AIL FIXTURES

[Kofi Annan]

Good luck today Gannonan, I think a win is possible for you today. I will be at the Ballymena/hinch game today for a pre match lunch with work colleagues, I reckon Hinch will win this well.
Quins at home against Bruff should be a banker but quins are without some influential players and I hear they have had to call up players from Q1 clubs as they really are weak below their starting XV. With McCombe not being there, their pack is lacking some bite. So I can see Bruff dominating them up front.

Well done Malone last night thumping Inst 40 odd pts and now second. By the way if Ards go down and Clogher valley do not go up does that mean two teams drop from Q1

[gannonman]

Thanks Kofi. Enjoy your day and game and report back!

[gannonman]

Has a fantastic win 49-3 against Buccs. Lawton with a hatrick, Duhig and Cochrane with the other tries. Totally dominant against a very lacklustre Buccs side who had 16 players on their pitch (the ref). Our back three were superb with Lawton having a instrumental role and Gaston and Cochrane playing brilliantly as always. McCloskey might not be far off Ulster reckoning and dare I say it with Big-Al on the forum not far off Luke Marshall standard? ;)Had a great game again. The credit has to go to the pack though we annihilated them in the scrum and were so much better up front. Sinny, Duhig and Farquar were brilliant with Jenkinson leading the side really well. Halsall has really come on recently. After we had got our bonus point try it was all over. Interesting red card decision for a spear tackle which I though was quite harsh. Anyway right back in the mix for the promotion and hopefully 3 more wins and forward to 1A we go! Hinch won against Ballymena 25-20 and I have just been informed that Harlequins were beaten by Bruff 26-23.

[RedWhiteKnight]

Just picked up the Sunday life to read all the reports from the games yesterday. Really surprised Quins were beaten at 'the bone yard'...maybe not as much of a bone yard now! Hinch/Mena game sounded like a close encounter, Luke Marshall having another good game? Seems to have re found his form again! And Lawton dominating the report from Gannons game against Buccs, will he ever get rewarded for his efforts? It said Lawton got 3, Cochrane and Gaston with 1 each and McMahon with 2 - not Duhig. Top 6 teams in 1B all separated by 7 points!! Looking very tight..

[breakdown]

Don't read these thread much since I wouldn't go out of my way to see AIL but have been to a few games over the past season, Hinch inparticular. Bambry should really have been offered a contract by UR and the 12 from Hinch, James Simpson looks very handy. As does Kyle McCall but given our props right now can't see him being given any meaningful gametime in the next 2/3 season but he defineitly have potential, great work rate and carryer.

[gannonman]

Duhig definitely scored. McMahon got one to

[RedWhiteKnight]

Duhig definitely scored. McMahon got one to

I think you'll find you are wrong, sorry to nit pick but Duhig didn't score and McMahon scored 2..

[gannonman]

Duhig moved from 2 to 6 and Paul Jackson started at hooker. Almost certain it was him.

[RedWhiteKnight]

Does Duhig not wear a scrum hat? Whereas McMahon doesn't? Look at all the match reports, McMahon scored 2, Duhig didn't get any...

[gannonman]

Yeah and a guy with a scrum cap scored! Certain of that. Maybe I thinking of someone different. As you say all reports say McMahon scored 2.

Massive game against Bruff today crucial for promotion hopes. Big guns hopefully available for the match.

[gannonman]

Great win against Bruff 26-15. They are quite hard to beat so fantastic to get the points. McMahon got 2 and Cochrane got one. Great chance of promotion now. Harlequins also beat Ballymena.

[Snipe Watson]

Despite a series of determined attempts to throw it away, Rainey had another BP victory over a Navan team who didn’t read the script and gained a LBP & TBP of their own.

[gannonman]

Here is how 1B is looking at the moment at the top of the table

1 Belfast Harlequins 16 11 0 5 361 288 73 4 3 51
2 U.L. Bohemian 16 10 0 6 282 235 47 2 5 47
3 Dungannon 15 8 1 6 386 300 86 8 3 45
4 Buccaneers 16 10 0 6 297 289 8 3 4 45
5 Ballynahinch 16 8 2 6 308 261 47 2 5 43
6 Ballymena 16 8 1 7 274 282 -8 5 4 43

Anybody could go up from that lot. Currently depending on how they are helped by Ulster I will go with Quins for top spot. Our game in hand this Saturday against Galweigans is truly massive and we must win that game. I just have an inkling that Ballymena are a team to watch but anybody there can go up.

Here is Division 2A

1 Dublin University 14 13 0 1 349 132 217 4 1 57
2 Malone 14 9 0 5 356 194 162 4 5 45
3 Queens University 14 9 0 5 349 194 155 5 4 45
4 Greystones 14 9 0 5 305 254 51 4 2 42
5 Corinthians 14 8 0 6 235 172 63 4 4 40
6 Seapoint 14 8 0 6 282 263 19 3 4 39
7 City of Derry 14 8 0 6 328 340 -12 5 1 38

Dublin University have already secured promotion and it looks like it could be a scrap between Malone and Queens for the other spot with Greystones, Corinthians and Seapoint just behind. Derry have given themselves too much to do but have had a very solid season. Instonians look like they will be relegated unless they can pull out a big win which they have struggled to get all season.

And finally 2B

1 Cashel 14 14 0 0 385 116 269 6 0 62
2 Banbridge 14 10 0 4 340 148 192 7 4 51
3 NUIM Barnhall 14 10 1 3 328 177 151 4 3 49
4 Rainey OB 14 9 2 3 321 220 101 7 0 47
5 Highfield 14 10 1 3 251 193 58 2 1 45

Cashel already promoted with Banbridge, Barnhall, Rainey and Highfield all looking for 2nd spot. Rainey have been outstanding this year and I would love to see them go up. They have an excellent chance to. Banbridge have also had a great season losing only 4 games so credit to them. A mention to Armagh who are 6th. They are well behind Highfield but with only one home defeat this season it has proven the Palace Ground are a very tough place to go. The only side to beat Dungannon in the league as well. I'm not too sure how the bottom of 2B works but Ards are in some trouble but had a very important win over Boyne ast the weekend to overtake Wanderers.

So it has been a very exciting season and the end will be very interesting to!

[Dublin4]

Wanderers, a founding member of the IRFU and a club formed in 1870, are about to exit senior rugby, assuming they are put away by Banbridge in the last match.
Remember Wanderers were the favourites for the first AIL in 1990. They probably have had more Irish internationals than any other club in the last 140 years and have been at the heart of the establishment in Irish rugby. The IRFU paid for their new premises beside the Aviva.
How the mighty have fallen!
Who says that there is no democracy in Irish rugby and that merit is never rewarded and failure punished?

[gannonman]

Very good win against Galweigans 36-10. Gaston was outstanding. Pack played really well. Jackson played 12 and had a very solid game. 5 Tries. One each from McCloskey, Gaston, Lawton, Halsall and a penalty try.