Good afternoon and welcome to today’s live coverage of the Sigerson Cup semi-finals.
UCC v St Mary’s is first on the cards at 2pm, while UCD v UL throws-in at 4pm.
Here’s how both teams are set to start:
St Mary’s
1. Mark Reid (Bryansford, Down)
2. Kyle Mallon (Killeavy, Armagh)
3. Aaron McKay (Dromintee, Armagh)
4. Ruairi Mooney (Eoghan Rua Coleraine, Derry)
5. Colm Byrne (Eglish, Tyrone)
6. Conor Meyler (Omagh, Tyrone)
7. Ciaran Corrigan (Maguiresbridge, Fermanagh)
8. Oisin O’Neill (Crossmaglen Rangers, Armagh)
9. Brian Óg McGilligan (Banagher, Derry)
10. Oisin Mac Iomhar (Annaghmore, Armagh)
11. Conall McCann (Killyclogher, Tyrone)
12. Kevin McKernan (Burren, Down)
13. Stephen McConville (Clonduff, Down)
14. Cathal McShane (Eoghan Roe O’Neill’s, Tyrone)
15. Matthew Fitzpatrick (Naomh Eoin, Antrim)
UCC
1. Micheal Martin (Nemo Rangers, Cork)
4. Lawrence Bastible (John Mitchels, Kerry)
3. Jack McGuire (Listowel Emmets, Kerry)
21. Jason Foley (Ballydonoghue, Kerry)
34. Kevin Crowley (Millstreet, Cork)
26. Michael Flood (Meath)
27. Tom O’Sullivan (Dingle, Kerry)
22. Ian Maguire (St Finbarr’s Cork)
9. Ronan O’Toole (Éire Óg, Cork)
10. Ronan Buckley (Listry, Kerry)
11. Adrian Spillane (Templenoe, Kerry)
8. Jack Kennedy (Clonmel Commercials, Tipperary)
13. Cian Dorgan (Ballincollig, Cork)
31. Killian Spillane (Templenoe, Kerry)
15. Cathal Bambury (Dingle, Kerry)
***********************
UCD
1. Colm Honan (Navan O’Mahony’s, Meath)
2. Eoin Murchin (Na Fianna, Dublin)
3. Michael Fitzsimons (Cuala, Dublin)
4. Niall McInerney (St Brigid’s, Roscommon)
5. Conor Mullaly (Cuala, Dublin)
6. Stephen Coen (Hollymount-Carramore, Mayo)
7. Jack McCaffrey (Clontarf, Dublin)
8. Barry O’Sullivan (Dingle, Kerry)
9. Jack Barry (Na Gaeil, Kerry)
10. Andy McDonnell (Newtown Blues, Louth)
11. Conor McCarthy (Scotstown, Monaghan)
12. Eamonn Wallace (Ratoath, Meath)
13. Paul Mannion (Kilmacud Crokes, Dublin)
14. Colm Basquel (Ballyboden St-Enda’s, Dublin)
15. Larry Moran (Killoe Emmet Óg, Longford)
UL
1. Colm O’Driscoll (Castlehaven, Cork)
2. Cathal Ó Lúing (An Ghaeltacht, Kerry)
3. John Mullins (Éire Óg, Cork)
4. Darren Brosnan (Gneeveguilla, Kerry)
5. Paul White (Rathkeale, Limerick)
6. Luke Boland (Moyle Rovers, Tipperary)
7. Pearse Lillis (Cooraclare, Clare)
8. Gearoid Hegarty (St Patrick’s, Limerick)
9. Cian Sheehan (Newcastlewest, Limerick)
10. Fergal Boland (Aghamore, Mayo)
11. Michael Geaney (Dingle, Kerry)
12. Brendan O’Keeffe (Rathmore, Kerry)
13. Shane Ryan (Rathmore, Kerry)
14. Denis Daly (St Mary’s, Kerry)
15. Niall McDermott (Ballinagh, Cavan)
Some late changes on the UCC team:
Lawrence Bastible, Jack McGuire, Michael Flood and Cian Dorgan are replaced by Fionnan Clifford, Kevin Begley, Stephen Cronin and Brian O’Driscoll.
St Mary’s line out as named. They won the toss and will play with the breeze in the opening half.
UCC 2-0 St Mary’s 0-0
6 mins – Two goals for UCC in the space of a minute! Ian Maguire bagged the first one, before a short kick-out for the Ulster college went wrong, and Bambury finished into the net. Nightmare start for St Mary’s.
UCC 2-0 St Mary’s 0-1
7 mins – Kieran McGeary responds with a free for St Mary’s.
