AIB League: Kicking Kings
The AIB League kicks into gear again this weekend and as we approach the final stages of the league, IrishRugby.ie takes a look at the kicking kings in all three divisions.
Dolphin’s Barry Keeshan is the leading points gatherer with the boot in Division One of the AIB League to date, with 129 points. Dolphin are in fifth place in the top flight, just two points outside the play-off places.
They face a tough run-in with games against Shannon, St. Mary’s College and Cork Constitution and will need Keeshan to be in top form in order to make it into the semi-finals.
In the scoring charts, Keeshan is closely followed by Blackrock’s Fionn Carr who has amassed 120 points from penalties, conversions and drop goals so far this season. Carr will be hoping to increase his tally and improve on ‘Rock’s current seventh-place positioning when they face UL Bohemians this Saturday.
Keeshan may top the Division One kicking list but the AIB League’s most prolific scorer with the boot so far this season is UCC’s Gavin Dunne with 131 points.
He will be pushed close by Highfield’s Brian O’Meara who is on 126 points. Both UCC and Highfield, currently fifth and sixth in the table, remain in contention for a play-off spot in Division Two, though the students look to have the slightly easier run-in with games against Barnhall and Thomond.
Highfield have to face title chasers Malone and the team just below them in seventh place, Bective Rangers.
In Division Three, Michael Glancy of Rainey Old Boys tops the list with 103 points from kicks. Rainey are mid-table in the division. In second place is Waterpark’s Gary Jones on 95 points.
Table-toppers Bruff are fifth in the kicking list with Brian Cahill amassing 75 points, five behind Instonians’ Owen McMurray. Bruff are away to Naas and Banbridge in their final two games, while ‘Inst travel to Corinthians before hosting Connemara in their final game of the league proper.
AIB League Division One Top Points Scorers (Kickers Only)
129 – B Keeshan (Dolphin)
120 – F Carr (Blackrock College)
101 – C Kilroy (Garryowen)
99 – A Thompson (Shannon)
86 – R Murphy (Old Belvedere)
82 – D McAllister (Terenure College)
79 – K Lett (UCD)
78 – J Manning (Cork Constitution)
71 – I Keatley (Clontarf)
70 – F Lawlor (UL Bohemians)
66 – F Lynch (St. Mary’s College)
57 – J Power (Greystones)
53 – R Lane (Cork Constitution)
50 – L Bibo (Galwegians)
48 – D Raw (Ballymena)
43 – J McGuckin (Dungannon)
42 – C Woods (Ballymena)
40 – L Cozens (Lansdowne)
35 – R McCarter (Dungannon)
33 – C Aherne (UCD)
26 – T Bennett (Shannon)
25 – R Gerber (Greystones)
23 – A Cummiskey (UCD)
23 – R Dolan (Lansdowne)
20 – L Kavanagh (Lansdowne)
20 – J Sexton (St. Mary’s College)
18 – D Lyons (Cork Constitution)
17 – P Durcan (Galwegians)
15 – D O’Shea (Clontarf)
15 – P Warwick (UL Bohemians)
AIB League Division Two Top Points Scorers (Kickers Only)
131 – G Dunne (UCC)
126 – B O’Meara (Highfield)
113 – A Gaughan (Buccaneers)
111 – K Hallett (Malone)
111 – W Slabbert (Belfast Harlequins)
95 – D Fitzgerald (Wanderers)
85 – J Watt (Dublin University)
77 – D Cusack (Thomond)
73 – F Campion (Bective Rangers)
72 – C Connolly (Barnhall)
67 – G Cribb (Clonakilty)
63 – P de Barra (DLSP)
53 – M Scott (Ballynahinch)
47 – M Connolly (Young Munster)
45 – T Wells (Young Munster)
43 – S Mitchell (Bective Rangers)
33 – P Maguire (Suttonians)
32 – M Covis (Suttonians)
32 – G Fry (Malone)
32 – G James (Old Crescent)
28 – D O’Brien (Highfield)
28 – D Lombard (Clonakilty)
27 – D Griffin (DLSP)
24 – B Begley (Old Crescent)
24 – T Cregan (Young Munster)
21 – M Costello (Young Munster)
18 – A Purcell (Old Crescent)
17 – H McAleese (Ballynahinch)
16 – T Taiepa (Suttonians)
14 – K Gilligan (DLSP)
14 – N O’Connor (Belfast Harlequins)
AIB League Division Three Top Points Scorers (Kickers Only)
103 – M Glancy (Rainey Old Boys)
95 – G Jones (Waterpark)
91 – A Large (Old Wesley)
80 – O McMurray (Instonians)
75 – B Cahill (Bruff)
75 – J Lillis (Nenagh Ormond)
75 – Paddy O’Toole (Connemara)
74 – I Porter (Queen’s University)
72 – D Aherne (Naas)
72 – I Ioane (City of Derry)
70 – J Lynch (Sundays Well)
67 – T Nathan (Connemara)
57 – G Jacob (County Carlow)
48 – J Holland (Midleton)
48 – J Hitchmough (Midleton)
45 – M Banford (Ards)
45 – N Farr (Banbridge)
37 – N Malone (Instonians)
35 – I Whitten (Queen’s University)
33 – R Finlay (Banbridge)
31 – A Derwin (Ards)
30 – S Paul (Ards)
27 – C Corkery (Sundays Well)
26 – R Connellan (Connemara)
22 – N Doak (Queen’s University)
20 – T Kenneally (Nenagh Ormond)
15 – C Tracey (Corinthians)
11 – J Buckley (Connemara)
AIB League statistics are compiled by Des Daly