Get yourself to Athlone children. AIB League Final

norrie rugger

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=110313075671735

Let's suport our domestic game and make this a final to remember

St. Mary's College
Vs
Cork Constitution

8th May
Dubarry Park

KO: TBC

Should be a cracker, if the league games, between the two, are any measure.

I am really loking forward to this one

delta_bravo

See you there!

norrie rugger

KO has been confirmed at 3:35, as requested by RTE

theKramer

I think it was a good idea to delay the match by a week. Nobody would have gone to that, what with the Heineken Cup semis on next weekend.

Gracelessly Tom

I'll be there, should be a cracking game if the two league games between the sides are anything to go by!!

There'll be a score in it either way, hopefully Mary's will come out on top!!

The_Kew_Tour

Best of luck Con

Digifriendly

norrie rugger wrote: »

KO has been confirmed at 3:35, as requested by RTE

KO at 4.00pm according to RTE Aertel. Division 3 final at !2.00 and Division 2 final at 2.00pm although for some reason they're at Anglesea Road and not Dubarry Park.

Gracelessly Tom

Munster being knocked out of Europe should allow Con have a full strength team now, won't be many 1st teamers rested for the Magners league fixture on Sunday now so the likes of Deasy, Gleeson, Holland etc should be available.

maddness

10 long years since marys last title so really hoping for a big win on Sat.:D

Gracelessly Tom

maddness wrote: »

10 long years since marys last title so really hoping for a big win on Sat.:D

You and me both!!

norrie rugger

And me

bamboozle

still recovering from the trauma of 'losing' last years final!

LF1

Apparently Leinster and Connacht are in a tug-a-war for Dara Fanning, the winger from Marys, I'll be interested to see if hes as good as everyones saying.

JustinDee

LF1 wrote: »

Apparently Leinster and Connacht are in a tug-a-war for Dara Fanning, the winger from Marys, I'll be interested to see if hes as good as everyones saying.

No, they're not in any "tug-of-war".
He's on his way to Connacht and best of luck to him.

Gracelessly Tom

LF1 wrote: »

Apparently Leinster and Connacht are in a tug-a-war for Dara Fanning, the winger from Marys, I'll be interested to see if hes as good as everyones saying.

He's signed for Connaught, he'll be a great signing for them. Shame for Mary's but good move for him.

Gracelessly Tom

Ground should see a nice crowd on Saturday, Cork Con are sending a pile of mini players up for matches v Buccs and obviously parents will travel with them. They'll no doubt fill a good few buses with the regulars as well. Marys have quite a number travelling down to the match as well, including some mini's. Amazing the amount of noise they add to these occasions!!

All in all it's lining up to be a cracker of an atmosphere, albeit not quite the same crowd as the last time Mary's reached the final!

Here's to bringing the title back to Templeville!

norrie rugger

Here we go, Here we go, Here we go

boredatwork82

Its gonna be a cracking day. Pitch in top nick (was running on it all week), clear blue sky in Athlone. So everyone make the effort!

Digifriendly

Gracelessly Tom wrote: »

Ground should see a nice crowd on Saturday, Cork Con are sending a pile of mini players up for matches v Buccs and obviously parents will travel with them. They'll no doubt fill a good few buses with the regulars as well. Marys have quite a number travelling down to the match as well, including some mini's. Amazing the amount of noise they add to these occasions!!

All in all it's lining up to be a cracker of an atmosphere, albeit not quite the same crowd as the last time Mary's reached the final!

Here's to bringing the title back to Templeville!

Correct me if I'm wrong (and I may well be) but when Mary's last won the title was there not a much smaller crowd compared to previous finals as it was an all Leinster affair and there was no large travelling support from Munster as well as FA Cup final being shown at the same time and if my memory serves me right it was a rather wet day?

ozt9vdujny3srf

I seem to remember a fairly big crowd at the match and the day being fine! Then again my Mary's bias might be rose-tinting my memory of Trevor Brennan lifting the cup .

Wan Mary's!

castie

Ariella Unimportant Forearm wrote: »

I seem to remember a fairly big crowd at the match and the day being fine! Then again my Mary's bias might be rose-tinting my memory of Trevor Brennan lifting the cup .

Wan Mary's!

Your going down!

Aidric

Cannot see the rationale for having this in Athlone of all places. It would have made a lot more sense to have it on in Limerick which is pretty much equidistant for Cork & Dublin supporters. It would also have a higher chance of attracting neutral suppporters.

castie

Dont really care who wins this but for interests sake guess Ill go with my fellow cork men.

Come on CON!

castie

Controversy already.

Manning starts even though hes only started 2 league games ( rules say you must start 3 )

Aidric

Hopefully the appropriate action is taken.

TheTMO

Jaysus you'd swear it was Cork Con v Munster the way the commentators are talking!

Good game so far but a bit loose. Mary's scrum is very impressive they're wheeling the Munster academy props at will! Cork con needs to sort out their lineout.

Also, Am I the only one who thought that kick went over for St. Marys?

themont85

TheTMO wrote: »

Jaysus you'd swear it was Cork Con v Munster the way the commentators are talking!

Good game so far but a bit loose. Mary's scrum is very impressive they're wheeling the Munster academy props at will! Cork con needs to sort out their lineout.

