Energia Bateman Cup Final: Terenure College v Buccaneers

A novel final pairing ensures a new Energia Bateman Cup winner will be crowned at Lakelands Park where Terenure College play host to Division 1B outfit Buccaneers.

ENERGIA BATEMAN CUP FINAL: Friday, March 10

TERENURE COLLEGE (2nd, Div 1A) v BUCCANEERS (3rd, Div 1B), Lakelands Park, 7.30pm (IrishRugby.ie Live Stream)

Join us for live coverage of the game with broadcaster Dan Mooney and former Ireland international Michelle Claffey.

Energia All-Ireland League Form – Terenure College: WWWWWWWWLWWLLWW; Buccaneers: LWWWWWWWLWLWWWL
Energia All-Ireland League Top Scorers – Terenure College: Points: Caolan Dooley 97; Tries: Craig Adams 12; Buccaneers: Points: Michael Hanley 95; Tries: Josh O’Connor 11

Recent Bateman Cup Finals –

2011 – Bruff 24 Dungannon 18
2012 – Garryowen 24 Ballymena 6
2013 – Cork Constitution 24 St. Mary’s College 19
2014 – Cork Constitution 19 UCD 6
2015 – Cork Constitution 24 Clontarf 9
2016 – Galwegians 19 Cork Constitution 38
2017 – Old Belvedere 13 Cork Constitution 18
2018 – Cork Constitution 12 Lansdowne 32
2019 – Garryowen 45 City of Armagh 21
2020 – Lansdowne & Cork Constitution declared joint winners due to Covid-19-affected season
2022 – Lansdowne 46 Young Munster 13

Paths To The Final –

TERENURE COLLEGE:

Leinster Senior Cup
– won 45-0 v Tullamore away
– won 39-22 v Clontarf home
– walkover win v Navan away
– won 20-18 v Lansdowne (final at Lakelands Park)

Bateman Cup semi-final
– won 21-11 v Young Munster home

BUCCANEERS:

Connacht Senior Cup
– won 31-7 v Galway Corinthians away
– won 22-5 v Sligo home
– won 25-5 v Ballina (final at the Sportsground)

Bateman Cup semi-final
– won 45-21 v Queen’s University home

Preview: Buccaneers unfortunately have a big list of absentees, including their Connacht Academy contingent, for their first ever Energia Bateman Cup final appearance. So, some of the Pirates’ up-and-coming talents will be hoping to shine.

They come into this game off the back of a disappointing 34-7 league defeat to Old Belvedere, but have some impressive operators in Michael Hanley, who has accumulated 95 points in Division 1B, captain Martin Staunton and centre Stephen Mannion.

45-21 semi-final winners over Queen’s University, this is an altogether different kettle of fish for Eddie O’Sullivan’s young side, coming up against a seasoned Terenure line-up that has the experienced Andy Keating, Cathal Marsh and Colm de Buitléar primed for impact roles.

“We know we’re up against it with Terenure,” admitted Buccs boss O’Sullivan. “They are a top team in Division 1A at the moment. It’s a big challenge for us but we’ll throw everything at it and see what happens.”

Terenure head coach Sean Skehan has made five personnel changes to the side that won 32-10 at UCD last week. Sam Coghlan Murray, former captain Stephen O’Neill, James Thornton, current skipper Harrison Brewer and Niall Lalor all return.

Terenure and Buccs are both bidding to become the sixth different club to win the Bateman Cup since the historic competition for the four provincial Senior Cup winners was reintroduced in the 2010/11 season.

‘Nure scrum half Alan Bennie, a Bateman Cup winner with Lansdowne in 2018, said: “The Bateman Cup is so difficult to win. You have to be at your best in any final and this will be no different.

“Buccaneers are going well in Division 1B and gunning for promotion, so they’ll have that something extra to prove on the day. They’ve young guys coming through, and you can see they’re playing a really exciting brand of rugby.”

Buccs will need to keep close tabs on Craig Adams who has run in a dozen tries for Terenure in the top flight this season, while their powerful lineout maul has provided the platform for a high number of scores.

Coupled with home advantage, that firepower out wide and up front has ‘Nure hotly tipped to lift their first senior national trophy since they were crowned Division 1B champions back in 2014.

TERENURE COLLEGE: Adam La Grue; Sam Coghlan Murray, Stephen O’Neill, Caolan Dooley, Craig Adams; James Thornton, Alan Bennie; Campbell Classon, Levi Vaughan, Adam Tuite, Harrison Brewer (capt), Mick Melia, Adam Melia, Niall Lalor, Jordan Coghlan.

Replacements: Robbie Smyth, Conor McCormack, Andy Keating, Matthew Caffrey, Mike Murphy, Luke Clohessy, Cathal Marsh, Colm de Buitléar.

BUCCANEERS: Andrew Evans; Harry Balsiger, Conor Fitzgibbon, Stephen Mannion, Ross Murphy Sweeney; Michael Hanley, Frankie Hopkins; James Kelly, Steveni Lombard, Martin Staunton (capt), Fionn McDonnell, Ruairi Byrne, Sean O’Connell, Cathal Walsh, Ryan O’Meara.

Replacements: Oisin Dolan, Charlie Byrne, Cian Daly, Luke Balsiger, Mathias O’Neill, Jack Scouler, Robert Teape.

Referee: Padraic Reidy (IRFU)