Cork Constitution 17 St Mary's College 10(after extra-time): Back on a favoured hunting ground, Cork Constitution secured the League and Cup double this afternoon but needed extra-time to see off the determined challenge of St Mary's.
With Athlone’s Dubarry Park, where the Leesiders overcame Garryowen in the AIB Cup final back in January, bathed in sunshine conditions were ideal for running rugby. But after a tight first half, all the sides could muster was a solitary Jeremy Manning penalty for Con.
Gavin Dunne replied in kind after the break but Manning looked to have settled matters when he converted his own try on 50 minutes. The Kiwi, contracted to Munster, broke through a Conor McPhillips tackle and evaded the covering Daragh Fanning to put daylight between the sides.
St Mary’s refused to buckle, however, and forced extra-time when their Australian outhalf Shaun McCarthy crossed deep into injury time. It was no more than the Dubliners deserved having plugged away at the Con line as McCarthy took the scoring pass from Gareth Logan and squeezed over out wide for a try which Dunne converted.
With the momentum in their favour, St Mary’s looked to kill things off in the first period of extra-time but came unstuck as Con charged down a Dunne kick, put the ball through the hands to Manning who sent Cronan Healy clear to score between the posts.
Manning kicked the extras to keep the title in Munster for yet another year.
At Anglesea Road, the Division Two title went Lansdowne’s way after they proved too strong for Bruff, winning 17-10. Tries from Matthew Healy and David Hewitt proved the difference, while outhalf Andrew Geraghty kicked seven points.
Bruff did score through John Moore and Pat Thompson but Lansdowne held firm in the final quarter.
AIB League Division One Final
Cork Con 17-10 St Mary's College (aet)
AIB League Division Two Final
Lansdowne 17-10 Bruff
AIB League Division Three Final
Queen's University 17-16 Nenagh Ormond