Round 4 of AIL action saw another mixed bag of results for Limerick sides. Young Munster continues to suffer one close defeat after another. Garryowen join them this weekend with a close loss of their own. UL Bohemians women provide the only glimmer of hope in the form of a 13-try trouncing of Ennis.
Young Munster rally well
Four games into the season, and Young Munster have yet to appear in the winner’s column. At halftime, Landsdowne led 21-7 at Tom Clifford Park. The Cookies’ only score came through a try by winger Hubert Gilvarry, converted by Shane O’Leary.
Ger Slattery’s men recovered well, and after the break, they slowly ate away at the visitors. First hooker Liam McMahon crossed just after half time. This was followed shortly by Orin Burke getting on the receiving end of a lovely chip off the boot of Kelvin Langan. Both tries were converted, bringing the scoreline to 26-21.
Unfortunately for the hosts, Landsdowne hit their purple patch, running in two converted tries to extend their lead to 19. Young Munster responded with two late tries of their own, Burke securing a brace and replacement Arron Roulston crossing for a score of his own to bring the final score to 40-35.
The late rally by the Cookies is becoming a common theme in their season so far. Hopefully these late rallies turn into wins with the return of Academy players Shay McCarthy and Jake O’Riordan who were away on Munster duty.
The two bonus points keep Young Munster out of the relegation playoff zone. Next week Young Munster welcomes Old Belvedere to Tom Clifford Park, who sits at 7th in the table, just above the Cookies.
Garryowen fight but falter
After a strong performance before the break, Garryowen were looking to start this block as they finished when they faced Blackrock College over the weekend. The travel proved too much for Garryowen’s squad, falling just short on a scoreline of 18-15.
Flyhalf Tom Wood scored 10 of Garryowen’s 15 points, scoring a try, a conversion and a penalty kick. Winger JJ O’Neill crossed for the Dooradoyle side’s only other score, but it wasn’t enough. Blackrock College out-kicked the travelling side, adding one more penalty to the scoresheet to pip Garryowen by three points.
The Limerick side slide from second to fifth, dropping outside the early playoff picture. Only three points separate Mike Sherry’s men from the top spot, and they will look to bounce back next week when they host Old Wesley in Dooradoyle.
Bohs back at it
UL Bohemians Women were looking to make it four from four this weekend when they travelled to Ennis over the weekend. It comes after another convincing win against Old Belvedere in Round 3 in Annacotty.
Flying the flag for Limerick, UL Bohs produced an even more convincing victory, besting Ennis 77-0 in a game the hosts will hope to forget. That’s back-to-back weeks of the Bohs held their opponents scoreless. It’s a feat almost as impressive as their try scoring record. The backs reigned supreme on the day, scoring 10 of their 13 tries off the back of a dominant pack. Eabha Nic Dhonnacha claimed a hat-trick in midfield, but not to be outdone Alana McInerney scored four on the wing, bringing her season tally to nine tries in only four games.
Aoife Corey, Kate Flannery, Beth Buttimer, Clodagh O’Halloran, and Louise Carter scored one try a piece. Centre Caitriona Finn kicked six conversions while claiming a try of her own in the process.
Next weekend brings a welcome rest for the women’s side before they welcome Cooke to Annacotty on November 8. The UL Bohs currently sit in second place in the league, only one point off Galwegians at the top.