Lots of great matches this weekend
Lansdowne Tarf will be a great tussle - Clontarf pack looks very powerful
UCD Ballynahinch another super tie - UCD not safe yet by a stretch and Hinch looking to build on last weeks win - no Patterson for UCD this week
Terenure Trinity will be really interesting as well - If Trinity can be a bit more clinical they can maybe cause an in form Terenure some problems
In 1B Marys Shannon looks like a massive tussle - surely each team has to win if they want to compete for promotion
Highfield Belvo is yet another big game - Highfield really need to steady the ship and Belvo will desperately want to build on their win against Marys last week
Have you seen the team sheet for tarf? Can’t find it anywhere across any of their social media platforms.
seen Lansdowne’s Kenny is a good player no doubt but somewhat surprised foley isn’t starting specially with the latest form he’s been in…
https://www.irishrugby.ie/2022/02/26/energia-mens-all-ireland-league-results-round-up-15/
no AIL highlights this week?
Some on twitter for Lansdowne /Clontarf but that's all I've seen so far
Some more highlights here on link below if you use the playlist option
Irish Rugby | Highlights
1A
CLONTARF v TERENURE COLLEGE
DUBLIN UNIVERSITY v CORK CONSTITUTION
GARRYOWEN v BALLYNAHINCH
YOUNG MUNSTER v LANSDOWNE
UCC v UCD
1B
BANBRIDGE v NAVAN RFC
CITY OF ARMAGH v ST MARY'S COLLEGE
HIGHFIELD v MALONE
OLD BELVEDERE v SHANNON
OLD WESLEY v NAAS
Sligo play Blackrock this weekend with no other games until end o the month
Next round of 1A will be savage with 4th hosting 1st and 3rd v 5th
Few of the other divisions will be close to deciding finishing placings in next round with Wesley, Queens, Enniscorthy almost certainly 1st and guaranteed home advantage for playoffs.
Interesting to see a change to the round robin qualifiers for the junior league winners fighting for a spot in the AIL
It starts on 2nd of April in Navan RFC with a double header with Bective Rangers playing Connemara All Blacks at 1pm followed by the winners of the Ulster and Munster Leagues(most likely Newcastle West but depending on results of last round Bandon, Thomond could win.)
Ulster all down to Clogher Valley and Instonians in final round with CV 4 points ahead with 2 games to play but Inst have game in hand. Whoever wins that final game will be well ready for round robin game as that final league game is the week before the round robin starts.
Buccaneers won Connacht cup beating Ballina 25-5
Munster senior cup final in Thomond tomorrow.
https://www.munsterrugby.ie/domestic_news/teams-named-for-bank-of-ireland-munster-senior-challenge-cup-final-2/
Great crowd in Thomond for Munster senior cup final. start of game had to be delayed because Munster totally underestimated the crowd and hundreds were queuing to get in
Deserved win for Young Munster 11-8
Friday
DUBLIN UNIVERSITY v UCD
Saturday
CLONTARF v BALLYNAHINCH
LANSDOWNE v TERENURE COLLEGE
UCC v GARRYOWEN
YOUNG MUNSTER v CORK CONSTITUTION
BANBRIDGE v SHANNON
HIGHFIELD v NAVAN RFC
MALONE v NAAS
OLD BELVEDERE v CITY OF ARMAGH
OLD WESLEY v
ST MARY'S COLLEGE
2A
tonight
Nenagh v Cashel
tomorrow
Buccaneers v Ballymena
Queens v Crescent
Rainey v Dolphin
Bohs v Barnhall
If Cashel win tonight theyre second. Nenagh need a very unlikely bonus point win to avoid the relegation playoff
Game of weekend is 3rd home to 4th when Buccs host Ballymena. Buccs 6 ahead so a win will mean theyll finish 3rd.
Crescent and Barnhall hoping to get over Ballymena as just 1 and 2 behind them.
2B and 2C all saturday
2B
Belfast Harlequins v Corinthians
Blackrock v Ballina
Galwegians v Wanderers
Greystones v Malahide
Sligo v Dungannon
Belfast Harlequins v Corinthians game of weekend. 4th v 2nd. Stones should beat Malahide to get 1st.
Wegians are 10th and in playoff. Ballina 6 off Malahide so really need a win to close that gap ahead of final round
2C
Bangor v Clonmel
Enniscorthy v City of Derry
Skerries v Bruff
Sundays Well v Midleton
Tullamore v Omagh
Enniscorthy already confirmed 1st. Skerries 6 clear of Bangor in 3rd who themselves are 6 clear of Tullamore. these will be top 4.
Bottom is Clonmel on 20. Well on 23 and Derry 25.
Colours game should be a great match. Both teams looking strong and both in good form. Trinity have more to play for in terms of the league as they are still in the hunt for the play-offs but I'd imagine that denying Trinity that opportunity will motivate UCD as well. The game is being live streamed.
Must win game for both Cork Con and Young Munsters if they want to make the play-offs and Con still have the chance of getting a home semi-final. Would be very strange to see a 1A play-off that doesn't involve Con. I don't think that will happen and would fancy them to win this one.
We have a massive game against Terenure the winner of which will surely seal a home semi-final. Terenure have really impressed over the last while and aside from Tarf are the form team in the league. We will need to be at our best to get a result.