Also, Am I the only one who thought that kick went over for St. Marys?

Jack McGrath prop for Marys is acadamy and a monster. Sweeney is a good player too.

Crash

any score yet lads?

ozt9vdujny3srf

yeh, 3 - 0 con, but mary's playing all the rugby. huge wind in cons favour, First half finishing now. It's on RTE.

castie

Aidric wrote: »

Hopefully the appropriate action is taken.

It was a league decision to let him start.

castie

3-0 HT Con had a pretty big breeze.

Marys played all the rugby.

Con showing that there really missing the likes of gleeson deasy and holland so far.

Crash

Ariella Unimportant Forearm wrote: »

yeh, 3 - 0 con, but mary's playing all the rugby. huge wind in cons favour, First half finishing now. It's on RTE.

No reception in new apartment - and they're not doing a live cast of it. Watching Bath Leeds at the mo, with radio 1 coverage of the AIL final, but I missed the score

TheTMO

Really is a David v Goliath type match. St.Marys only contracted players are Jack McGrath on an academy contract at Leinster and Darragh Fanning who recently got a development contract at Connahct whereas pretty much the whole Cork Con team are contracted to Munster.

TheTMO

themont85 wrote: »

Jack McGrath prop for Marys is acadamy and a monster. Sweeney is a good player too.

Yeah I've seen him play a few times and he always impresses me at scrum time. I can't wait to see what hes going to be like in a few years if hes this good at 20.

EDIT : McGrath off injured! Now its a real david v goliath task for marys!

TheTMO

Try Manning.

Cork Con 10 - 3 St.Marys

ozt9vdujny3srf

This is frustrating watching for Mary's fans

TheTMO

Cork Con are absolute masters at cheating and getting away with it, its actually been astonishing how much they have illegally slowed ball and infringed off the ball. Very well drilled team considering they're getting away with it with a ref like Rowland on the pitch.

Stev_o

Why POM isn;t playing regular rugby with Munster is a testament as too how scared the Munster management seems to be to tip its toe into its underage prospects he's been brilliant, extremely dynamic.

TheTMO

Frank Cogan MOTM

PCPhoto

almost over ..... still 10-3 to Con

TheTMO

St.Mary's try and convert.

Everytime Marys go for quick ball Cork Con slow it down and Rowland warns HANDS. Every ruck they do it again and again and Rowland warns them again and again. It allows Con to set up their defence every time.

EXTRA TIME!

ozt9vdujny3srf

woop! 10-10 extra time. Wan Mary's!

castie

No more than Marys deserve to be honest.

Can see them taking it here as Con have shown nothing all game.

TheTMO

Far too relaxed from the Marys full back.

Cronin Healy touches down.

17-10 to Cork Con, end of first half.

castie

Game over 17-10.

Con win but Marys can feel hard done by.
They really should of had a few points from the first half.

Also that penalty that in my opinion was over being called wide.

ozt9vdujny3srf

Can't help but feel like Mary's were a bit hard done by, it's disappointing to see your team lose when they play so well against a team that is constantly killing the ball, and to have the bad luck of not getting the points of a penalty that was good.

Having said that, Con took their chances well, and if it were mary's who won in similar fashion I'd take it!

phog

Decent enough crowd there and they got a great game, delighted to see Cons win it, they have come so close often enough and lost out at the semi-final or final. Hopefully, some of those players will be getting more game time next year with Munster.

delta_bravo

As a biased Marys fan I have to say it was very disappointing to lose. The first half penalty looked over. Rolland was very open in his refereeing which was unusual. Cronan Healy had an excellent game for con though. Marys just tired out in extra time.

Athlone was really a bad venue. Con had hardly any adult support there, no more than 100-150 I would say. Marys booked 10 coaches to bring people along so there was about 600 there.

theKramer

delta_bravo wrote: »

Athlone was really a bad venue. Con had hardly any adult support there, no more than 100-150 I would say. Marys booked 10 coaches to bring people along so there was about 600 there.

I thought it was the perfect venue. Not too big that the crowd looked too small. There was definitely a few thousand there. Overall pretty good atmosphere.

I thought the Marys scrum-half killed ye. He took about 10 seconds to get the ball out of the ruck, by which time Con's excellent defence had already reset itself. Marys were crying out for quick ruck ball in that second half. That replacement scrum-half in extra time was noticeably faster getting the ball out. Thought he should have been on earlier.

I also thought that the tackling from Marys was quite weak at times, especially for Cons second try in extra time.

But Con were making big yards all through the game. Their nr 8 must have made at least 10 to 20 metres off each and every scrum......

bamboozle

castie wrote: »

Controversy already.

Manning starts even though hes only started 2 league games ( rules say you must start 3 )

typical Con, they get every break imaginable in the AIL...thanks in no small part to the power of a certain N Murphy in the irfu. Very unfair to Marys

Gracelessly Tom

Absolutely gutted!! To come that close and lose out is so heart breaking.

Team couldn't have done anymore than they did, gave it all and really came down to the bounce of the ball for the blocked kick and subsequent Healy try.

Manning being allowed to play was crazy, his contract is up with Munster and they wanted him to have gametime?! Smacked of appeasing Con after taking Deasy and Holland from them.

Fair play to Mary's, we'll go one step further next season!:D