AIL round-up: Clontarf beat Cork Con to make it tight at the top

Only one point separates the top four in Division 1A after a weekend in which, despite dropping a place to fourth, Clontarf were probably the biggest winners. Their dramatic 15-13 victory over Cork Constitution at a rain-soaked Castle Avenue completed a double over the reigning champions.

Clontarf had most of the possession, territory and visits to the red zone but Con led 7-0 at the break thanks to a try by George Good. After an Aaron Coleman try for Clontarf, the visitors looked well placed to extend their eight-game winning when James Taylor’s superb penalty put them 13-5 ahead.

But after a Conor Kelly penalty, Clontarf laid siege and had claims for a penalty try rejected before appearing to have butchered their last chance. However, Con opted to run down the clock off their ensuing scrum, Adam Maher fumbled on his own line and Coleman pounced for his second try.

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Kelly’s conversion was the last kick of the game. Clontarf can go top if they beat City of Armagh in their game in hand next Saturday.

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Con stayed top as Terenure’s seven-match unbeaten run ended with 31-29 loss in City of Armagh, who thus completed a double over last year’s runners-up.

The home side led 24-8 early in the second half through tries by Andrew Willis, Jonny Morton and Sam Cunningham before a quick-fire double by Jordan Coghlan and Ethan Reilly made it a two-point game. After Cunningham’s second, a try by Alan Bennie earned the visitors two bonus points although they left aggrieved after the referee’s positioning of the game’s last penalty before messing up their last lineout.

St Mary’s returned to winning ways with a 36-14 win over UCD at Templeville Road as tries by Daniel Leane, Mark Fogarty, Greg Jones, Richie Fahy and Leandro Ramirez earned them an unrivalled 10th attacking bonus point.

Lansdowne are six points outside the top four after a 29-14 home win over Young Munster, a result that severely dents the latter’s semi-final hopes. Andy Marks set Lansdowne on their way with his 11th try of the season, and further tries by Jack Matthews, Hardus van Eeden and Juan Beukes sealed a five-point haul.

On a mostly grim day for Limerick clubs Garryowen led 12-7 at half-time in Dooradoyle thanks to two tries by Ronan Quinn. But Zac Ward’s second and the boot of Conor Rankin inflicted a 13th successive loss on the home side and kept Ballynahinch’s play-off hopes alive.

Old Belvedere and Instonians took big strides toward the 1B and 2A titles respectively with 13-10 and 31-12 home wins over Old Wesley and Corinthians. Trinity had an important 20-19 win over Shannon at College Park to ease fears of a second successive relegation while increasing the chances of that happening to the nine-time champions - four points adrift in 10th place and 12 behind the students.

Such a fate looks inevitable for free-falling Buccaneers, whose 13th defeat in 13 games, by 42-10 at home to Old Crescent, leaves them 18 points adrift in 2A.

Energia AIL Division 1A

City of Armagh 31 Terenure Col. 29

Clontarf 15 Cork Con 13

Garryowen 12 Ballynahinch 17

Lansdowne 29 Young Munster 14

St Mary’s Col 36 UCD 14

Division 1B

Blackrock Col. 28 Queen’s Uni. 7

Dublin Uni. 20 Shannon RFC 19

Nenagh Ormond 38 Highfield RFC 25

Old Belvedere 13 Old Wesley 10

UCC Rugby 29 Naas 24