Galwey proves an astute tactician

All-Ireland League round-up: The Shannon team selection said it all really. Faced with the toughest challenge of the season, against Cork Constitution, Mick Galwey had the luxury of keeping Munster players Stephen Keogh and Frankie Roche in reserve.

Can you guess the two players involved in the game-clinching try? Both were introduced early in the second half with Shannon leading 9-3. With 11 minutes remaining of a predictably dour, forward-orientated, encounter, Keogh gathered an attacking lineout and, from the resulting drive, Roche touched down.

Trevor Hogan and Mossie Lawlor were available from the outset, having not been involved in Munster's victory over Castres on Friday night, when Keogh was introduced as a late replacement.

Anthony Horgan also made a return to AIL action for Cork Constitution.

Two penalties from Dave Delaney and a Lawlor drop goal afforded Shannon the early platform to eventually extend their AIL win record to 18.

Credit must go to Cork Constitution for refusing to buckle, as a try from Irish under-21 centre Tom Gleeson in injury-time saw them leave Thomond Park with a bonus point in the 16-11 loss.

That may have been the contest of the weekend but, undoubtedly, the best performance came from Dublin University, who recovered from last weekend's heavy home defeat to Belfast Harlequins by going to Templeville Road and beating St Mary's 23-19.

First-half tries from Matt Crocket and Martin Garvey put Trinity into a 17-7 lead, only for St Mary's to reduce the deficit with Jonathan Sexton and James Norton breaching their line. Two second-half penalties from Johnny Watt saw the students escape with their first win of the season.

Garryowen kept pace with Shannon by overcoming Buccaneers 15-9 at Dooradoyle. The result appears to have ended Buccs chances of making the play-offs, although they do have the easiest run-in against the relegation-threatened trio of Trinity, Galwegians and Carlow.

Still, the battle for third and fourth spot seems like a straight shootout between Cork Constitution, Belfast Harlequins and Clontarf.

Clontarf picked up their eighth bonus point of the season with a second-half blitz to overrun Blackrock at Stradbrook. The home side were in touch at the break, 5-3, but tighthead Robert Sweeney rumbled over for a brace of tries. Niall O'Brien and Breffni O'Donnell brought Blackrock's tries conceded count up to 12 in two games.

Phil Werahiko was able to beef up the Clontarf pack by introducing Oxford/Cambridge pair Sean Brophy and David O'Brien in the second-half. He could do with both players next week as Shannon come to Castle Avenue.

Harlequins stayed marginally ahead of Clontarf after a hard-fought, 31-27 victory over UL Bohemians at the Grafton Arena.

Elsewhere, Ballymena pulled clear of the relegation fight by condemning Carlow to their eighth consecutive defeat, while UCD swept past Dungannon 26-3 thanks to a lightning opening 20 minutes that saw Louis Burke (twice) and Eoghan Hickey touchdown.