AIL 25/26

Think it was 1999 - O'Driscoll scored his hat trick in Paris in the 6 Nations a few weeks after the Colours Match in 2000 and Ciaran Scally was finished with rugby (sadly) by then.

Seems Carlos Spencer has been sacked by Terenure. A disaster of an appointment, which probably dented their pockets too.

Yeah, both sides were missing quite a few - Noah Byrne at full back is the Irish U20s full back and is the joint top try scorer in 1B this season. I think he's probably their best back, and they were also missing their best forward, the lock Artur Smykovskiy, who is on the bench for Leinster A in Galway today.

On top of that - Trinity were without their first choice half backs, Oscar Cawley & Matty Lynch, their regular openside Conall Henchy and Mark Walsh at 12.

On the UCD side - 4/5ths of their starting pack are starting for the Irish U20s - the two props Max Doyle & Sami Bishti and the two locks, Dylan McNeice and Donncha McGuire. UCD also missing a few to the Leinster A game, including Ruben Moloney, Andrew Osborne and Conor O'Tighearnaigh.

I thought it was a decent game, weather destroyed it as a spectacle though. Paddy Clancy (the UCD 10) was superb and has been excellent all season. He should be in the Irish U20s squad - I think he's a better played that Charlie O'Shea.

Spencer was let go this week by Terenure. Confirmed. What a disaster of an appointment. Fassbender is leaving Lansdowne at the end of the season, along with Blaney leaving Blackrock this Summer too.

A lot of big vacancies at some big clubs. With more to come by the sounds of it from other clubs.

christ lot of movement heard about blaney through a rock contigent wonder what makes him want to move if he wants a new challenge as hes there in rock a while now or just things not going as planned and thats his decision. Didnt hear about the spencer move until Leinster5 posted it above and never heard about fassbenders decision till you mentioned it thats a big change around amongst 3 teams.

I still think probably watching Saturday morning Super Rugby from the period of c. 1998-2002 is like my core initial rugby memory. It genuinely was like watching a different game to going to my Dad's AIL games or to the stuff on here at the time, and the players genuinely looked like different species with the pace, power and skill. Some of the Blues backlines of that era were other-worldly in terms of talent.

it really was SUPER rugby But the they made an absolute mess of it, expand too quickly, too may timezones, pay wall, okaying in massive empty stadiums, I used be so giddy sat morning getting ready to watch it, spencer, lomu, cullen, ozzie teams were equally fantastic. The speed, skill, hits, occasional defending.

I never ever thought Irish rugby would get to that level and compete. What has happened the last 25 years in Irish rugby is really astonishing.

https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/2026/02/24/terenure-college-part-company-with-head-coach-carlos-spencer-after-six-months/

Confirmation in today's IT.

Was at the belvo game myself as a neutral. Good win for belvo against an as you put it stacked cookies side which is hard disagree with you when you see the side on paper. they got a decent try through there 9 outside that i felt they didnt really have much to offer belvo seemed to be on the front foot for most of it momentum wise. What im wondering now is does that put them out of the race for the 3rd/4th place….. they have lansdowne away, tarf albeit at home, marys away and on the form marys or in hard to see them win that & hinch home. They were are team i said not to write off in here back at christmas based on the amount of bp's & LP's they picked up midway through the season but there run in looks though and some of there players probably be away on a trip to south africa when munster have there away games later this month. Felt that was a must win game for them at the weekend they didn't take.

Ballyclare with an unbelievable comeback win over Bective.

35-0 down after 30 minutes.

Came back to win 45-43 and all but secure their survival with Malahide and Quins looking destined to finish in the bottom 2.