Ulster Bank League

Lansdowne crowned Ulster Bank League champs 2012/13

Lansdowne FC have been crowned Ulster Bank League Champions 2012/13 following their 32-25 win over second placed Clontarf today.

Mark Roche, a member if this year's Ireland U20 squad scored two try's earning himself the man of the match award.

Mike Ruddock's men came into this match with a 19 point lead over Clontarf in the table and were intent on winning this game which was broadcast by RTE.

(Match report courtesy of Irishrugby.ie)

Clontarf took a second minute lead though, Richie Lane punishing Tadhg Beirne for being caught offside with a superbly-struck penalty from wide out on the left.

The Lansdowne front row - comprising Jack O'Connell, Tom Sexton and Martin Moore - then made quite a statement with a ground-gaining scrum, that good work setting up a left-sided penalty that Craig Ronaldson sent wide from outside the 22.

Ronaldson, who had strapping on a thigh injury, soon got the Lansdowne attack going with prop O'Connell's angled run opening up the visitors' defence.

Cian Aherne, the division's most prolific finisher with 12 tries this season, also tested Lane's tackling out wide before Lansdowne forced a succession of scrum penalties five metres out.

Clontarf just about held out with number 8 Frank Cogan leading a breakout, but the territorial pressure built up by the headquarters club eventually told.

In the 22nd minute, a neat back-line move sparked by Ronaldson saw crafty centre Roche make an initial break and he popped the ball to the supporting Sean Carey who evaded two defenders on the way to the try-line.

Roche had a livewire presence in the Lansdowne back-line, charging through midfield again just three minutes later. Ruddock's side kept pressing and Roche popped up in the left corner to score past covering full-back Matt D'Arcy.

It was a terrific one-handed finish by Roche and Ronaldson followed up with an excellent touchline conversion to make it 14-3 to the table toppers.

'Tarf stormed downfield in response, pack heavyweights like Cogan, Ben Reilly and Mark Flanagan stepping up in the close exchanges.

On the half hour mark, Andy Wood's charges threatened from a five-metre lineout and a well-executed maul was rewarded with a try from the increasingly influential Cogan.

The margin was down to four points once more after Lane's pinpoint conversion from the right, with a real tit-for-tat nature to the proceedings.

A lovely left-footed drop goal from Ronaldson steadied Lansdowne before the break, taking his huge haul for the league campaign to 203 points.

But another crisply-hit three-pointer from Lane maintained his 100% kicking record and reduced the arrears to 17-13 for half-time.

There was a cagey opening to the second period before big 'Tarf prop Royce Burke Flynn intercepted a pass and his 30-metre charge almost resulted in a try.

That score duly arrived in opportunist fashion in the 47th minute when bustling flanker Simon Crawford broke away from a ruck to raid in under the posts.

Lane added the extras but Lansdowne were soon level thanks to a central penalty from Ronaldson, with Clontarf replacement prop Ben Barclay earning a yellow card for a needless charge on Clive Ross.

Clontarf's strong lineout got them out of trouble while down to 14 men, however Lansdowne went close to a third try through the fast-breaking Roche.

In the very next phase, number 8 Ron Boucher duly picked up the ball at the base of a powerful scrum shove from the Lansdowne pack to dot down. Roche landed the conversion for a 27-20 buffer.

Out-half Darragh Fitzpatrick was denied a try in the left corner by a forward pass, as the north Dubliners showed no signs of wilting in a very physical encounter.

With two minutes left, replacement centre Colm O'Shea slipped away from two defenders to score 'Tarf's third try - yet the usually reliable Lane, who made the initial break in the lead up to the try, watched his conversion attempt come back off the left hand post.

It was cruel luck on 'Tarf who showed great resilience to hang in there, but the new champions made certain of their ninth successive league victory in the dying minutes.

Second row Beirne missed out on a try when referee Eddie Hogan O'Connell could not spot the grounded ball under a pile of bodies.

'Tarf looked to have weathered the storm until Ronaldson ripped the ball free from Matt D'Arcy's grasp. Lansdowne's replacement scrum half Marcus Walsh was hauled down close to the line, and fittingly it was Roche who reached out for the line to complete the scoring.

The final whistle sparked jubilant scenes on the all-weather back pitch as Lansdowne celebrated their first top flight success, making it three title winners from Dublin in as many years - Old Belvedere (2011) and St. Mary's College (2012) were the most recent champions.

Referee: Eddie Hogan O'Connell (IRFU)

Lansdowne:

Ross McCarron (capt); Cian Aherne, Mark Roche, Simon Morrissey, Sean Carey; Craig Ronaldson, Paddy O'Driscoll; Jack O'Connell, Tom Sexton, Martin Moore, Willie Earle, Tadhg Beirne, Clive Ross, Charlie Butterworth, Ron Boucher.

Replacements: Steve Collins, Darren O'Reilly, Marc Feeley, Marcus Walsh, Conor Toolan.

