The Energia All-Ireland League returned with a thrilling first round that delivered narrow wins, high-scoring contests and a landmark result in Northern Ireland. St Mary’s College began their Division 1A title defence with a tense victory, while Enniskillen celebrated their first-ever AIL win in a weekend packed with Irish rugby action.
St Mary’s College begin title defence with narrow win
Defending champions St Mary’s College were pushed all the way by Lansdowne before securing a 19-18 success on the Aviva Stadium Back Pitch. Lansdowne opened the scoring through an early Michael Moloney penalty, but St Mary’s quickly replied when Ruairi Shields crossed and Mick O’Gara added the conversion.
Mark McGlynn’s first try moved Lansdowne in front before half-time. The champions responded after the interval through Richie Bergin, followed by Aaron O’Sullivan’s 64th-minute score. McGlynn crossed again with two minutes remaining, setting up a nervous finish, but St Mary’s held on to start their campaign with the points.
Old Belvedere set the early pace
Old Belvedere produced the most emphatic Division 1A performance, defeating Young Munster 47-14 at Tom Clifford Park. Robbie Russell, Luke McLaughlin, James Dillon, Hugh Reddan and Edward Byrne all scored during a dominant first half, before Jhy Legg and Peter O’Beirne completed a seven-try display after the break.
UCD also made a strong opening statement with a 39-24 away win against Ballynahinch. The hosts scored three tries in a remarkable spell between the 17th and 21st minutes, but UCD recovered impressively. Paddy Clancy kicked 14 points, while Evan Moynihan scored twice in a result that underlined UCD’s attacking threat.
Clontarf defeated Old Wesley 38-22 at Castle Avenue, with Alex Soroka scoring twice in a six-try performance. Terenure College completed the opening round’s bonus-point winners in Division 1A after beating Cork Constitution 27-10 at Temple Hill.
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Naas and Blackrock make strong Division 1B starts
Naas delivered the standout result in Division 1B, defeating UCC 32-12 at Forenaughts. Six different players crossed for the hosts, highlighting the depth of their attacking performance.
Blackrock College overcame an early challenge from MU Barnhall to win 21-10 at Stradbrook. Barnhall led after Neil Byrne’s first-half try, but Blackrock took control after the restart as Daniel Squires, Thomas Quinn and captain James Burke all scored.
Nenagh Ormond won away to Highfield, while Garryowen edged Instonians 25-20 after Bryan Fitzgerald scored twice in the second half. City of Armagh and Dublin University shared the points in a 21-21 draw at the Palace Grounds.
Queen’s University lead the way in Division 2A
Queen’s University claimed a 32-21 win over Shannon at the Thomond Park Back Pitch. The teams were level at half-time, but Queen’s pulled clear after the break, with Clark Logan completing a hat-trick and Conor Magee also crossing.
Cashel impressed at home with a 32-17 victory over UL Bohemian, while Corinthians edged Wanderers 28-26 in a dramatic Galway contest. Ballymena defeated Greystones 26-14, and Dungannon opened with a 17-5 win over Galwegians.
Historic Enniskillen victory headlines Division 2B North
Enniskillen created one of the weekend’s most memorable moments by winning their first-ever Energia All-Ireland League fixture. They defeated Rainey 33-29 in a nine-try contest after racing into an early lead.
Niall Keenan and James Trotter scored inside the opening six minutes, while Aukuso Vaelua Teo and Henry Keys added further tries before half-time. Sam Balfour’s second-half score gave Enniskillen five tries, with Eddie Keys converting four.
Rainey fought back late, including a try from Tom Hutchinson at the death, but Enniskillen held on for a historic bonus-point victory. Clogher Valley also impressed with a 38-15 win over Malahide, while Skerries defeated Navan 44-22.
There was late drama elsewhere as Malone recovered from a 17-7 half-time deficit against Banbridge. Chris Cosgrove’s last-gasp drop goal secured a 29-27 Malone victory.
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Close contests continue in Division 2B South
Old Crescent edged Bective Rangers 36-33 at Energia Park after surviving a late fightback. Timmy Duggan and Rafael Junior Okafor each scored twice in a six-try display, while Bective threatened until James Gallagher’s second try in added time.
Clonmel won 33-28 away to Monkstown, Dolphin defeated Enniscorthy 37-12 at Virgin Media Park and Bruff recorded an impressive 33-5 victory against Buccaneers. Midleton completed the round with a 23-12 win over Thomond.
What to watch in round two
The opening weekend has already created early talking points across the Energia All-Ireland League. St Mary’s College have the points but will know there is room for improvement, while Old Belvedere, UCD and Clontarf have immediately shown their attacking quality. Enniskillen’s historic success will also bring fresh attention to their progress as the season develops.
With several divisions separated by narrow margins after round one, the next set of fixtures should provide a clearer indication of which clubs are ready to challenge at the top and which teams may be facing an early battle for momentum.
Article/Image Courtesy: Irish Rugby
