Energia AIL Division 1 A
Semi Final Play Off
Saturday 20th April 2024
Lakelands, Terenure
Terenure RFC 31 – 28 Lansdowne FC
I know we’re all in pain right now, but when the worst of the disappointment passes (experts vary, but another 10 days should see us right), we can look back on the 2023/2024 season with immense pride. Playing a refreshing brand of open and entertaining rugby, we clocked up a staggering 524 points from play, second only to Clontarf, harnessing our mobility and flair to compete with frequently much bigger sides. But it wasn’t all flash. We showed steely character throughout the season, often recovering from large deficits to come within a hair’s breadth of a win. Even when our winning streak stalled, we rarely left the pitch without a bonus point or two. Gutting to have come so, so close to the final, but an excellent showing overall.
After last season’s rescue from the jaws of relegation, everyone was watching Declan Fassbender’s squad to see if it was luck, or could we compete for a full season. We weren’t long in finding out, winning the Leinster League with win against Terenure in October. And when it came to the AIL we soon laid out our intentions for the season, captain Cillian Redmond’s electric side putting Ballynahinch to the sword 45 – 19 on the Aviva Stadium pitch. The try fest would continue the following week as we put six of the best on Shannon at home. A Leinster win, thirteen tries in two games and any early season doubts were soon dispelled.
But we knew how to grind out a win too. When we travelled to College Park, the Trinity students were arguably playing all the better ball, but we stifled their best and eked out a win there too. Now near the top of the table, perhaps other teams were figuring out how to play us and Clontarf inflicted our first close defeat at home (remember their last-minute breakaway try?) and UCD just edged us in one of the most exciting matches of the season in The Bowl as we went into the Christmas break.
The season restarted with a perfect mirror rematch of the Collidge clash. Having lost away by just four points, we beat the students at home by the same margin. However, settled now in the upper end of the table, we entered a squeaky-bum phase of the season, conceding close defeats against Terenure, Clontarf and Ballynahinch bringing us to the edge of eligibility for the playoffs. But though the defeats were worrying, our resilience and ability to grab bonus points in each of them kept us in the top four.
So, as we entered the last game of the regular league, it was in the knowledge that we were in the playoffs, home or away, that gave us a certain freedom that brought us back to our open, flowing and entertaining best. We put 64 points on City of Armagh in our last home AIL game, before heading to Young Munster and snatching the win there too for the season closer.
The semi-final against Terenure was a clash of the ages. We won’t attempt to do justice to it here, but recommend you watch it here (Irish Rugby | #EnergiaAIL Semi-Final Live: Terenure College v Lansdowne) (health warning: fast forward to the second half). Suffice it to say, if you take every ounce of effort, flair, courage and style from the whole season and condense it into one game, this was it. We were absolutely immense and after coming back from 25 – 6 down just after half time, only the cruelest twist of the knife at the very end, kept us from a place in the final.
But that’s sport. Heartbreaking, but it’s what brings us back week after week and year after year.
Commenting on the game and the season as a whole, President Steve Rooney said,
“Today was not our day but it was very, very close to being that day. The support today was incredible and I am so proud of our efforts on and off the pitch both today and throughout the entire season. Thank you all so much for your contributions to this club in the season just gone. It has been incredible and we are all so grateful. Lansdowne is an amazing club and you are what makes the club what it is.“
So it’s farewell for now and thanks to all the players, the entire coaching and support team. You did yourselves and the club proud. Have a great summer, you deserve it.
- Declan Fassbender (Coach)
- Damien McCabe (Assistant Coach)
- Charlie Doel (Assistant Coach)
- Phil Horan (Forwards Coach)
- Mark Flanagan (Lineout Coach)
- Danny Moore (Strength and Conditioning)
- Aisling Frawley (Physio)
- Michael Quinn Jnr (Director of Senior Rugby) and
- Paddy Gore (Team Manager)
TERENURE COLLEGE 31 LANSDOWNE 28, Lakelands Park
Scorers: Terenure College: Tries: Craig Adams, Jordan Coghlan, Harrison Brewer; Cons: Aran Egan 2; Pens: Aran Egan 4
Lansdowne: Tries: Cathal Eddy, James Kenny, Hugo McLaughlin; Cons: Stephen Madigan 2; Pens: Stephen Madigan 3
HT: Terenure College 18 Lansdowne 6
TERENURE COLLEGE: Adam La Grue; Conor Phillips, Sam Berman, Peter Sylvester, Craig Adams; Aran Egan, Alan Bennie; Campbell Classon, Levi Vaughan, Adam Tuite, Harrison Brewer (capt), Matthew Caffrey, Adam Melia, Luke Clohessy, Jordan Coghlan.
Replacements: Max Russell, Ben Howard, Conan O’Donnell, Mikey O’Reilly, Jim White, Conor McKeon, Yago Fernandez Vilar, Barry Galvin.
LANSDOWNE: Hugo McLaughlin; Cillian Redmond (capt), Andy Marks, Rory Parata, Cathal Eddy; Stephen Madigan, Jack Matthews; George Morris, Tom Barry, Greg McGrath, Jack Cooke, Ruairi Clarke, Clive Ross, Barry Fitzpatrick, Hardus van Eeden.
Replacements: Luke Thompson, Temi Lasisi, Adam Boland, Donough Lawlor, Liam Forster, James Kenny, Steve McMahon, Sean Galvin.
