Energia All-Ireland Men’s Junior Cup: Semi-Final Previews

There is huge excitement surrounding Saturday’s Energia All-Ireland Men’s Junior Cup semi-finals, with a new name set to go on the trophy this season, and three recent finalists part of the quartet trying to reach the January 25 decider.

ENERGIA ALL-IRELAND MEN’S JUNIOR CUP SEMI-FINALS:

Saturday, December 14

Kick-off 2.30pm unless stated –

DROMORE v BECTIVE RANGERS, Barban Hill

Energia All-Ireland Junior Cup Season’s Record: Dromore: Won 32-16 away to Thomond; Won 48-12 at home to Suttonians; Bective Rangers: Won 43-30 away to Mallow; Won 50-27 at home to Connemara
Energia All-Ireland Junior Cup Top Scorers – Dromore: Points: Adam McDonald 10; Tries: Adam McDonald 2; Bective Rangers: Points: Mikey O’Hare 23; Tries: Mikey O’Hare, Tiarnan McCloskey 2 each

Preview: Two of those recent finalists meet at Barban Hill, as 2020 runners-up Dromore take on last season’s beaten finalists, Bective Rangers. These two teams have been in free-scoring form in the current campaign, and this promises to be an exciting clash.

For the first time since 2019, Dromore have reached the last-four of this prestigious All-Ireland competition. Back then they faced Crosshaven on the road and booked their ticket for the decider where Kilfeacle & District prevailed on a tight 28-24 scoreline.

Since then the County Down outfit have had two quarter-final exits in their last two attempts, but this season they had 16 points to spare over their first round hosts Thomond, before following up with another impressive performance in their quarter-final win at home to Suttonians.

Form wise, Graeme Eastwood’s men have shown an enviable consistency in terms of results, with their Energia All-Ireland Junior Cup progress matched by their unbeaten status after eight games at the top of Ulster Rugby Championship Division 1.

Bective Rangers, meanwhile, fell to a 48-8 final defeat to Ballyclare last January and certainly came into this season’s competition with a point to prove.

With Australian Ben Manion, the recent Old Belvedere head coach, leading a new coaching group at the Donnybrook-based club, they have delivered so far with high-scoring victories over Mallow and Connemara, showcasing their pedigree to make another final.

Outside of the All-Ireland Junior Cup, Bective also currently lead Leinster League Division 1A with seven wins out of eight – their only loss came at the start of the season against Wicklow. They have looked quite sharp, building for another potential shot at national silverware.

This is a hard game to call as both teams have shown their quality amid a tough run of fixtures on the provincial scene. Will home advantage be the difference for Dromore? Can Bective make it back-to-back final appearances? An intriguing showdown awaits between these table-topping sides.

IrishRugby.ie Prediction: Dromore to win

TULLOW v ENNISKILLEN, Rathoe Road

Energia All-Ireland Junior Cup Season’s Record: Tullow: Won 34-26 at home to Creggs; Won 27-24 away to Seapoint; Enniskillen: Won 63-7 at home to Tuam; Won 26-18 at home to Cooke
Energia All-Ireland Junior Cup Top Scorers – Tullow: Points: Adam Johnson 14; Tries: Stephen Smith, Martin Cole 2 each; Enniskillen: Points: Eddie Keys 37; Tries: Sam Balfour 3

Preview: One of the stories of this season’s Energia All-Ireland Junior Cup has been debutants Tullow reaching the semi-final stage. Will Maurice Logue’s charges make history by booking a coveted final spot? Standing in their way are Enniskillen, who were runners-up two seasons ago.

Tullow have had not one but two close battles to win through to the last-four. From their opening encounter with Creggs where they held on against a late surge, to Dara Cosgrave’s two penalties during the final quarter to get the better of Seapoint. They have had to dig deep.

With home advantage, the Carlow side will hope their supporters can be the ’16th man’ against the highly-rated Skins. Currently sixth in Leinster League Division 1A, they do have some winning momentum from last weekend’s 31-14 triumph over Ashbourne.

Enniskillen were last semi-finalists in January 2023 when they faced two current Energia All-Ireland League teams in the latter stages of the competition. They ended Monkstown’s run with a 24-8 success at home, before losing an all-Ulster decider to Clogher Valley later that month.

Alastair Keys took over the coaching reins from Stephen Welsh in the summer of 2023, and Skins weathered a late surge from Cooke in their quarter-final win. That was on the back of a one-sided first round match against Tuam, with this being their first away trip in this season’s competition.

Keys’ men lost last Saturday’s top of the table clash away to Dromore in Ulster Rugby Championship Division 1. Second half tries from Nathan Cullinan, Angus Keys, and James Ferguson were not enough in an agonising 21-19 loss.

Might Ulster’s current top two turn next month’s All-Ireland Junior Cup final into another provincial derby? On their day Tullow have shown they can be a match for anyone, and with history on the line, they are sure to produce a big display on home soil.

These two semi-finals could go right down to the wire, and it really is all about who produces the goods on the day. Back-to-back winners Clogher Valley and reigning champions Ballyclare have shown the way, both lifting this trophy before being promoted to the Energia All-Ireland League.

IrishRugby.ie Prediction: Enniskillen to win

ENERGIA ALL-IRELAND MEN’S JUNIOR CUP – LIST OF CHAMPIONS:

2023/2024 – Ballyclare 48 Bective Rangers 8, Dundalk RFC
2022/2023 – Clogher Valley 30 Enniskillen 18, Kingspan Stadium
2021/2022 – Clogher Valley 13 Ballyclare 11, Kingspan Stadium
2020/2021 – Competition cancelled due to Covid-19
2019/2020 – Kilfeacle & District 28 Dromore 24, Coolmine RFC
2018/2019 – Ashbourne 16 Enniscorthy 11, Edenderry RFC
2017/2018 – Ashbourne 18 Kilfeacle & District 9, Portlaoise RFC
2016/2017 – Ashbourne 22 Enniscorthy 20, Energia Park
2015/2016 – Enniscorthy 23 Instonians 7, Ashbourne RFC
2014/2015 – Dundalk 55 Bangor 5, Portadown RFC
2013/2014 – Enniscorthy 10 Clogher Valley 9, Coolmine RFC
2012/2013 – Tullamore 29 Enniscorthy 10, Cill Dara RFC
2011/2012 – Tullamore 9 Monivea 3, Dubarry Park
2010/2011 – Crosshaven 17 Monivea 9, Templeville Road
2009/2010 – City of Derry 19 City of Armagh 17, Dubarry Park
2008/2009 – Tullamore 23 Navan 13, Dubarry Park
2007/2008 – Navan 20 Tullamore 6, Dubarry Park
2006/2007 – Seapoint 47 Coleraine 15, Dubarry Park
2005/2006 – Rainey Old Boys 27 Youghal 5, Lansdowne Road