Terenure College got back to winning ways. Cork Con edged Trinity this time out and Declan Fassbender got a win in his first game as the new Lansdowne Head Coach. All of this and more happened in the top division this weekend!
Terenure College 21-11 Young Munster, Lakelands Park
Sean Skehan’s men got back to winning ways with a hard fought 21-11 victory over Young Munster, avenging that defeat before Christmas. They also booked their place in the Bateman Cup final.
The hosts led 14-6 at the halftime break. Campbell Classon got over from close range. A few minutes later, they crossed the whitewash for another try, extending their advantage. A well worked team try that started in their own territory finished in a try for the ever-involved number 8 Jordan Coughlan. Evan Cusack kicked two penalties for the visitors.
Cookies hooker Dan Walsh made it a three-point game a couple of minutes into the 2nd half, however his opposite number Levi Vaughan scored the third try for Nure which secured them the victory. Nine wins from ten league games, an impressive record for last season’s runners up.
Cork Constitution 32-27 Dublin University, Temple Hill
It might have taken two games and 160 minutes but we finally got a winner between Cork Con and Trinity on Saturday.
In this game, we got nine tries. It was heartbreak again for the students who were beaten late on as the Cork men scored a maul try that swung the result in their favour, claiming their place in the top three .
We always talk about Trinity’s dangerous back three every week. Colm Hogan, Ronan Quinn and James Dillon all got on the scoresheet for the visitors. Tony Smeeth’s side are starting to slip down the table. They haven’t won a game since round 6, with mounting pressure coming from the teams just outside the playoff places, especially Ballynahinch and Young Munster. Can they get out of this rut?
Shannon 24-34 Lansdowne, Coonagh
Lansdowne got only their third win of the season when they travelled to the historic Coonagh, recording a strong 24-34 victory over Shannon.
Michael Silvester scored twice along with tries from James Kenny, Connor O’Sullivan and Cillian Redmond to give Fassbender a flying start at the helm. The Dublin club will be hoping to attack this second half of the season, aiming for more positive results.
Shannon would have been disappointed with the result, considering the win on the Aviva back pitch just a month ago. They failed to take any points. That defeat puts them very much back in the battle near the bottom end of the table.
Garryowen 13-19 Clontarf, Dooradoyle
Defending Champions Clontarf got the job done in Limerick after a tough battle with Garryowen on Saturday.
Clontarf got back-to-back victories over a struggling Garryowen who have yet to register a win this season. Leinster player Alex Soroka was one of three try scorers for Tarf.
It was another defeat for Garryowen, but one plus was the fact that they got a losing bonus point.
University College Dublin 0-24 Ballynahinch, Belfield Bowl
Ballynahinch are firmly in the battle for the playoffs after an impressive 0-24 disposal of UCD in the Belfield Bowl on Saturday.
A penalty try and two more tries scored by Greg Hutley and George Pringle capped off a convincing display by the Ulstermen who are now right behind Trinity.
