Clontarf moved above Terenure into second place in Division 1A with an entertaining, hard-earned and ultimately nervy 29-24 win in the ‘Jordan Coghlan Derby’ at Castle Avenue on Saturday.
Due to the recent rain, this repeat of the 2022 and 2023 finals was moved to the all-weather pitch and was a better spectacle as a result. Dylan Donnelan opened the scoring from a trademark ‘Tarf power play and after an impudent grubber and finish by Chris Cosgrave, James Ryan’s brother, Mark, restored the lead on his debut.
After a well-taken try by Terenure’s Connacht centre John Devine, Tarf halfbacks Sam Owens and Conor Kelly put Alex O’Grady over in the corner, Kelly adding a penalty for a 22-12 interval lead.
Two big scrums led to Donnellan finished superbly for his seventh try this season and 83rd in less than four and a half campaigns. But Terenure, helped by the interval arrival of outhalf Caspar Gabriel – one of four Leinster travelling reserves released to their clubs – responded with tries by Harrison Brewer and winger Pa Ryan. And after Kelly’s penalty hit the upright, ‘Tarf had to snuff out one final sustained attack by ‘Nure.
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“It was a good contest, two good sides going at it,” said Clontarf’s coach Andy Wood. “I’m happy out to be honest. Any time you play Terenure and come away with a win it’s a good result. They play with a lot of ambition and it’s great to watch.”
Terenure earned two bonus points and coach Carlos Spencer said: “We let in a couple of soft tries in the first half but we were still in the fight. Our set-piece was poor and our discipline probably cost us in the second half. We still gave ourselves an opportunity at the end but we couldn’t execute.”
Lansdowne are a point further back in fourth after opening up a five-point gap on Ballynahinch with an 18-10 win at home. First-half tries by number eight Hardus van Eeden and scrumhalf Jack Matthews, to one by Aaron Sexton, had them 12-7 ahead at the break and two penalties by James Tarrant in a tryless second half sealed the win.
Young Munster roared into a 26-17 lead 55 minutes into a fluctuating Munster derby at home to Cork Con after tries by Bailey Faloon and a third of the game by winger Hubert Gilvarry.
But Con capitalised upon the binning of David Begley with tries by Aidan Moynihan and in-form centre Eoghan Smyth, before two late turnovers by Jack Kelleher completed an entertaining 29-26 win which arrested a run of three defeats.
St Mary’s remained top with a 49-15 win at home to Nenagh, winger Aaron O’Sullivan and Myles Carey each scoring twice and Mick O’Gara converting all seven tries, while Old Belvedere climbed two places to seventh with a 36-12 win at home to UCD.
Old Wesley stayed top in Division 1B with a 21-17 win at Highfield, while MU Barnhall and Galwegians maintained their unbeaten records atop 2A and 2B with 41-20 and 41-24 home wins over Ballymena and Enniscorthy respectively. Connacht winger Finn Treacy, playing at outside centre, scored three of ‘Wegians six tries, and inside centre Rob Deacy scored two.
Energia All-Ireland League results
Men’s
Division 1A: Clontarf 29 Terenure College 24; Lansdowne 18 Ballynahinch 10; Old Belvedere 36 UCD 12; St Mary’s College 49 Nenagh Ormond 15; Young Munster 26 Cork Constitution 29.
Division 1B: Blackrock College 14 UCC 19; City Of Armagh 47 Naas 33; Garryowen 21 Dublin University 27; Highfield 17 Old Wesley 21; Queen’s University 7 Instonians 40.
Division 2A: Shannon 21 Galway Corinthians 0; Banbridge 25 Dungannon 28; Cashel 19 Greystones 25; MU Barnhall 41 Ballymena 20; Old Crescent 22 Wanderers 17.
Division 2B: Sligo 24 UL Bohemian 13; Clogher Valley 33 Navan 15; Galwegians 41 Enniscorthy 24; Malone 22 Buccaneers 27; Rainey 33 Skerries 21.
Division 2C: Ballyclare 38 Dolphin 48; Bective Rangers 33 Malahide 7; Bruff 30 Belfast Harlequins 25; Midleton 21 Clonmel 29; Monkstown 40 Thomond 28.
Men’s Junior Cup quarter-final: Seapoint 30 Wicklow 20.
Women’s Division: Wicklow 10 UL Bohemian 43; Blackrock College 44 Ennis 12; Cooke 0 Railway Union 105; Galwegians 19 Old Belvedere 22; Tullow 10 Ballincollig 31.
