A certain brew doesn’t do club days, but for St Mary’s the 13th round of the Energia All-Ireland League was pretty much perfect. A large crowd of about 3,500 at Templeville Road witnessed the home side record a bonus-point 28-21 win over Terenure to earn local bragging rights and move to the summit of Division 1A.
The pitch held up very well for this typically full-on D6W derby as Mary’s twice turned down routine three-pointers and Myles Carey sliced through the ‘Nure defence before hooker Jack Nelson Murray was mauled over for an early 14-0 lead.
Terenure’s mounting pressure resulted in Craig Adams scoring off an offload from John Devine, but soon after the interval Carey charged down Devine’s exit to make it 21-7. In a tit-for-tat second half, Devine scored from close-range, before Mary’s flanker Josh Gimblett and ‘Nure hooker Max Russell exchanged maul tries.
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“A typical derby,” was the verdict of Mary’s coach Mark McHugh. “It maybe lacked a little bit in quality at times but certainly didn’t lack for bravery and courage on both sides of the ball.”
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Another crucial factor in the St Mary’s win was the seven lineouts Terenure lost, many of them in striking range, as Greg Jones showed why he leads the way in 1A in stealing opposition throws.
“He’s done wonders with our lineout, both attack and defence over the last two seasons,” said McHugh. “And that was probably the difference today because we gave a few penalties away in that middle part of the pitch. They had about three in the red zone.”
Terenure dropped to fifth, a point outside the top four, and Carlos Spener said: “I thought we were good in parts. I thought our attitude and our effort was good. We probably just made too many mistakes and a couple of little moments of ill-discipline cost us.”
Clontarf dropped to second on 48 after Cork Constitution gained some revenge for defeats in last season’s final and at home in November with a 27-24 win at Castle Avenue, which moved them to third on 41.
Tries from Killian Coghlan, Sean Condon and Sean French, allied to Dylan Hicks’ accuracy from the tee, proved just enough despite a late Clontarf rally sparked by tries from Dylan Donnellan, Jordan Coghlan and Conor Kelly.
On a day which produced 177 tries and 24 attacking bonus points, yet also 17 one-score games, a stacked Young Munster side scored a dozen tries against a weakened UCD in a 82-21 win at Clifford Park to climb to fourth on 39. The 22-year-old flanker Ruadhán Quinn scored four tries, with two apiece for Jake O’Riordan and Shay McCarthy.
Lansdowne beat Old Belvedere in another try-laden Dublin derby to move to sixth on 37 points, Bobby Sheehan leading the way with a brace. Jack Matthews, Barry Fitzpatrick, Cillian Redmond and Stephen Madigan also crossed while tries from Hugh O’Sullivan (2), Fionn McWey and Chris O’Connor earned Belvo a couple of bonus points.
Ballynahinch remain seventh on 33, but are only six points outside the top four, after scoring seven tries in a 47-0 win at home to Nenagh.
A hat-trick by winger Hugh Goddard moved up to second place in 1B as they toppled leaders Old Wesley 27-7 at College Park. Highfield moved to fourth Midleton moved out of the relegation zone with a 48-5 win over Belfast Harlequins at Towns Park as Alejandro Martinez Jimenez’s hat-trick headlined the result.
Energia All-Ireland League Division 1A: Ballynahinch 47 Nenagh Ormond 0; Clontarf 24 Cork Constitution 27; Lansdowne 41 Old Belvedere 34; Young Munster 82 UCD 21; St Mary’s College 28 Terenure College 21.
Women’s Division: Cooke 27 Ennis 31; Ballincollig 7 Old Belvedere 55; Galwegians 7 UL Bohemian 34; Tullow 0-60 Blackrock College 60; Wicklow 0 Railway Union 31.
Division 1B: Blackrock College 10 Naas 15; Dublin University 27 Old Wesley 7; Garryowen 48 City Of Armagh 29; Highfield 38 Instonians 35; Queen’s University 10 UCC 15.
Division 2A: Cashel 20 Ballymena 22; MU Barnhall 51-31 Dungannon 31; Old Crescent 26 Banbridge 22; Shannon 30 Greystones 10; Wanderers 17 Galway Corinthians 14.
Division 2B: Buccaneers 33 Skerries 14; Clogher Valley 31 Enniscorthy 0; Galwegians 19 UL Bohemian 14; Malone 29 Sligo 25; Rainey 24 Navan 19.
Division 2C: Bective Rangers 29 Dolphin 24; Bruff 32 Malahide 31; Midleton 48 Belfast Harlequins 5; Monkstown 21 Ballyclare 17; Thomond 19 Clonmel 29.
