendiville, Tom Murphy, Gareth Molloy, Adam Leavy.
Peadar Collins in action for Garryowen. Source: Ryan Byrne/INPHO
DUBLIN UNIVERSITY 23 UCD 23, College Park
Full-back Cillian Burke’s injury-time penalty earned UCD a share of the spoils in a 23-all draw with arch rivals Dublin University at a rain-soaked College Park.
Trinity’s new-look team, who impressed many by running Garryowen very close last week, were on the cusp of victory having built up a 23-13 lead after 69 minutes. However, UCD stormed back with a levelling 10 points and were hugely relieved when Burke’s opposite number Robert Russell missed a huge penalty effort right at the death.
The heavy downpour ensured it was an attritional contest, although the hosts admirably sought to bring wingers Hugh Twomey and Colm Hogan into play as much as possible. Twomey was squeezed out on the right before out-half James Fennelly kicked Trinity in front with a seventh-minute penalty. He soon added a second successful kick from a tight angle.
Despite struggling early on for possession, UCD grew into the first half and grabbed the game’s first try in the 28th minute. Following a series of drives, lock Tom Treacy dotted down for a Burke-converted score, but Trinity responded just past the half hour mark when captain Hogan chased down his own kick and gathered it on the hoof, beating the cover to run in an excellent solo try which Fennelly converted.
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Cillian Burke kicks for UCD. Source: Oisin Keniry/INPHO
Burke’s first penalty of the afternoon closed the gap to 13-0 for half-time, only for Trinity to steal a march on the resumption with a 55th minute try from powerful prop Bart Vermeulen, who crossed to the left of the posts following a Russell break from deep. Vermeulen saw yellow 15 minutes from the end, and although Burke nailed the resulting penalty, Fennelly replied soon after to increase his haul to 13 points.
Crucially, UCD made their numerical advantage count with a second try from the forwards, a spell of relentless pressure ending with number 8 Ronan Foley touching down. Burke converted and landed the second of two penalty attempts – Trinity were pinged for failing to release the ball in their 22 – to bring the Belfield side level. That is how it stayed despite Russell’s booming strike which fell just short of the posts.
DUBLIN UNIVERSITY: Robert Russell; Hugh Twomey, James Hickey, Philip Murphy, Colm Hogan (capt); James Fennelly, Rowan Osborne; Bart Vermeulen, Joe Horan, Dylan Doyle, Alex MacDonald, Arthur Greene, Paddy Nulty, Max Kearney, Niall O’Riordan.
Replacements: Dan Sheahan, Thomas Clarkson, Cian O’Dwyer, Tomas Killeen, James Moriarty, Giuseppe Coyne, Conor Dunne.
UCD: Cillian Burke; Tim Carroll, Andy Marks, Paul Kiernan, Rob Keenan; Matthew Gilsenan, Nick Peters, Sam Griffin, Sean McNulty, Liam Hyland, Brian Cawley, Tom Treacy, Stephen McVeigh, Alex Penny (capt), Ronan Foley.
Replacements: Richie Bergin, Evin Coyle, Jonny Guy, Tom Foley, Ian O’Kelly.
TERENURE COLLEGE 15 CLONTARF 24, Lakelands Park
Clontarf are shaping up as one of the teams to beat in All-Ireland League Division 1A after they made it two wins out of two by taking a 24-15 verdict at Terenure College.
‘Tarf’s beefy pack was made for the difficult weather conditions at Lakelands Park where converted tries from captain Michael Noone, Ivan Soroka and Angus Lloyd saw them keep pace with Cork Constitution at the top of the table.
Captain Michael Noone. Source: Oisin Keniry/INPHO
Terenure had their moments in the first half but the visitors led 17-3 by half-time, with Noone’s initial try followed by Soroka’s effort, which saw the young loosehead pick from a close-in ruck to score by the posts after fellow prop Royce Burke-Flynn had bulldozed up close to the line.
With out-half David Joyce continuing to split the posts from the tee, the north Dubliners put 21 points between the sides when former Munster and Ulster scrum half Lloyd ran an excellent support line to break clear for his first league try in Clontarf colours.
Beaten 22-5 last week by Young Munster, Terenure were staring at another disappointing result until they found some rhythm in attack as their own pack took up the baton and their backs, including Sam Coghlan Murray who was sprung from the bench, began to cause problems albeit with some errors along the way.
Centre Marc Hiney and Coghlan Murray both crossed the whitewash, the latter breaking through via a lovely inside pass, to raise hopes of a ‘Nure comeback – or at least a losing bonus point – but time ran out on them and Clontarf were worthy winners.
TERENURE COLLEGE: Matthew Byrne; Sam Dardis, Stephen O’Neill, Marc Hiney, Harry Moore; James Thornton, Kevin O’Neill; Tiarnan Creagh, Adam Clarkin, Conor McCormack, Aaron Ryan, Michael Melia (capt), Kyle McCoy, Stephen Caffrey, Eoin Joyce.
Replacements: Liam McMahon, Karl O’Brien, Risteard Byrne, Sam Coghlan Murray, Jamie Glynn.
CLONTARF: Mick McGrath; James McKeown, Michael Courtney, Matt D’Arcy, Cian O’Donoghue; David Joyce, Angus Lloyd; Ivan Soroka, Declan Adamson, Royce Burke-Flynn, Cormac Daly, Ben Reilly, Tony Ryan, Adrian D’Arcy, Michael Noone (capt).
Replacements: Connor Johnston, Tom Ryan, Martin Kelly, Andrew Feeney, Conor Kelly.