Ulster Bank League: Results Round-Up

Lansdowne’s lead at the top of Ulster Bank League Division 1A has been cut to one point after Old Belvedere ended the headquarters club’s winning run, while Dublin University took the spoils at Templeville Road in a game that was streamed live on the Irish Rugby Facebook page.

ULSTER BANK LEAGUE RESULTS: Friday, September 30

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DIVISION 1A:

LANSDOWNE 13 OLD BELVEDERE 16, Aviva Stadium back pitch
Scorers: Lansdowne: Try: Joe McSwiney; Con: Scott Deasy; Pens: Charlie McMickan, Scott Deasy
Old Belvedere: Try: Paul Pritchard; Con: Willie Staunton; Pens: Willie Staunton 3
HT: Lansdowne 6 Old Belvedere 9

Old Belvedere stung Ulster Bank League Division 1A leaders Lansdowne with a 16-13 defeat on the Aviva Stadium’s back pitch tonight.

Having done the double on Lansdowne last season, ‘Belvo are proving to be a bogey team for Mike Ruddock’s men who struggled to find their usual rhythm. That is a credit to ‘Belvo whose rugged pack produced an excellent display, particularly at set piece time and the breakdown, in a game that doubled up as the Leinster Senior League Cup final.

Out-half Willie Staunton, who had an awful day with the boot against Garryowen last week, was back in brilliant kicking form with an 11-point haul, including three settling penalties after 18, 21 and 33 minutes.

Staunton’s strikes had the visitors leading 9-6 at the turnaround – Charlie McMickan and Scott Deasy replied for the table toppers – before a close range try from former Ballynahinch flanker Paul Pritchard, who was sprung from the bench, put Paul Cunningham’s charges out of reach.

Joe McSwiney’s late effort earned Lansdowne a losing bonus point, with the defeat cutting the headquarters club’s lead at the summit to a single point. Captain John Kennedy lifted the provincial silverware afterwards on a memorable night for ‘Belvo.

LANSDOWNE: Eamonn Mills; Daniel McEvoy, Mark Roche, Tom Daly, Charlie McMickan; Scott Deasy, Alan Bennie; Jacob Walshe, Tyrone Moran, Ian Prendiville (capt), Josh O’Rourke, Stephen Gardiner, Willie Earle, Charlie Butterworth, Max Deegan.

Replacements: Tadgh McElroy, Ntinga Mpiko, Joe McSwiney, Matthew D’Arcy, Jack Howlett.

OLD BELVEDERE: Daniel Riordan; Sean Coughlan, John Kennedy (capt), Ben Woods, Shane McDonald; Willie Staunton, Charlie Rock; Adam Howard, Ed Rossiter, Declan Lavery, Karl Miller, Jack Kelly, Jonathan Slattery, Michael Oyuga, Dave Sherry.

Replacements: Cathal O’Flynn, Jonathan Inglis, Paul Pritchard, Robert Cruess Callaghan, Aaron Sheehan.

ST. MARY’S COLLEGE 19 DUBLIN UNIVERSITY 31, Templeville Road
Scorers: St. Mary’s College: Try: Ian O’Neill; Con: Sean Kearns; Pens: Sean Kearns 4
Dublin University: Tries: Colm Hogan, Jack Burke, Michael Courtney; Cons: Jack McDermott 2; Pens: Jack McDermott 4
HT: St. Mary’s College 13 Dublin University 6

A stunning three-try second half display from injury-hit Dublin University earned them a 31-19 victory over St. Mary’s College at Templeville Road this evening.

Bouncing back from last week’s derby defeat to UCD, Trinity showed impressive resolve to come from 10 points down just before half-time and pick up their second road win in the top flight.

The students are still without injured captain Brian Slater due to shoulder surgery. Seb Fromm and Raef Tyrrell are among their absentees from last year, Tom Ryan is currently nursing a rib injury and second row Cian O’Dwyer also broke his hand against UCD.

Two of Trinity’s former frontliners, centre Paddy Lavelle and back rower Nick McCarthy, featured for new side St. Mary’s tonight. Their ex-team-mate Jack McDermott kicked the students ahead with a third minute penalty before Sean Kearns responded for Mary’s in the 32nd minute.

Kearns and McDermott slotted two more penalties before the break, however, in between, Mary’s mustered the game’s first try. At the end of a probing attack, Terry Kennedy’s telling pass sent winger Ian O’Neill over on the right.

Trailing 13-6, Trinity crucially hit back with a 10-point surge in a five-minute second half spell. McDermott landed another penalty before superb handling from the Ireland Club international out-half and Bryan Mollen paved the way for Ireland Under-19 full-back Colm Hogan to clinically score wide on the right.

Trinity’s greater firepower was coming to the fore and Mary’s could only respond with two more Kearns penalties over the remainder, struck in the 51st and 68th minutes.

A powerful maul on the hour mark was finished off by Trinity’s industrious skipper Jack Burke, with McDermott adding a tremendous conversion.

The visitors’ third and final try came following a prolonged multi-phase move in the 71st minute, lock Burke latching onto a loose ball and offloading neatly for centre Michael Courtney to score by the posts. McDermott’s conversion and subsequent penalty – moving his own tally to 16 points – completed a superb collective performance from Tony Smeeth’s young guns.

ST. MARY’S COLLEGE: Terry Kennedy; Ian O’Neill, Paddy Lavelle, Ryan O’Loughlin, Jordan Larmour; Sean Kearns, Paddy O’Driscoll; Tom O’Reilly, Hugo Kean, Emmet Ferron, Ciaran Ruddock (capt), Cathal O’Flaherty, Caelan Doris, David Aspil, Nick McCarthy.

Replacements: Richard Halpin, Michael McCormack, Mark Fallon, Conor Dean, Dave Fanagan.

DUBLIN UNIVERSITY: Jack Kelly; Bryan Mollen, Michael Courtney, Kyle Dixon, Colm Hogan; Jack McDermott, Daniel Joyce; Eric O’Sullivan, Paddy Finlay, Andrew Keating, Jack Burke (capt), Pierce Dargan, Sam Pim, Ross Todd, Adrien Charbonnier.

Replacements: Liam Cronin, Shane Byrne, Niall O’Riordan, Daryl Egan, James O’Donovan.

DIVISION 2A:

Queen’s University 40 Malone 10, Dub Lane

DIVISION 2C:

Navan 10 Tullamore 17, Balreask Old