Energia Bateman Cup Final Preview: Lansdowne v Instonians

Lansdowne and Instonians, the two clubs that contested the 1927 Bateman Cup final, will face off in this season’s decider, as the prestigious Energia-sponsored competition crowns its latest champions this afternoon (kick-off 2.30pm – live on irishrugby+).

ENERGIA BATEMAN CUP FINAL:

Saturday, January 6 –

LANSDOWNE (7th, Div 1A) v INSTONIANS (1st, Div 2A), Aviva Stadium back pitch, 2.30pm (live on irishrugby+)

Energia All-Ireland League Form – Lansdowne: LWLWLLWWL; Instonians: WWWWLWWWW
Energia All-Ireland League Top Scorers – Lansdowne: Points: Andy Marks 35; Tries: Andy Marks 7; Instonians: Points: Josh Eagleson 77; Tries: Bevan Prinsloo 10

Energia Bateman Cup Titles – Lansdowne: 6 (1922, 1929, 1930, 1931, 2018, 2022); Instonians: 1 (1927); Previous Final Appearances – Lansdowne: 8 (1922 Champions, 1927 Runners-up, 1928 Runners-up, 1929 Champions, 1930 Champions, 1931 Champions, 2018 Champions, 2022 Champions); Instonians: 2 (1923 Runners-up, 1927 Champions)

Recent Energia 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
2023 – Terenure College 71 Buccaneers 13
2024 – Terenure College 22 Young Munster 15

Paths To The Final –

LANSDOWNE:

Leinster Senior Cup
– won 35-28 v St. Mary’s College away
– won 36-28 v Clontarf away
– won 40-15 v UCD home
– won 45-44 v Terenure College (after extra time) (final at Energia Park)

Energia Bateman Cup semi-final
– won 76-12 v Sligo home

INSTONIANS:

Ulster Senior Cup
– won 22-21 v Ballynahinch away
– won 22-21 v City of Armagh away
– won 36-26 v Queen’s University (final at Kingspan Stadium)

Energia Bateman Cup semi-final
– won 24-19 v Garryowen away

Preview: After winning their provincial Senior Cups last season, Lansdowne and Instonians book seek to etch their names once again on the Energia Bateman Cup roll of honour, as they meet on the Aviva Stadium’s back pitch.

The journey for both to reach this point began in 2023, continued with November’s respective semi-final wins over Sligo (76-12) and Garryowen (24-19), and now culminates on the first weekend of 2025.

Lansdowne, the outright champions on six occasions, are bidding to maintain the recent Dublin dominance following their own 2022 success and Terenure College’s back-to-back titles.

Meanwhile, Instonians, the current pacesetters in Energia All-Ireland League Men’s Division 2A, have won through to the club’s third ever Bateman Cup final – and their first this century.

Having lost the 1923 final to Bective Rangers, Instonians bounced back four years later to defeat Lansdowne 16-8. Footage of that historic game exists online thanks to the British Pathé archives on YouTube.

It has been a long wait to get back to this stage for Inst, but Paul Pritchard’s men have become a real force in the Energia All-Ireland League since their promotion back to this level ahead of the 2022/23 season.

Currently captained by athletic number 8 David Whitten, the Belfast side lifted the Division 2C and Division 2B trophies, embarking on a stunning 52-match unbeaten run from their time in the junior ranks right until they suffered defeat to Sligo last term.

Lansdowne will have home advantage today and are one of the most decorated club rugby teams in Ireland. Notably, they have won on each of their last five Bateman Cup final appearances, last defeating Young Munster in the 2022 decider in Cork.

Declan Fassbender’s charges are sitting in seventh place in the Division 1A table, but have beaten Cork Constitution and Clontarf during the first half of the season. In-form centre Andy Marks has impressed with seven tries so far.

Compared to the Lansdowne team that overcame Sligo with plenty to spare in their November 22 semi-final, there are six changes with Cillian Redmond, Marks, Jerry Cahir, Ruairi Clarke, captain Jack Cooke, and Paul Wilson all coming back into the starting XV.

Backs Hugo Ellerby and Ruairi O’Farrell, and openside flanker Max Preston, are Instonians’ three changes, following on from that impressive victory away to Garryowen in the last round. Josh Eagleson converted Mark Keane’s late try to decide that game.

While acknowledging their underdog status, Instonians already know what it is like to upset Division 1A teams. They defeated both Ballynahinch and City of Armagh on the way to winning the Ulster Senior Cup last season, before claiming the scalp of Garryowen most recently.

Armagh gained some revenge on them before Christmas, so the challenge for Inst is to bounce back quickly and show the consistency that has seen talismanic centre Bevan Prinsloo run in 10 tries in Division 2A, closely followed by hooker Neil Saulters on nine.

With plenty of twists and turns likely across the 80 minutes, can Lansdowne make home advantage and that gap of two divisions count on the scoreboard? Or will Instonians become the first Ulster club to lift the Bateman Cup since Queen’s University back in 1937? A fascinating clash awaits.

IrishRugby.ie Prediction: Lansdowne to win

LANSDOWNE: Cathal Eddy; Cillian Redmond, Andy Marks, Rory Parata, Sean Galvin; Stephen Madigan, Jack Matthews; Jerry Cahir, Chris Poole, Greg McGrath, Ruairi Clarke, Juan Beukes, Jack Cooke (capt), Paul Wilson, Donough Lawlor.

Replacements: Jack Treanor, Tom Connolly, George Morris, Barry Fitzpatrick, Hardus van Eeden, James Kenny, Steve McMahon, Peter Sullivan.

INSTONIANS: Bradley McNamara; Mark Keane, Bevan Prinsloo, Ian Whitten, Hugo Ellerby; Josh Eagleson, Ruairi O’Farrell; Oli Clark, Neil Saulters, Liam Kaprigiannis, Robert Whitten, Ali Burke, Marty Vorster, Max Preston, David Whitten (capt).

Replacements: Schalk van der Merwe, Andy Armstrong, Ciaran McCarthy, Matthew Nelson, Matthew Keane, Andy McGrath, Chris Beaumont, Conor McGrath.

Referee: Padraic Reidy (IRFU)