Corinthians beat Shannon to underline promotion credentials in tight Division 2A

Galway do not have a club in the top two divisions of the AIL but Corinthians underlined their Division 2A promotion credentials with a hard-earned 24-3 win over nine-time champions Shannon on Saturday.

The game was moved to Creggs’ 4G pitch an hour away from the city, and after missing the first three games due to a Connacht training block, four of Corinthians’ academy players started up front in greasy conditions.

Shannon brought huge line speed but Corinthians had the stronger set pieces and more X-factor. After Dara Walsh’s close-range finish earned a 10-3 interval lead, Colm de Buitléar, an AIL winner with Terenure, sliced through to put Harry Rogers over before Tadhg Johnston’s counter and chip led to Aidan Vetjens scoring.

Corinthians stay fourth, but just one point separates new leaders Cashel from Wanderers in fifth.

Corinthians had also moved last season’s game against Shannon to Creggs’ impressive facilities, when winning 28-21, but this season’s exile from Corinthian Park is now over as their 4G pitch is almost complete.

Head coach Ambrose Conboy said: “It’s a game changer for the city and even from a school’s perspective, for the Bish [St Joseph’s] to consistently have a facility to play games on. Yes, you have to pay for it, but that’s life. It’s better than cancelling it because, as you can see, it rains.”

Galwegians stay last in 2A but recorded their first win by beating Greystones away. Sligo and Buccaneers also won in 2B South and North at home to Navan and away to Monkstown respectively.

But Shannon’s loss was compounded by Young Munster, Garryowen and UL Bohs being beaten at home to Lansdowne, Blackrock and Queen’s, albeit Bruff won in Enniscorthy.

Limerick clubs feel abandoned by Munster and the IRFU. Shannon have a thriving underage set-up but lose players to schools who often don’t rejoin. Munster divert academy prospects to the top two divisions, even though such players would help a promotion push.

“The divisions are just so competitive,” said Shannon head coach Neil Cronin. “Teams are getting better and better, 1A is as close to professional rugby as you get and then 1B, same again. Guys who are Year Three of academies could be playing for UCC, Garryowen and the Dublin clubs, and then in 2A there’s tough places to go. None of these divisions are easy.”

Unhealthily, Division 1A now has Young Munster, Cork Con and Ballynahinch in the bottom three below seven Leinster clubs.

Old Belvedere stay top after Jayden Beckett cancelled out Evan Clarke’s try before an opportunist double by Calum Dowling and a George Hadden finish ground out a first win away to Con since 2014.

Terenure stay next on points difference, Oliver Coffey flourishing on debut behind a superb pack in creating two of their seven tries in a 47-25 home win over UCD, for whom last season’s Blackrock SCT centre Bernard White scored an incredible solo try in his first AIL brace.

Ballynahinch were very competitive at Castle Avenue before Clontarf’s bench helped them pull clear in the last quarter, Dylan Donnellan scoring a hat-trick of maul tries.

Similarly, a bonus-point try by Brock Gallagher had Young Munster 28-17 ahead shortly after the interval but Daniel Hurley and Hugo McLaughlin crossed for Lansdowne before Tom Roche completed the scoring.

Weekend results

Energia AIL Men

Division 1A: Clontarf 39 Ballynahinch 21; Cork Con 7 Old Belvedere 24; Old Wesley 17 St Mary’s College 26; Terenure College 47 UCD 25; Young Munster 26 Lansdowne 36.

Division 1B: Highfield-UCC, abandoned; Instonians 28 Dublin University 22; Garryowen 16 Blackrock College 43; Naas 43 City of Armagh 17; Nenagh Ormond 18 MU Barnhall 16.

Division 2A: Ballymena 17 Wanderers 24; Cashel RFC 21 Dungannon 20; Corinthians 24 Shannon 3; Greystones 15 Galwegians 22; UL Bohemian 24 Queen’s University 40.

Division 2B North: Ballyclare 17 Banbridge 39; Enniskillen 29 Skerries 21; Malone 34 Clogher Valley 28; Rainey 36 Malahide 33; Sligo 15 Navan 14.

Division 2B South: Clonmel 16 Old Crescent 5; Dolphin 0 Midleton 62; Enniscorthy 25 Bruff 31; Monkstown 24 Buccaneers 28; Thomond 12 Bective Rangers 29.

Women’s Division 1A: Railway Union 20 Old Belvedere 33; Wicklow 19 UL Bohemian 43; Blackrock College 48 Galwegians 7.

Division 1B: Ballincollig 23 Ennis RFC 14; MU Barnhall 36 Tullow 7; Cooke 5 Enniskillen 12.