UCC Garryowen and Clontarf Ballynahinch are dead rubbers really but all the teams except for Garryowen will be keen to get some confidence ahead of their respective play-offs
The Wesley Marys game has to be the big game this week with Marys trying to push for a play-off spot. Can't see Naas slipping up against Malone though. Highfield should have too much for Navan and will want to secure 2nd place behind Wesley. Shannon away to Banbridge looks like a hard fixture for both teams. Belvo / City of Armagh looks like a bit of a dead rubber with nothing really to play for.
So after 17 games Tarf will be 1st. 2nd and 3rd to be decided in final round with Lansdowne in advantage with 2 point lead over Terenure. 4th is Con who can only be caught by Trinity 2 points behind them. UCC are 4 behind Ballynahinch and unlikely to get more than them next week so hinch will have advantage of being home in second leg
Next weekend more vital games are Con hosting Lansdowne. Terenure play UCC and Ballynahinch at home to Munsters. Garryowen and Trinity and UCD and Clontarf remaining games
1B Old Wesley are 1st. Highfield and Shannon are second and third. order to be confirmed next week. 4th is Naas or Marys. Navan 10th. Banbridge 9th
Shannon play Wesley. Navan host Malone are the 2 big games.
2A. Queens 1st. Cashel 2nd. Buccaneers 3rd. 4th could be anyone of few sides. Ballymena on 41. Barnhall and Crescent on 40 and Bohs 38. Rainey and Nenagh will be in relegation playoff though order to be confirmed. Rainey just point behind Nenagh
2B. Greystones are 4 clear of Blackrock with vastly superior points difference. Harlequins 1 point behind rock with Corinthians 3 further back. The only side who can join these four in playoffs is Wanderers. Galwegians are bottom and Ballina are 9th.
2C. Enniscorthy 1st. Skerries need 1 point to confirm 2nd. Bangor 3rd. Tullamore 4th
Clonmel 10th and 9th is City of Derry or Sundays Well. Derry 2 points below Well.
Bective and Instonians will play out to decide who gets promoted to the AIL next year. Both comfortable wins over Connemara and Newcastle West respectively.
Great weekend of rugby
Colours game was very entertaining. Trinity still very much in the hunt for the play-offs.
Was very impressed by Terenure against Lansdowne. They really taught us a couple of lessons.
Well done to Bective - hopefully they can get up
Round robin final will be played in Dundalk Saturday 2.30pm
Instonians win round robin final 25-21 so are back senior
Playoffs in AIL
1A semi finals: Clontarf v Cork Con and Terenure v Lansdowne
1A relegation: Ballynahinch v UCC.
1B semi finals: Old Wesley v Naas, Highfield v Shannon
1B relegation: Banbridge v Navan
2A semi finals: Queens v Ballymena, Cashel v Buccaneers
2A relegation: Nenagh v Rainey
2B semi finals: Greystones v Blackrock , Belfast Harlequins v Corinthians
2B relegation: Ballina v Galwegians
2C semi finals: Enniscorthy v Tullamore, Skerries v Bangor
2C relegation: City of Derry v Clonmel
semi finals and relegation first legs this weekend.
Great weekend of club rugby ahead of us
Clontarf and Terenure are very much the bookies favourites and hard to argue with that based on recent form.
Tarf have lost a fair few players to the Leinster squad in SA which will certainly impact them and offer Con some hope.
Terenure were clear winners the last time we met and will rightly be confident they will progress into the final. Hopefully we can upset the apple cart - we will need to be at our very best.
1A relegation: UCC v Ballynahinch
UCC have clearly been minding players knowing this game was in the offing. Ballynahinch seem to have gone about it a different way and have looked to build confidence with some decent performances. Certainly favouring Hinch for their home leg and I think they will squeeze through this time as well
Like Tarf Old Wesley have been the unbeatables in 1B. Ronaldson lining out for Naas has to help but I think Wesley will go through to the final.
Shannon could well upset Highfield here in what I think will be another close one.
Wesley 14-16 Naas at half time
2A relegation: Rainey 0 Nenagh 14
1B SF: Shannon 15 Highfield 16
2C relegation: Clonmel 12 Derry 17
Terenure 20 Landsdowne 18. Great game.
Naas win 37-36, Wesley had a conversion with the last kick of the match to win but went wide. Unbelievable ending, Wesley scored 3 tries in the last ten minutes.
Shannon hold on against Highfield - Kieran Ryan with the goal line jackal to save the game
Where will the final be?
Results
1A Semi finals: Clontarf 29 Con 13 Terenure 20 Lansdowne 18
1A relegation: UCC 17 Ballynahinch 21
1B semi finals: Highfield 19 Shannon 25 Naas 38 Old Wesley 37
1B relegation: Navan 17 Banbridge 25
2A semi finals: Queens 82 Ballymena 14, Cashel 17 Buccaneers 25
2A relegation Rainey 17 Nenagh 17
2B semi finals: Greystones 19 Corinthians 14 Belfast Harlequins 17 Blackrock 29
2B relegation: Galwegians 34 Ballina 19
2C Semis: Enniscorthy 12 Tullamore 9 Skerries 32 Bangor 29
2C relegation: Clonmel 33 Derry 17
What was the harlequins score please? 2B
Queens scored over 80 points vs Ballymena. Is that some kind of record?
