DIVISION 1A
BALLYNAHINCH 6-30 TERENURE COLLEGE, Ballymacarn Park
Left-winger Jake Swaine touched down twice as Terenure College dominated the final quarter to take a 30-6 verdict over Ballynahinch at Ballymacarn Park.
Bottom side 'Hinch are still hunting for their first win of the league campaign, but over the first hour they did show signs - against last season's beaten semi-finalists - that they are definitely improving.
Ulster recruit Sam Windsor shifted from out-half to full-back and slotted a brace of first-half penalties to give Derek Suffern's side a 6-3 interval lead. However, Terenure gradually took control of proceedings as they chalked up a third victory in four games.
Two James Thornton penalties had 'Nure ahead by the 50th minute, and James Blaney's men were soon out of sight thanks to three converted tries - out-half Thornton added the extras to efforts from Swaine, who took his season's tally to 30 points, and former Ireland Under-20 centre Harrison Brewer, who was a second half replacement for Leinster 'A' against Connacht Eagles on Thursday.
CLONTARF 16-9 GALWEGIANS, Castle Avenue
Clontarf maintained their presence at the top of Ulster Bank League Division 1A, holding off a strong second-half challenge from Galwegians to run out 16-9 winners at Castle Avenue.
Playing on their new 4G pitch, which was officially opened beforehand by Ireland head coach Joe Schmidt and IRFU President Martin O'Sullivan, Clontarf scored the only try of a tight game through strong-running centre Matt D'Arcy (pictured above).
D'Arcy spotted a gap in midfield and finished off in clinical fashion, with full-back Rob Keogh converting and kicking two first half penalties. Two other efforts from the full-back bounced back off the woodwork, while Aidan Moynihan opened Galwegians' account with a 29th minute strike.
Trailing 13-3 at half-time, 'Wegians upped the intensity in the third quarter with their pack growing in influence. Young out-half Moynihan duly notched two more penalties, and winger Alan McMahon went close to squeezing over for a try in the right corner.
The north Dubliners introduced experienced duo Sam Cronin and Evan Ryan into their back-line, and the pair were prominent in the build-up to Keogh's nerve-settling 64th-minute penalty. That proved to be the clinching score, as Moynihan missed a final penalty attempt and a promising John Cleary break was spoilt by Doron McHugh not releasing on the deck.
OLD BELVEDERE 13-28 GARRYOWEN, Anglesea Road
Garryowen came good in the second half to outscore hosts Old Belvedere by three tries to two and claim a 28-13 win at Anglesea Road.
Having lost at Lansdowne last weekend, Conan Doyle's men returned to the capital in determined mood and had the game's leading light in scrum-half Neil Cronin (pictured above), who got through a huge amount of work and contributed 18 points via a try, two conversions and three penalties.
Fellow backs James McInerney and James Frawley also touched down for the Light Blues, who led 13-10 at the break and have now leapfrogged 'Belvo into third in the table. Willie Staunton kicked a lone second-half penalty to add to the hosts' earlier five-pointers from winger Mark Corballis and number 8 and captain Jonathan Slattery.
UCD 39-10 LANSDOWNE, Belfield Bowl
Former Ireland Under-20 winger Barry Daly (pictured above) waltzed over for two tries, taking his season's haul to six, as UCD enjoyed a runaway 39-10 bonus point triumph over defending champions Lansdowne.
The title holders suffered their third defeat in four league outings and were comprehensively outplayed at the Belfield Bowl. Noel McNamara's students, who are now up to second in the standings, had braces from Daly and Tom Fletcher and a try apiece from Jamie Glynn and Conall Doherty.
What was most impressive about UCD's stellar performance is that they delivered such an eye-catching result without six starters from last weekend's 35-3 win at Galwegians - Adam Byrne, Sean McNulty, Josh Murphy, Peadar Timmins, Jeremy Loughman and Jack Power all played for Leinster 'A' on Thursday night.
Fletcher, lining out at full-back, ran in a spectacular score to add to Daly's earlier effort and give UCD a 15-3 half-time buffer. College's brilliant hands and angles of running left Lansdowne's defence under all sorts of pressure, a run of scores from Daly, Doherty and the excellent Fletcher putting them 34-3 clear by the hour mark.
Yellow cards for Shane Grannell and Daly, coupled with a Lansdowne penalty try, had McNamara's youngsters down to 13 men, before scrum half Glynn grabbed the last five-pointer, following up on a well-placed garryowen into the visitors' 22.
YOUNG MUNSTER 11-10 CORK CONSTITUTION, Tom Clifford Park
New Young Munster boss David Corkery got one over on his former club Cork Constitution as the Cookies won a hard-fought Munster derby 11-10 at Tom Clifford Park.
A 55th-minute try from replacement winger Darragh O'Neill proved decisive for Munsters whose third straight victory has moved them up to sixth place - two points outside the top four.
The Limerick side dominated the first half during which they had six penalty opportunities. Twice they opted for the corner and with another they took a quick tap, however the ball was turned over by the Cork Con pack as they tried to drive over.
Eventually they opted to kick at goal after 37 minutes when Ireland Sevens international Gearoid Lyons (pictured above) was successful. The out-half added another penalty on the stroke of half-time for a 6-0 scoreline.
It was a deserved lead for Corkery's charges, but a penalty from the in-form Tomas Quinlan got Con off the mark in the 43rd minute. They then stung Munsters with an intercept try, as centre Shane Daly picked off a pass on his 22 and raced clear for a score which Quinlan converted.
