St Mary’s moved five points clear of the chasing pack atop Division 1A of the All-Ireland League. Ballynahinch, Terenure College and Clontarf are all on 14 points after statement wins, while Lansdowne beat Young Munster 40-35 in the match of the day at Tom Clifford Park.
St Mary’s had a bonus point by half-time at UCD when leading 26-10, including a couple of long-range efforts, ultimately scoring seven tries in a 45-24 win. Ex-UCD and Ulster lock Greg Jones and the hard-carrying Dan Goggin had big games. Conor Dean pulled the strings and Mick O’Gara was influential in midfield.
Richie Bergin, Rob Gilsenan and Ruairi Shields all scored against their former club, as Mary’s took their haul to 19 points from a possible 20, with what Mark McHugh said was “a professional and clinical” performance.
Ballynahinch moved up to second with the day’s standout result, a 25-12 win over Cork Con in Temple Hill.
RM Block
Conor Rankin converted early tries from Ulster winger Aaron Sexton and Chris Gibson. He also landed penalties either side of a Peter Hyland maul try, converted from the touchline by Darragh French, to leave Ballynahinch 20-7 ahead at the break.
After Jack Kelleher’s try on the hour, Con had further chances but the visitors’ defence held firm before outhalf Paul Kerr scored from a five-metre scrum.
Terenure moved up to third after a second consecutive bonus point win under Carlos Spencer, beating newly-promoted Nenagh Ormond in their first home game of the season, 40-12.
Young winger Dan Griffin scored the first of his brace and had Kiwi scrumhalf Griffin Culver in support for the second, but Nenagh reduced the lead to 14-12 by the break. Replacement Joe Coffey finished off a maul before Munster prop Roman Salanoa, making his first start for Nenagh, offloaded for winger Conor McMahon to score.
But Terenure pulled clear after hooker Max Russell’s maul try. Culver set up Leinster under-19 backrower Arthur Ashmore on his debut. Offloads by outhalf Aran Egan and Harrison Brewer created Griffin’s slick second before Connacht backrower Oisin McCormack completed the scoring from Will Reilly’s skip pass.
Clontarf laid the foundations for their 34-12 bonus-point win at Old Belvedere through their power game, captain Dylan Donnellan scoring his fourth try in four games and 80th in four seasons. The speedy back three of Peter Maher and the O’Grady brothers, Dylan and Alex, combined for one of three unanswered second-half tries.
Lansdowne captain Andy Marks was yet again the star in his side’s dramatic win at Young Munster with another brace, the back three of Tom Roche, Sean Galvin, and Leinster Academy youngster Todd Lawlor also scoring.
The Cookies trailed 40-21 before tries by Orin Burke and replacement Arron Roulston had them pounding Lansdowne at the death. “Performances have been very good but we’re coming up short,” lamented coach Ger Slattery. Although winless, Munsters have accrued seven bonus points.
Long-serving Ulster hooker John Andrew scored a hat-trick on his Instonians debut as they displaced Old Wesley atop the Division 1B table with a 36-14 win at Shaw’s Bridge.
In Division 2B, Buccaneers ended a run of 30 consecutive AIL defeats – dating back to a 26-19 victory away to Blackrock in December 2023 – with a 29-21 win in Enniscorthy.
Energia All-Ireland League results
Division 1A: Cork Constitution 12 Ballynahinch 25; Old Belvedere 12 Clontarf 34; Terenure College 40 Nenagh Ormond 12; UCD 24 St Mary’s College 45; Young Munster 35 Lansdowne 40
Division 1B: Instonians 36 Old Wesley 14; Blackrock College 18 Garryowen 15; City of Armagh 22 Queens University 16; Naas 19 Highfield 14; UCC 7 Dublin University 24
Division 2A: Ballymena 17 Wanderers 38; Banbridge 14 Cashel 24; Dungannon 22 Shannon 14; Greystones 36 Galway Corinthians 27; MU Barnhall 10 Old Crescent 7
Division 2B: Enniscorthy 21 Buccaneers 29; Galwegians 24 Malone 15; Navan 20 Skerries 20; Sligo 0 Clogher Valley 24; UL Bohemian 53 Rainey 17
Division 2C: Ballyclare 37 Bruff 7; Belfast Harlequins 12 Clonmel 42; Dolphin 26 Midleton 19; Malahide 25 Thomond 35; Bective Rangers 34 Monkstown 21
Women’s Division: Ennis 0 UL Bohemian 77; Cooke 0 Galwegians 43; Blackrock College 60 Ballincollig 14; Old Belvedere 34 Wicklow 13; Railway Union 99 Tullow 7
All-Ireland Junior Cup: Ballymoney 15 Suttonians 26; Bandon 5 Dromore 26; Creggs 25 Kilfeacle & District 15; Enniskillen 66 Connemara 10; Seapoint 27 Cooke 25; St Mary’s 36 Castlebar 20; Tuam 14 Athy 47; Wicklow 31 Muskerry 11
