A NEW NAME will grace Division 1A of the Ulster Bank League next season after Banbridge and UCC came through two high-scoring play-off semi-finals.
Bann will have home advantage in next Saturday’s promotion decider against the Cork students.
UCC enjoyed a Racing-like start to their semi-final at St. Mary’s College, striking for tries through Rob O’Donovan, Peter Sylvester and Murray Linn inside the opening 24 minutes. Fullback Richard Walsh added a fourth for a 26-7 interval lead.
Ronan Watters, Dave Fanagan and Marcus O’Driscoll touched down for Mary’s to cut the gap to 26-21, but Brian Walsh’s youngsters had more in the tank and out-half James Taylor, who kicked 11 points, converted centre Sylvester’s second score to seal the result.
Bann, who drew and lost their regular season clashes with UCC, won their all-Ulster semi-final 28-24 against Ballynahinch. Coming from 12 points down, three penalties from current Ireland U20 international James Hume and a late penalty try, awarded for a collapsed maul, saw Daniel Soper’s men prevail.
The league’s narrow margins were summed up by UL Bohemians’ relegation just a year on from almost qualifying for the top flight. The Red Robins have slipped down to Division 2A after losing 23-18 to a tenacious Nenagh Ormond side. Nenagh’s Kiwi full-back Clayon Stewart booted his third penalty in the 59th minute to add to first half tries from Derek Corcoran and Kevin O’Flaherty.
The winners of City of Armagh v Nenagh will be promoted to Division 1B, the Ulstermen advancing with a 27-13 semi-final success at Highfield, while the final Division 2A place will go to either Rainey Old Boys or Navan, and the Division 2B promotion/relegation decider is an all-Ulster affair between Belfast Harlequins and Omagh.
A Daniel Molloy brace in a 41-18 victory at Instonians has Connacht champions Ballina on the cusp of securing a Division 2C spot.
Ulster Bank League Division 1A promotion-relegation play-off semi-finals
ST. MARY’S COLLEGE 24 UCC 36, Templeville Road
St. Mary’s College: Tries: Ronan Watters, Dave Fanagan, Marcus O’Driscoll; Cons: Sean Kearns 3; Pen: Sean Kearns
UCC: Tries: Rob O’Donovan, Peter Sylvester 2, Murray Linn, Richard Walsh; Cons: James Taylor 4; Pen: James Taylor
ST. MARY’S COLLEGE: Sean Kearns; Terry Kennedy, Marcus O’Driscoll, Myles Carey, Dave Fanagan; Conor Dean, Paddy O’Driscoll; Tom O’Reilly, Richard Halpin, Adam Coyle, Ciaran Ruddock (capt), David O’Connor, David Aspil, Ronan Watters, Nick McCarthy.
Replacements: Hugo Kean, Emmet Ferron, Jack Dilger, Darren Moroney, Ryan O’Loughlin, Cathal O’Flaherty, Craig Kennedy, Matthew Timmons, Daragh McDonnell.
UCC: Richard Walsh; Murray Linn, Paul Kiernan (capt), Peter Sylvester, Cian Bohane; James Taylor, John Poland; Bryan O’Connor, Tadgh McCarthy, Rob O’Donovan, Cian Barry, Darragh Moloney, Daire Feeney, John Hodnett, Jack O’Sullivan.
Replacements: Travis Coomey, James French, Brian O’Mahony, Lee McSherry, Andrew Dorgan.
BANBRIDGE 28 BALLYNAHINCH 24, Rifle Park
Banbridge: Tries: 2 penalty tries, Conor Field; Cons: 2 pen try cons; Pens: James Hume 3
Ballynahinch: Tries: Richard Reaney 2, David Busby, Aaron Cairns; Cons: Richard Reaney 2
BANBRIDGE: Adam Ervine (capt); Conor Field, Andrew Morrison, James Hume, Ben Carson; Jonny Little, Jason Gribben; Eric O’Sullivan, Peter Cromie, Michael Cromie, Chris Allen, Stephen Irvine, Caleb Montgomery, Nick Hayes, Greg Jones.
Replacements: Jonny Weir, Stuart Cromie, Mike Bentley, Ryan Hughes, Robin Sinton, Neil Kilpatrick, Ross Cartmill.
BALLYNAHINCH: Peter Nelson; Conor Kelly, David Busby, Stuart Morrow, Richard Reaney; Ryan Wilson, Aaron Cairns (capt); Jerry Cronin, Claytan Milligan, Stuart Orr, James Simpson, John Donnan, Jack Regan, Josh Donaldson, Conall Boomer.
Replacements: Conor Piper, Campbell Classon, Zac Ward, Ollie Loughead, Willie Stewart, Callum McLaughlin, Chris Gibson, Jonny Blair, Connor Phillips.
Division 1B promotion-relegation play-off semi-finals
UL BOHEMIANS 18 NENAGH ORMOND 23, University of Limerick 4G pitch
HIGHFIELD 13 CITY OF ARMAGH 27, Woodleigh Park
Division 2A promotion-relegation play-off semi-finals
GREYSTONES 16 NAVAN 22, Dr. Hickey Park
RAINEY OLD BOYS 26 MU BARNHALL 14, Hatrick Park
Division 2B promotion-relegation play-off semi-finals
BELFAST HARLEQUINS 19 MALAHIDE 13, Deramore Park
OMAGH 34 THOMOND 13, Thomas Mellon Playing Fields
All-Ireland provincial League Championship Round 2
Bandon 55 Ashbourne 26, Old Chapel
Instonians 18 Ballina 41, Shaw’s Bridge
A good manager. Great season Aston villa are having.
A great ebening for Villa fans. Manager of the year in my opinion.
@Ronnie Pickering: he has brought Villa back to the big guys table. Without the laundering.
@Ronnie Pickering: see what you did there
Funny how he was made a scapegoat and laughed out of it at Arsenal and made to look like an absolute fool… Most of the people who slagged him off and said he was useless then are probably saying he’s manager if the year now. A really good proven coach before and now after Arsenal. Just because it doesn’t work at a certain club doesn’t make you you bad manager. Movyes at Utd rings a bell too. Uefa conference winner. Ironic how Utd will most likely be in that competition next season.
@robert kelly: Another article that has nothing to do with Man Utd but someone manages to shoehorn them into the conversation. They are just never far from peoples thoughts.
@David Staed: because they make everyone laugh
@David Staed: I was making a point comparing managerial appointments and the similar situations of Unai Emery and David Moyes that were treated terribly and used as scapegoats which ultimately nearly ended each of their careers but in turn went on to be successful elsewhere… No more no less. Thanks Dave good man
A brilliant manager. A real tactician.
I was thinking of putting on a Spanish accent while giving my team talk Sunday morning, I wonder would it work?