However, fittingly on a day when Paul O'Connell was made an honorary life Vice-President of the club, O'Neill's well-taken try proved to be the match winner for Young Munster.
DIVISION 1B
BUCCANEERS 14 BALLYMENA 15, Dubarry Park
Ballymena lost their unbeaten record to St Mary's in the previous round but they quickly got back to winning ways in Saturday night's floodlit clash with Buccaneers at Dubarry Park.
Buccs winger Rory O'Connor weighed in with his sixth try of the league campaign and Ballymena scrum-half Glen Baillie also touched down during an evenly contested first half. A penalty from Baillie's half-back partner Ritchie McMaster split the sides at the break - 8-5.
Centre Alan Gaughan knocked over three second half penalties for the Pirates, who had lost their last two matches. However, number 8 Matthew Rea's second try in the space of a week, converted by young replacement Andrew Magrath, decided the game in favour of the second-placed Braidmen.
BELFAST HARLEQUINS 10 SHANNON 32, Deramore Park
Shannon seem to be hitting their stride under Marcus Horan, the ex-Munster and Ireland proudly watching on as his young team emerged as bonus-point winners over Belfast Harlequins.
With experienced duo David O'Donovan and Tadhg Bennett directing operations from half-back, Shannon stormed to their third successive victory against Division 1B's bottom side.
More known as a back-three specialist, O'Donovan has shown himself to be a very capable scrum half in recent weeks. He touched down on the stroke of half-time at Deramore Park, adding to earlier tries from Stephen Fitzgerald and Richie Mullane.
That gave the visitors a 22-5 advantage and although Belfast Harlequins captain Neil McComb got over for his second unconverted score, Horan's charges bagged the bonus point with Munster winger Fitzgerald completing his brace in the 42nd minute and a penalty try completing their tally.
DOLPHIN 3 DUBLIN UNIVERSITY 44, Irish Independent Park
Dublin University dominated from start to finish as they hammered Dolphin 44-3 at Irish Independent Park to make it five wins in-a-row.
Out-half Jack McDermott opened the scoring with a fifth minute try, and then a Conor Kearns break paved the way for flanker Brian du Toit to touch down on the quarter hour mark.
McDermott accelerated away from halfway and his inside pass put centre Seb Fromm over in the 21st minute. A Cian McGovern penalty cut the gap to 17-3 for half-time, but Fromm's second try of the afternoon arrived just four minutes into the second period.
With the Trinity pack maintaining a high work-rate, American international winger Tim Maupin secured the bonus point in the 59th minute and Tony Smeeth's youngsters added a final gloss with further touchdowns from Max McFarland and Maupin.
OLD WESLEY 36 BLACKROCK COLLEGE 22, Donnybrook
Old Wesley put an end to their two-match losing streak by winning a tightly-contested south Dublin derby 36-22 at Donnybrook.
Visitors Blackrock were just a single point behind at the interval, trailing 16-15 with Sean Coghlan setting up a try for debutant centre Hugh Godson Treacy and scoring one himself.
Nonetheless, Barry McLaughlin slotted his fourth successful penalty and converted out-half Alan Large's intercept effort to move Wesley 26-15 clear, and replacement Mark Robinson burrowed over to put 16 points between the sides.
'Rock set up a closely-fought final 10 minutes with a converted try from lock John Burke off a lineout maul, but winger McLaughlin broke up the touchline and dived over in the corner to seal the result for Wesley. His clinching try took his impressive league tally to 103 points after seven rounds.
UL BOHEMIANS 24 ST. MARY'S COLLEGE 27, Annacotty
Terry Kennedy's late try earned a 27-24 bonus point success for Division 1B leaders St. Mary's College as they battled past a durable UL Bohemians team at Annacotty.
Bohs' Kiwi out-half Rick McKenna finished with 14 points, landing four penalties and converting full-back Alan Rossiter's early touchdown. The hosts led 10-0 initially, but two converted tries had the Dubliners 17-16 ahead at half-time.
Ryan O'Loughlin, Barry O'Flanagan and replacement scrum half David Fanagan, who had a very positive impact off the bench, helped themselves to tries, while the fleet-footed Cian Aherne notched Bohs' second of the day.
Another accurate penalty strike from McKenna had UL leading 24-22, but Ireland Sevens international Kennedy pounced out wide to edge St. Mary's back in front and a late penalty attempt, which would have given Bohs a draw, went wide.
DIVISION 2A
Cashel 23 Queen's University 26, Spafield
Malone 47 Nenagh Ormond 10, Gibson Park
Naas 41 Corinthians 14, Forenaughts
Skerries 28 Thomond 22, Holmpatrick
UCC 27 Banbridge 26, the Mardyke
DIVISION 2B
Armagh 24 Bective Rangers 17, Palace Grounds
Dungannon 13 MU Barnhall 7, Stevenson Park
Greystones 27 Rainey Old Boys 23, Dr. Hickey Park
Highfield 29 City of Derry 27, Woodleigh Park
Seapoint 7 Sunday's Well 20, Kilbogget Park
DIVISION 2C
Dundalk 21 Kanturk 8, Mill Road
Midleton 6 Tullamore 14, Towns Park
Sligo 7 Old Crescent 47, Hamilton Park
Wanderers 19 Bruff 21, Merrion Road
Boyne 13 Navan 16, Shamrock Lodge
