Clontarf, Terenure College and Dublin University will hope to continue their winning ways. Whereas the likes of Lansdowne and University College Dublin need much improved results if they’re going to have any chance of league success this season.
Dublin University V Ballynahinch, Saturday Oct 29th, College Park, 2:30pm
This is a real game of the week contender. The students are in flying form. They welcome the tough challenge of Ballynahinch who will be looking to bounce back from their first defeat of the campaign against Clontarf in the last round.
Trinity made a real statement of intent in their last game beating Lansdowne on the Aviva stadium back pitch. Early signs would suggest they are well on course to get that top four spot this season. Out half Aran Egan is the top scorer in the league, with forty five points to his name. He has been central to everything good about his team. Tony Smeeth will be keen to make it four wins from four games this weekend.
Ballynahinch have been the somewhat surprise package in the competition so far, however a disappointing loss to Clontarf in their last game halted their momentum. How these next blocks of fixtures go will give us a better indication of how far they can go this season.
Terenure College vs University College Dublin, Saturday Oct 29th, Lakelands Park, 2:30pm
A team that cannot stop winning in Terenure College face a side that are on the completely opposite end of the scale to them this weekend. Unlike their opponents they cannot find that all illusive opening win.
Nure sit top of the pile after the opening three games on fifteen points and a more than healthy +84 points difference. They’re like an unstoppable machine at the moment. Last time, they welcomed UCD to Lakelands they beat them a staggering 60-8. Can Nure put another team to the sword?
UCD will be massively disappointed with their start to the season and it won’t get any easier this weekend. There have been positives in their play, but it just hasn’t shown in their results quite yet.
Young Munster V Lansdowne, Saturday Oct 29th, Tom Clifford Park, 2:30pm
The pressure is on Lansdowne this Saturday as they travel to Limerick in search of their first win of the AIL campaign.
Young Munster have been going quietly about their business this season, winning their last two games. They have a formidable pack and they will be a tough task for anyone this season. They probably go into the game as slight favourites. They did the double over their opponent’s last season.
It’s a massively important block of games for Mark McHugh’s team who desperately need a win to kick start their comeback charge. It’s still early in the season, but a few more losses could potentially leave a mountain for them to climb if there are hoping to make the top four this time around. This will be a fascinating contest.
Clontarf V Shannon, Saturday Oct 29th, Castle Avenue, 2:30pm
It will soon be a year since Clontarf last lost a game in the AIL. They have enjoyed a period of dominance that doesn’t look like it’s ready to end just yet.
Tarf will be strong favourites when they welcome Shannon to Castle Avenue on Saturday. Physicality is a big part of their game and it might be something that the visitors could really struggle with, especially in the latter stages of the game.
The first block of fixtures was very difficult for the newly promoted Shannon. They’ve looked good in patches, but they haven’t put together a consistent eighty-minute performance yet. You’d have to think that it’ll be another tough day at the office against Tarf.
Cork Constitution V Garryowen, Saturday Oct 29th, Temple Hill, 2:30pm
It’s Cork vs Limerick when Cork Con host Garryowen in this round of fixtures.
Johnny Holland’s team bounced back well against Shannon in their last game after that hammering defeat to Terenure in the game before that. They’d fancy their chances of getting another win on Saturday.
Garryowen looked to have improved a little bit since the start of the season. Munster academy out half Tony Butler is running the show for them, but they’ll be hoping to get that much needed win in this group of fixtures.