UCC 2-0 St Mary’s 0-3
11 mins – Goal chance for UCC. Maguire is spending some time at full-forward and he catches a delivery inside before offloading to Kevin Crowley. Stephen McConville gets the key block in for St Mary’s.
At the far end, Oisin O’Neill converts a free.
UCC 2-0 St Mary’s 1-3
16 mins – We’re level! Matthew Fitzpatrick hits the net after Oisin O’Neill’s shot from distance bounced down off the upright.
UCC 2-1 St Mary’s 1-3
20 mins – UCC retake the lead through Cathal Bambury. Good delivery in that time from Kevin Crowley. The Munster side kick their first score of the game.
UCC 2-1 St Mary’s 1-4
26 mins - Fitzpatrick splits the posts to bring us level again as we approach half-time.
BLACK CARD! St Mary’s forward Conall McCann, younger brother of Tyrone star Tiernan, has been black-carded for a foul on Stephen Cronin.
UCC 2-2 St Mary’s 1-6
30 mins – O’Neill converts another free as the Ulster men edge ahead.
Half-time: UCC 2-2 St Mary’s 1-6
One UCC change at half time. Kevin Flahive comes in at corner back for Kevin Begley.
UCC 2-2 St Mary’s 1-6
32 mins - Bambury hits the post on a point attempt at one end for UCC, then McShane hits post for Mary’s. UCC are backed by a strong breeze for this half.
UCC 2-3 St Mary’s 1-6
36 mins – Killian Spillane strokes over a free for UCC to level us up again.
UCC 2-3 St Mary’s 1-6
37 mins – Oisin O’Neill sends a free wide for St Mary’s.
James Molloy from Galway is the referee for this clash.
UCC 2-4 St Mary’s 1-6
38 mins – A brilliant long range point for UCC from Brian O’Driscoll edges them back in front again. UCC have brought in Alan O’Donovan for Ronan O’Toole.
UCC 2-4 St Mary’s 1-6
43 mins – UCC’s Brian O’Driscoll has picked up a yellow card for a foul on Conor Meyler.
BLACK CARD! St Mary’s lose Kieran McGeary for his foul on Ian Maguire.
UCC 2-5 St Mary’s 1-6
47 mins – Former Kerry minor Killian Spillane taps over the free for UCC, who now lead by two.
St Mary’s are still to score in this half. They bring in Ciaran Mac Iomhair for McGeary, while Darragh Kavanagh replaces McGilligan.
Meanwhile, UCC’s Ian Maguire picks up a yellow.
GOAL! St Mary’s retake the lead! Ciaran Corrigan palms into the net after a great move. They lead UCC by 2-6 to 2-5 after 51 minutes.
UCC 2-5 St Mary’s 2-6
57 mins – UCC win a free on the right flank, but it drops short and St Mary’s win a free out. Three minutes to go here.
UCC 2-5 St Mary’s 2-7
58 mins – Corey Quinn nails a big score for the Belfast college.
RED CARD! Adrian Spillane has been sent off for UCC. He picked up a black card after getting a yellow earlier in the game.
RED CARD! Alan O’Donovan has also been sent-off for UCC for an off the ball incident. It’s all falling apart for the Cork side.
UCC 2-6 St Mary’s 2-7
61 mins – Brian O’Driscoll nails a free. It’s a one-point game deep into stoppage-time.
UCC 2-6 St Mary’s 2-7
63 mins – O’Driscoll sends a late free wide for UCC. It was from a very difficult angle on the left flank. Not long left now.
UCC 2-6 St Mary’s 2-7
64 mins – Maguire is fouled and UCC win another free – this one from quite a distance. O’Driscoll will take it…
UCC 2-6 St Mary’s 2-7
64 mins – O’Driscoll’s free drops short and Sherlock gets a shot away under pressure. The St Mary’s goalkeeper catches it and clears. It’s game over!
Full-time: UCC 2-6 St Mary’s 2-7
Huge result for St Mary’s! They’re in the Sigerson Cup final.
Here’s the St Mary’s winning goal against UCC in the first Sigerson Cup semi-final.
All set for the second semi-final.
UL are unchanged, while Sean O’Dea comes in at wing back for UCD to replace Conor Mullaly. Liam Casey replaces Kerry young gun Jack Barry at midfield.
