Energia All-Ireland League Division 1A – Round 3 Results

By Keith Hammond · Ireland

It was another brilliant weekend of action in the Energia All-Ireland League Division 1A, with huge scores, dramatic finishes and some serious statements from the sides looking to challenge for the title.

26 tries in total, 292 points, and after just three rounds, the league table has been completely shaken up! And remarkably, after three rounds, Old Belvedere, UCD and defending champions St Mary's College have all suffered their first defeats of the season.

Clontarf 61 – 15 UCD
Clontarf absolutely demolished UCD, winning 61–15 at Castle Avenue, in a performance that sends a serious message to the rest of Division 1A. Clontarf ran in nine tries, while UCD managed just two, as the hosts produced one of the most impressive attacking displays of the season so far.

The damage was already being done before half-time, with Clontarf heading into the break 26–3 ahead. Peter Maher, Brian Deeny and Matthew Brennan were among the players to cross for the home side, while Conor Kelly had an excellent afternoon with the boot, kicking seven conversions.

UCD had started the season brilliantly, winning their opening two games against Ballynahinch and Lansdowne to collect the maximum 10 league points, but they simply couldn't live with Clontarf here.
The result gives Clontarf their second win of the campaign and moves them onto 12 league points, putting them top of the table.
It's quite the statement from Clontarf.

Cork Constitution 25 – 24 St Mary's College
Now, if you're looking for the most dramatic finish of the weekend, this one is right up there! St Mary's had arrived in Cork with a perfect record after winning their opening two matches, while Cork Constitution were still searching for their first victory following two narrow defeats. This was another tight contest that went right down to the wire. Cork managed to score three tries, while Mary's also crossed three times, with the match ultimately decided by the boot.

Hicks stepped up to land the decisive penalty, giving Cork Con a one-point win. It's a massive result for Constitution after losing 36–33 to Old Wesley in Round 2, they have finally got their season up and running, and they'll take enormous confidence from beating the reigning champions.

For St Mary's, meanwhile, it's their first defeat of the campaign.
They remain very much in the mix near the top of the table, but they'll be disappointed to have let a winning position slip away in such dramatic fashion. The defending champions have been reminded just how competitive this division is going to be.

Lansdowne 35 – 26 Old Belvedere
Old Belvedere had started the season in outstanding form, winning their opening two games with maximum points and scoring 103 points in the process.They looked on course for another victory when they established a 19–7 half-time lead. Belvo had raced into a strong position, and it looked as though they might continue their perfect start to the campaign, but Lansdowne had other ideas.

They produced an excellent second-half comeback, scoring five tries in total to turn the game around and claim a very impressive nine-point victory. Dylan O'Keeffe was a key figure, scoring twice, while Michael Moloney converted all five of Lansdowne's tries.
That accuracy proved crucial as Lansdowne took control of the closing stages and secured a statement win. For Lansdowne, this is exactly the sort of result they needed after losing their opening two games.

They now have their first win on the board and can take plenty of confidence from beating one of the early frontrunners. For Old Belvedere, it's their first defeat of the season, but there is no reason for panic. They still have plenty of points on the board and remain well placed in the table, however, they'll be disappointed after letting such a promising first-half position slip away.

Terenure College 34 – 26 Old Wesley
Another entertaining, high-scoring encounter, with both sides showing plenty of attacking quality! Terenure scored four tries, while Old Wesley also crossed four times, meaning the game remained competitive throughout.

Wesley had started the season with a defeat to Clontarf before bouncing back to beat Cork Constitution 36–33 in Round 2. They were looking to build on that first victory, but Terenure proved too strong on this occasion. The decisive moment came late in the game, when Griffin Culver crossed for a crucial try, helping Terenure secure the victory and deny Wesley a chance to snatch the result.

Terenure will be delighted with the response. After beating Cork Constitution in the opening round, they had suffered a frustrating 21–17 defeat to Young Munster last weekend. This win gets their campaign moving again and gives them another valuable five-point return.

For Old Wesley, there is still plenty to be positive about. They have shown they can score tries and compete with established Division 1A sides, but they'll be disappointed not to have taken something from a game that remained close deep into the second half.

Young Munster 32 – 14 Ballynahinch
After being heavily beaten by Old Belvedere in the opening round, Young Munster have responded impressively, winning their last two matches against Terenure College and Ballynahinch.

This was another strong performance from the Limerick club. Young Munster scored five tries, compared with two for Ballynahinch, and secured the maximum five league points. The result is particularly important because it gives them consecutive victories after such a difficult start to the campaign. They now have nine points from their opening three games and are beginning to build some momentum.

For Ballynahinch, however, the problems continue. They suffered a heavy defeat to Old Belvedere in Round 2 and were unable to respond here, leaving them still without a league point after three matches. They've now conceded 123 points in their opening three games, which highlights just how difficult their start has been. There is still a long way to go in the season, but Ballynahinch will need to find a way to tighten things up defensively if they're going to climb away from the bottom of the table.

The Table after Round 3:

Pos. Team P W PD Pts
1- Clontarf FC 3 2 +57 12
2- Old Belvedere RFC 3 2 +70 11
3- Terenure College RFC 3 2 +21 11
4- University College Dublin Rugby 3 2 -14 10
5- St. Mary's College RFC 3 2 +5 9
6- Young Munster RFC 3 2 -11 9
7- Lansdowne FC 3 1 -9 7
8- Cork Constitution FC 3 1 -19 6
9- Old Wesley RFC 3 1 -21 6
10- Ballynahinch RFC 3 0 -79 0

Worth pointing out just how competitive this division is already.
After just three rounds, the table is taking shape, but there's still a long way to go in what looks like a fascinating AIL 1A season.