Clontarf have certainly mastered the art of Houdini-like escapes this season.
The Energia All-Ireland League Division 1A leaders only took the lead in Terenure for the first time with the last kick of the game, which is the fifth occasion in this campaign they’ve won a match with the final play.
Terenure dominated the first hour and led through Jordan Coughlan’s seventh try of the season against his former club and their Kerry-born former Glenstal and Trinity full-back Aran Egan, who converted his own try from the touchline.
Leading 12-0, Terenure were held up over the line, by which point Clontarf hadn’t fired a shot. But a procession of penalties against Terenure and a failure to exit effectively led to Clontarf going to the corner several times.
Their trademark power plays led to tries by hooker Dylan Donnellan (his tenth of the season), Conor Kelly and replacement hooker Barry Gray, which was awarded by the touch judge seven minutes into overtime, after a contentious penalty and yellow card against Terenure captain Luke Clohessy.
Having missed his previous two, up stepped Kelly, the Division’s leading scorer, to land a difficult conversion to take his seasonal tally to 164.
Terenure’s third annual charity match in aid of Childline by ISPCC and the Children’s Health Foundation raised in excess of €27,000.
With a fortnight’s break before the three-game run-in, Clontarf lead the way on 56 points, with St Mary’s (563) second after they ran in ten tries in a 64-22 win away to relegation-bound Garryowen. Mark Fogarty’s hat-trick took his tally to 14.
Terenure did move above Constitution on points difference on 48 points but Lansdowne, the division’s in-form team, moved to within two points of the play-offs thanks to a 28-12, bonus point win at Temple Hill before hosting Terenure next time out.
Lansdowne’s aggressive defence disrupted Con and they also stole four lineouts in their own 22. Barry Fitzpatrick scored in the second minute and after Peter Sullivan finished of a good move, Con centre Sean French scored his seventh of the season.
But Rob Hedderman scored against his former club before Sullivan intercepted James Taylor’s pass early in the second half to render George Good’s late try academic.
Ballynahinch are alongside Lansdowne on 46 points after a 28-14 bonus point win at home to Young Munster featuring a brace of tries by Ulster winger Zac Ward.
UCD’s 29-21 win over City of Armagh, Bobby Sheehan scoring his tenth of the season and one of the students’ five tries, moved them to within two points of the Ulster side in their battle to avoid a relegation play-off.
Old Belvedere sealed their return to the top-flight with a 34-22 win over second-placed Nenagh Ormond at Ollie Campbell Park, their 12th in a row.
Instonians took another step towards a fourth successive promotion with a 19-12 win at Navan, while Cashel (31-13 at Ballymena), Barnhall (34-33 at Greystones and Corinthians (22-17 at Greystones) maintained their pursuit of the play-offs.
Division 1A
Ballynahinch 28 Young Munster 15
Cork Con 12 Lansdowne 28
Garryowen 22 St. Mary’s Col. 64
Terenure Col. 15 Clontarf 17
UCD 29 City of Armagh 21
Division 1B
Highfield RFC 30 Blackrock Col. 21
Old Belvedere 34 Nenagh Ormond 22
Old Wesley 20 Naas 57
Queen’s Uni. 33 Dublin Uni. 14
Shannon RFC 20 UCC Rugby 10
Division 2A
Ballymena 13 Cashel RFC 31
Buccaneers 19 Banbridge 35
Greystones 33 MU Barnhall 34
Navan 12 Instonians 19
Old Crescent 17 Corinthians 22
Division 2B
UL Bohemian 27 Clogher Valley 21
Dungannon 28 Rainey RFC 21
Galwegians 8 Wanderers 13
Malahide 35 Skerries 36
Malone 36 Sligo 37
Division 2C
Bruff 32 Ballyclare RFC 34
Clonmel 21 Monkstown 24
Midleton 29 Enniscorthy 26
Omagh Acad. 27 Belfast Harl. 21
Tullamore 17 Dolphin 24
Energia AIL Women’s Division
Old Belvedere 41 Ballincollig 5
Tullow 17 Galwegians 29
Suttonians 0 Railway Union 28 (Walkover)
UL Bohemian 28 Cooke 0 (Walkover)