UCD
1. Colm Honan (Navan O’Mahony’s, Meath)
2. Eoin Murchin (Na Fianna, Dublin)
3. Michael Fitzsimons (Cuala, Dublin)
4. Niall McInerney (St Brigid’s, Roscommon)
Sean O’Dea (Kilteely-Dromkeen, Limerick)
6. Stephen Coen (Hollymount-Carramore, Mayo)
7. Jack McCaffrey (Clontarf, Dublin)
8. Barry O’Sullivan (Dingle, Kerry)
Liam Casey (Cahir, Tipperary)
10. Andy McDonnell (Newtown Blues, Louth)
11. Conor McCarthy (Scotstown, Monaghan)
12. Eamonn Wallace (Ratoath, Meath)
13. Paul Mannion (Kilmacud Crokes, Dublin)
14. Colm Basquel (Ballyboden St-Enda’s, Dublin)
15. Larry Moran (Killoe Emmet Óg, Longford)
UL
1. Colm O’Driscoll (Castlehaven, Cork)
2. Cathal Ó Lúing (An Ghaeltacht, Kerry)
3. John Mullins (Éire Óg, Cork)
4. Darren Brosnan (Gneeveguilla, Kerry)
5. Paul White (Rathkeale, Limerick)
6. Luke Boland (Moyle Rovers, Tipperary)
7. Pearse Lillis (Cooraclare, Clare)
8. Gearoid Hegarty (St Patrick’s, Limerick)
9. Cian Sheehan (Newcastlewest, Limerick)
10. Fergal Boland (Aghamore, Mayo)
11. Michael Geaney (Dingle, Kerry)
12. Brendan O’Keeffe (Rathmore, Kerry)
13. Shane Ryan (Rathmore, Kerry)
14. Denis Daly (St Mary’s, Kerry)
15. Niall McDermott (Ballinagh, Cavan)
UCD 0-2 UL 0-0
2 mins – UCD have come out firing at the beginning of this game. Barry O’Sullivan and Eamon Wallace hit early scores for the holders.
UCD 0-2 UL 0-1
3 mins – Niall McDermott wins a free and converts it himself to get UL on the board.
UCD 0-2 UL 0-2
4 mins – UL, who are backed by a strong breeze for the first time, hit back with another score. This time Barry O’Keefe finds the target to level matters.
CHANCE! UL get the sniff of a goal but Shane Ryan’s shot is stopped on the line by Jim Rossiter.
UCD had hit four wides so far as UL’s defence continue to frustrate them.
UCD 0-3 UL 0-2
13 mins – Jack McCaffrey races forward and pops over a score for UCD.
CHANCE! Another goal chance for UL but Shane Ryan’s fisted effort from a high ball in is deflected out for a 45.
UCD 0-5 UL 0-3
18 mins – Dublin forward Mannion doubles UCD’s advantage. Denis Daly kicks a wide at the far end.
That was UL’s first point from play today. Pearse Lillis started the move with a great turnover on his own 45 which sparked a UL counter attack.
UCD 0-5 UL 0-5
23 mins – McDermott wins his own free and points it again to draw UL on par.
UCD 0-6 UL 0-5
25 mins – It’s tit for tat here as Conor McCarthy raises the white flag for UCD.
UCD 0-6 UL 0-7
28 mins – Fergal Boland with a brilliant score on the move and a minute later McDermott’s fine score sends UL in front.
We’re back underway for the second-half. One change at the break – Cian O’Dea replaces Shane Ryan on the UL side.
UCD 0-7 UL 0-7
32 mins – Liam Casey goes close to scoring a goal for UCD but his shot bounces off the upright and is cleared. Barry McGinn slots over a free to draw the Dublin side level.
PENALTY! UCD win a spot-kick for what appeared to be a soft foul on Liam Casey. Paul Mannion stands over it…
GOAL! Mannion hits the back of the net with the penalty to push UCD three points in front.
UCD 1-7 UL 0-7
36 mins – Great start to the second-half by UCD who’ve hit 1-1 in the six minutes since the restart.
UCD 1-7 UL 0-8
40 mins – Mannion sends a free wide from the right wing. At the far end McDermott converts a placed ball to reduce the gap to two points.
Tom Hayes has replaced Mannion on the UCD side. It’s unclear whether he’s injured or not.
UCD 1-7 UL 0-10
43 mins – The Kerry players are starting to take over for UL. Denis Daly kicks a score and from the next play Michael Geaney adds another one after a short McDermott free.
Denis Daly comes close to scoring a levelling point but his kick drops short and UCD clear.
Corofin’s Ian Burke has come on for UL, while Dublin native Robbie McDaid is in for UCD.
UCD 1-9 UL 0-11
56 mins – Conor McCarthy kicks a point for UCD, which was really well set up by McGinn. At the far end, Ian Burke is fouled by Michael Fitzsimons, who picks up a black card. Burke converts the free to reduce the gap to one again.