Clontarf:

Matt D'Arcy; Michael McGrath, Killian Lett, Evan Ryan (capt), Richie Lane; Darragh Fitzpatrick, Sam Cronin; Ciaran Kavanagh, Cathal O'Flynn, Royce Burke Flynn, Ben Reilly, Mark Flanagan, Simon Crawford, Adrian D'Arcy, Frank Cogan.

Replacements: Jonathan Larbey, Ben Barclay, Conor O'Keeffe, David Shanahan, Colm O'Shea.

Tables Sunday 31st March

Division 1 A 

Pos   Team Pl W D L F A Diff TB LB Pts 1 Lansdowne 16 14 0 2 487 220 267 10 2 68 2 Clontarf 15 9 0 6 358 245 113 5 4 45 3 Cork Constitution 16 10 0 6 320 382 -62 2 1 43 4 Garryowen 16 9 0 7 306 252 54 2 4 42 5 Dolphin 15 7 0 8 303 268 35 2 6 36 6 Young Munster 16 7 0 9 252 258 -6 2 6 36 7 Old Belvedere 16 5 0 11 305 348 -43 3 7 30 8 St. Mary's College 15 7 0 8 242 286 -44 0 2 30 9 Shannon 15 5 0 10 244 365 -121 2 3 25 10 U.L. Bohemian 16 5 0 11 191 384 -193 0 2 22

Division 1B 

Pos		Team	Pl	W	D	L	F	A	Diff	TB	LB	Pts
1		Ballynahinch	14	12	1	1	512	174	338	7	0	57
2		UCD	15	11	0	4	438	237	201	7	2	53
3		Dublin University	15	11	0	4	357	245	112	4	4	52
4		Buccaneers	14	8	1	5	319	302	17	4	2	40
5		Blackrock College RFC	15	7	2	6	309	331	-22	3	2	37
6		Belfast Harlequins	15	7	1	7	297	309	-12	1	4	35
7		Malone	15	6	1	8	356	348	8	4	4	34
8		Dungannon	15	4	1	10	283	370	-87	3	3	24
9		Bruff	15	2	0	13	167	409	-242	0	6	14
10		Ballymena	15	2	1	12	163	476	-313	2	2	14

Division 2A

Pos		Team	Pl	W	D	L	F	A	Diff	TB	LB	Pts
1		Terenure College	14	12	0	2	418	170	248	8	2	58
2		Corinthians	14	12	0	2	356	220	136	8	1	57
3		U.C.C.	14	9	1	4	369	234	135	6	4	48
4		City of Derry	14	9	0	5	409	331	78	8	0	44
5		Banbridge	13	8	0	5	371	313	58	8	1	41
6		Galwegians	14	7	2	5	339	249	90	4	4	40
7		Old Wesley	14	6	1	7	367	387	-20	6	3	35
8		Cashel RFC	14	8	0	6	245	269	-24	1	0	33
9		Seapoint	13	6	1	6	283	284	-1	1	2	29
10		Bective Rangers	14	5	1	8	258	300	-42	2	4	28
11		Highfield	14	5	0	9	250	336	-86	3	4	27
12		Old Crescent	14	4	3	7	260	319	-59	3	1	26
13		Queens University	13	4	1	8	326	402	-76	6	2	26
14		Greystones	14	3	2	9	232	312	-80	0	4	20
15		Midleton	14	3	1	10	160	351	-191	0	2	16
16		D.L.S.P.	13	2	1	10	165	331	-166	0	2	12

Division 2B 

Pos   Team Pl W D L F A Diff TB LB Pts 1 Rainey OB 13 12 1 0 390 142 248 7 0 57 2 NUIM Barnhall 13 10 0 3 458 184 274 8 3 51 3 Naas 14 11 1 2 399 220 179 4 1 51 4 Nenagh Ormond 13 9 0 4 283 181 102 4 3 43 5 Boyne 13 9 0 4 257 194 63 3 3 42 6 Armagh 13 8 1 4 270 154 116 3 3 40 7 Skerries 13 7 2 4 312 205 107 3 3 38 8 Navan RFC 13 6 2 5 263 286 -23 3 3 34 9 Sligo 13 5 1 7 197 257 -60 2 1 25 10 Instonians 13 6 0 7 212 315 -103 1 0 25 11 Suttonians 13 4 0 9 236 315 -79 2 3 21 12 Thomond 14 3 1 10 232 304 -72 1 5 20 13 Sundays Well 14 3 1 10 212 336 -124 1 5 20 14 Ards 13 4 0 9 180 320 -140 2 1 19 15 Clonakilty 14 2 2 10 220 354 -134 1 5 18 16 Connemara 13 1 0 12 127 481 -354 0 0 4

Round Robin

Pos		Team	Pl	W	D	L	F	A	Diff	TB	LB	Pts
1		Richmond	1	1	0	0	29	0	29	1	0	5
2		Tullamore	1	1	0	0	18	5	13	0	0	4
3		Portadown	1	0	0	1	5	18	-13	0	0	0
4		Monivea	1	0	0	1	0	29	-29	0	0	0

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