The meeting of Cork Con and Clontarf will headline the round 12 action from 1A this weekend, with plenty of other drama in store across the Division with safety and silverware at stake.
Ballynahinch v UCD, Saturday January 27th, Ballymacarn Park, 2:30pm
Having stumbled in the race for a top four spot last weekend, Hinch are back in front of a home ground looking to return to winning ways against UCD.
The Ulstermen have been in good form recently but two defeats to Young Munster in their fast games has seen them slip up in the hunt for fourth spot. With a four point gap now been the two, Hinch need to regroup and hope the Dubliners in the form of Terenure can fail to get a result this weekend, Hinch looked very strong when they came out 31-17 winners back in December between these two and will want the same outcome this weekend.
UCD are eight points clear of the drop zone and that is where they will have most of the fight in the latter stages as they are 19 points off the pace for a spot in the top four. It would take a lot for them to get there, having lost their last two games, a win is very much needed regardless of position in the standings to give them a boost in these final weeks. A strong side with plenty of talent, they must steady the ship in these coming weeks.
City of Armagh v Young Munster, Saturday January 27th, Palace Grounds, 2:30pm
City of Armagh will look to claw their way out of the relegation zone this weekend, they face a tough home test against Young Munster.
Having lost seven games in a row, the hosts will look to end that barron spell sooner than later if they are to stay in 1A. Battle hardened to say the least, City of Armagh have put on stern displays against the biggest teams this country has to offer, while they have not reaped the rewards in terms of results, they cannot be underestimated and will not be easy for The Cookies to get past this weekend.
For Munsters they are ten points adrift of Terenure in fourth spot and still have the mathematical chance of catching them. A win on their minds to keep that chance going as the rounds slowly tick by, travelling to Lakelands the week after next they will want to be in good form and having gotten past Hinch in a titanic clash last weekend they will have confidence to keep this run going.
Cork Constitution v Clontarf, Saturday January 27th, Temple Hill, 2:30pm
A massive battle between the leading two in 1A at Temple Hill, the leaders Clontarf looking to shake off last weekend’s first defeat of the season as Cork Con await to take top spot.
Con have started 2024 unbeaten and will aim to keep that the case when Clontarf make the trip to Leeside, they have remained hot on their tails all season and with two slip ups in their last five, losing to Young Munster by a single point and Clontarf by four has kept them just off the mark to take top spot following Tarf’s defeat last weekend. A game now in the melting pot for the hosts this to give them the lead and confidence for later in the year could be huge.
Tarf will not want to cough up top spot, having worked tirelessly to go unbeaten for ten games, they were and still remain the pace steers and want to book a ticket to the semi-finals later this season as the top seed. To do that they need to win this all important affair in Cork, it could all come down to bonus points in the finish should Clontarf suffer another defeat, this will not end their season but that number one seed is a strong position to be in.
Lansdowne v Dublin University, Saturday January 27th, Aviva Stadium Back Pitch, 2:30pm
Lansdowne look to extend their winning run as they host Trinity in the shadow of headquarters.
It has been a strong start to 2024 for Lansdowne, overcoming both UCD and Clontarf in tight tussles showing they are a contender also for the title come the end of this season. They could well move up the standings should Con lose, having briefly taken second during the opening round of the second half of the season, only for Con to take it back. These placements will be all important later on but momentum is a big thing and they will want that going forward.
Trinity won their first contest of the season last weekend with a statement 38-9 win over Shannon, it will take a lot more results to see them safe however. Eight points separates Trinity from Shannon who sit on the edge of safety, they need wins if they are to stay up and with time running out a massive win here could well be a late turning point, it will not be easy against Lansdowne, they lost 17-3 when the pair met in early December.
Shannon v Terenure College, Saturday January 27th, Thomond Park Back Pitch, 2:30pm
Terenure aim to preserve their winning run and continue their top four ambitions with a trip to Shannonside to meet Shannon.
It is another season that Shannon are fighting for safety, last year it was via the pla-offs, this year they sit four clear of the drop zone but cannot afford any dropped points. Every point crucial to see them remain in 1A and while they are a strong side losing their last three games has seen them very much out of form. They will want to put on that performance this weekend and forget their 57-8 drubbing back in December.
Terenure may have looked sluggish early in the year but have been the team to beat recently on course to defending their title. Winning the Bateman Cup certainly gave them an extra boost to start the year, winning five games in a row since Young Munster beat them in late November. Nure are sharp and have a great dynamic squad playing a stylish brand of rugby, they can gain places this weekend, this top four race will be interesting to say the least.
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Diarmuid Kearney
Diarmuid Kearney is a freelance Sports Journalist based in Co Kerry. He has more than 5 years experience covering domestic and international soccer for different media organisations, while also working for local and national print and digital organisations covering GAA.