AIB Cup Top Scorers

…Richard Lane in action for the Ireland Under-21s against Italy in March 2004…

Six tries in two AIB Cup games – quite a record for young Cork Constitution winger Richard Lane. Meanwhile, Buccaneers full-back Tom Cregan remains the Cup’s top scorer ahead of the April final.

Lane scored four times in Con’s 41-13 quarter-final hammering of Belfast Harlequins earlier this month, while he touched down twice last Saturday as Con beat Buccaneers (20-13) to book their place in the final of the inaugural AIB Cup competition.

Former Shannon ace Cregan, who had the benefit of playing an extra game against Ballymena in the Preliminary round, kicked eight points against Con to boost his Cup tally – which includes three tries – to 59 points. Con fly half Daragh Lyons is Cregan’s closest challenger on 31.

St Mary’s College, Con’s opponents in the April 8 decider, have Connacht centre Mark McHugh on 20 points. He kicked two penalties and two conversions in the Dubliners’ surprise 23-14 semi-final win over Garryowen at Dooradoyle last Saturday. Mary’s scrum half John Kilbride (3 tries) has also been in impressive form.

AIB CUP: TOP SCORERS: (As of February 25)

59 – Tom Cregan (Buccaneers)

31 – Daragh Lyons (Cork Con)

30 – Richard Lane (Cork Con)

20 – Mark McHugh (St Mary’s College)

15 – Johnny Lowe (Belfast Harlequins), Conor O’Loughlin (Buccaneers), John Kilbride (St Mary’s College)

14 – Conor Kilroy (Garryowen), Barry Lynn (St Mary’s College)

12 – David Delaney (Shannon), Michael Glancy (Belfast Harlequins)

11 – Dirkie Strydom (Ballymena), Richard Governey (Terenure College)

10 – Gareth Steenson (Dungannon), Paul Neville, Cillian O’Boyle (Garryowen), Ronan O’Carroll (Greystones), John Anderson (Malone), Henrick Gervais, James Norton (St Mary’s College)

9 – Oliver McGlinchey (Cashel)

8 – Peter O’Brien (Clontarf), Paul Burke (Garryowen)

7 – Damien McCabe (DLSP)

6 – Johnny McClaughlin (Belfast Harlequins), Phil de Barra (DLSP), David Slemen (Galwegians)

5 – Michael McComish (Ballymena), Mark Kettyle, Mike McKeever, Paul McKenzie, Stuart Philpott, Reece Spee, Nopera Stewart (Belfast Harlequins), Brian Buckley, Conor Hartigan, David Kelly, Conor Lavelle, Paddy O’Sullivan, Ted Robinson, Paul Warwick, Darren Yapp (Buccaneers), Niall Carson, Derek Keane, Niall O’Brien, Robert Sweeney, Mark Woods, Peter Woods (Clontarf), Anthony Horgan, Frank Murphy, Brendan O’Connor, Penalty try (Cork Con), Aidan O’Shea (Dolphin), Dale Black, Neil Patterson (Dungannon), John Burke, Ross Davies (Galwegians), Kevin Hartigan, Anthony Kavanagh, Ciaran O’Boyle, John O’Sullivan (Garryowen), Adrian Copeland, Keith Douglas, Daragh Fanning, David Kilbride, Cillian O’Byrne (St Mary’s College), Eddie Halvey (Shannon), Joe McDonagh, Anthony Ronan (Suttonians), Alex Dunlop, Kevin Mahony, Mark Mahony, Dara O’Doherty (Terenure College)

TOP TRY SCORERS:

6 – Richard Lane (Cork Con)

3 – Johnny Lowe (Belfast Harlequins), Tom Cregan, Conor O’Loughlin (Buccaneers), John Kilbride (St Mary’s College)

2 – Paul Neville, Cillian O’Boyle (Garryowen), Ronan O’Carroll (Greystones), John Anderson (Malone), Henrick Gervais, James Norton (St Mary’s College)

1 – Michael McComish (Ballymena), Mark Kettyle, Mike McKeever, Paul McKenzie, Stuart Philpott, Reece Spee, Nopera Stewart (Belfast Harlequins), Brian Buckley, Conor Hartigan, David Kelly, Conor Lavelle, Paddy O’Sullivan, Ted Robinson, Paul Warwick, Darren Yapp (Buccaneers), Niall Carson, Derek Keane, Niall O’Brien, Robert Sweeney, Mark Woods, Peter Woods (Clontarf), Anthony Horgan, Frank Murphy, Brendan O’Connor, Penalty try (Cork Con), Damien McCabe (DLSP), Aidan O’Shea (Dolphin), Dale Black, Neil Patterson (Dungannon), John Burke, Ross Davies (Galwegians), Kevin Hartigan, Anthony Kavanagh, Ciaran O’Boyle, John O’Sullivan (Garryowen), Adrian Copeland, Keith Douglas, Daragh Fanning, David Kilbride, John Kilbride, Cillian O’Byrne (St Mary’s College), Eddie Halvey (Shannon), Joe McDonagh, Anthony Ronan (Suttonians), Alex Dunlop, Kevin Mahony, Mark Mahony, Dara O’Doherty (Terenure College)