McCaffrey kicks a wide from distance as UCD press for another score. Jack Goulding has replaced Denis Daly on the UL side.
UCD 1-9 UL 0-11
60 mins – Conor McCarthy kicks another wide for UCD. James Naughton is on for UL to replace Michael Geaney. We’ll have four minutes of stoppage time.
UCD 1-10 UL 0-11
62 mins – McCarthy curls over an important free for UCD. They stretch the lead to two.
CHANCE! Gearoid Hegarty gets within range of the goals but he blasts his strike wide.
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Criminal how Irish rugby treats John cooney..
@Padjo Mulk: I dunno what makes John Cooney continually join up with the Irish squad, knowing he will never get a decent craic of the whip like the others, maddening stuff!!
Looks like Bill Johnston not playing again & no sign of a contract renewal. Looks like he will be away at the end of the season, which is shame. Looking forward to Cormac getting a debut, looked good in the A game. Need 5 points to keep pressure on Leinster
@Patrick Corrigan: Scottish ref, touch judges and TMO. Can’t see any chance of 5 points!
@Trevor Johnston: same clown who took the England Italy game
@Sam Murray: He was the first Scottish ref to ref a 6 nations game in 19 years. Scottish refs have been poor for 2 decades and it effects the Pro 14. People complain about not having neutral refs, but when an Irish Province plays a Welsh region, it means the ref has to come from Scotland or Italy (people also complain and touch judges and 4th official as well) if the 4 provinces are playing the 4 welsh regions how are you goimg to get 16 scottish and Italian officials that are up to standard? Getting 4 would be good going.
@Patrick Corrigan: only contracts not done yet is Matt Faddes, Alby Mathewson, Louis Ludik
Bill Johnston, Ross Kane, Adam McBurney and Kyle McCall.
Some will retire others moved on.
Henderson reported to be on a 2 year central contract. Would have liked Mathewson for another year. McBurney would do a good job at another province, is better than 3rd choice any others have.
@Kingshu: can’t see faddes getting a contract even though he’s been better this season, just too much up and coming talent in the back line. I heard klye is retiring at the end of this season. With Shannon kept on, doak coming through, Cooney not getting called for up for ireland don’t see alby being kept on (would be nice if he was). Can’t see any of them getting contracts at this stage
@Patrick Corrigan: Alby would be an asset to any club imo but at 35 his age is against him.
@TL55: at 35 for one more year it wouldn’t be an issue for me. At present Cooney is 1st choice, the IRFU allowed Ulster a 4th NIQ but can only have 3 in a matchday, meaning Mathewson has only played 2/3 games for Ulster. Next year Doak will be getting games and will quickly leapfrog Shanahan. If Faddes goes, Mathewson may be used more, and it at start of year I can see Mathewson being on bench for big games, but by end of the year it would hopefully be Doak. As it stands it will be Shannahan on bench, but I see Doak becoming 2nd choice more quickly.
@Kingshu: it’s not only 3 NIQ in match day squads it is 3 non EU citizens, Saffas count as EU due to Kolpak agreement.
@Michael Bryson: Where do Ulster stand regarding EU regulations? Six counties in the UK and three in the EU. The NI protocol further muddying the waters. I wouldn’t want to calculate the legal costs if that ever went to court.
@Sustainable Hedgehog: the NI protocol means that NI is following most EU regulations so in effect its in the EU. I think in this case re player eligibility British citizens would also be classed as EU.
@Michael Bryson: the protocol is for the single market, so would that cover Labour laws cover that? The UK copied most eu laws, so currently it would be the same, but the UK could change their their law and then my head explodes!
@Kingshu:
I would definitely keep Alby for another year he is a fantastic back up player for Cooney and brings great tempo and decision making.
I also would not have given Shanners another years contract although I think that is more a sweetheart golden handshake deal and he will leave at the end of the one year extension.
The reason being that there are two scrumhalfs in the academy and both look really good, especially Doak but Finlay was also the Irish u20’s first choice.
Kyle McCall and Ross Kane have never shown that they can command a place as even third choice and they need to move on to free up spaces and finance.
Calum Reid has a chance to prove he can surpass McCall in the loosehead
I’m delighted to see Izuchukwu on the bench. He’s a great prospect and perfectly suited to the modern lock forward role. Hopefully he’ll get plenty of minutes this season.
@Sustainable Hedgehog:
Yes it will be good to get a look at him.
He certainly has the step and pace and it remains to be judged what he is like in the power stakes.
We wish him well