Ulster Bank League 2011-2012 talk/gossip/rumours

Letsdoit

For relegation in 2A is it two teams down and 3rd last plays 3rd from
2B?

muscleshirt

final game between st.marys/clontarf on TV

bamboozle

muscleshirt wrote: »

final game between st.marys/clontarf on TV

just to note it's a 1.15 kick off

i'll be there cheering on Tarf

Gracelessly Tom

bamboozle wrote: »

just to note it's a 1.15 kick off

i'll be there cheering on Tarf

and I'll be there cheering on Marys!

bamboozle

Clontarf have included Simon Crawford and Aaron Dundon in their team, both had been doubtful. huge boost, Mary's pack will need to be on top form.

JustinDee

I'd say Marys by two points tomorrow. Will be at another game so won't see it.

Gracelessly Tom

bamboozle wrote: »

Clontarf have included Simon Crawford and Aaron Dundon in their team, both had been doubtful. huge boost, Mary's pack will need to be on top form.

Surprised at Crawford being included, I had heard from a source very close to him that he wasn't going to be involved. Bit of gamesmanship maybe?

Should be a belter of a game, hopefully Marys can snatch the win and bring it down to the last game.

The trophy is going to be out there tomorrow for the presentation if Tarf win. Hopefully that's the curse put on them!

shaungil

Following the final day's action in Divisions 2A and 2B and the penultimate round in the top two tiers, we take a look at how things are shaping up in the Ulster Bank League.



ULSTER BANK LEAGUE:DIVISION 1A:
All-Ireland League champions: St. Mary's College/Clontarf (to be decided on Saturday, April 21)
Relegation/promotion play-off: Shannon/Old Belvedere/Blackrock College (Division 1A) v Belfast Harlequins/Dungannon/UL Bohemians (Division 1B) (teams be decided on Saturday, April 21)
In relegation trouble (one automatic): Shannon/Old Belvedere/Blackrock College (to be decided on Saturday, April 21)
DIVISION 1B:
Division 1B champions: Belfast Harlequins/Dungannon/UL Bohemians (to be decided on Saturday, April 21)
In running for promotion (one automatic/one into play-off): Belfast Harlequins/Dungannon/UL Bohemians (to be decided on Saturday, April 21)
In relegation trouble (two automatic): Galwegians/Bruff/UCD (to be decided on Saturday, April 21)
Relegated: UCC
DIVISION 2A:
Division 2A champions: Dublin University
Promoted (two automatic): Dublin University, Malone
Relegation/promotion play-off: Thomond (third-from-bottom in Division 2A) v Highfield (third in Division 2B)
Relegated (two automatic): Instonians, Clonakilty
DIVISION 2B:
Division 2B champions: Cashel
Promoted (two automatic): Cashel, Banbridge
Relegation/promotion play-off: Ards (second-from-bottom in Division 2B) v Monivea (runners-up in Provincial Qualifying League Round Robin series)
Relegated (one automatic): Wanderers
PROVINCIAL QUALIFYING LEAGUE ROUND ROBIN SERIES:
Winners/Promoted: Skerries (will play in Ulster Bank League Division 2B in 2012/13 season)
Runners-up: Monivea

ormond lad

Previews of the final round of games in Division 1A and 1B and the relegation playoffs between 3rd bottom of Division 2A and 3rd of Division 2B and 2nd bottom of Division 2B and 2nd place in the round robin
http://www.irishrugby.ie/news/26342.php
http://www.irishrugby.ie/news/26341.php
http://www.irishrugby.ie/ulsterbankleague/26316.php

shaungil

Risteard wrote: »

Wasn't at the Monivea game but thought Skerries were good if not brilliant (Don't think they'll be as good as Cashel for example, though that would be a difficult ask.)

We got the better of their pack for most of the game and our scrum had them in trouble, resulting in a PT.

Their defence though was brilliant, very disciplined and effective. We couldn't break through and they took their tries well when the opportunities arose.

From a Goat;

Skerries beat Monivea last Saturday so were promoted. Richmond was a great result for Skerries. The pack was monstrous and there seemed to be about 5 props rolling on and off as subs. An excellent red haired prop did a lot of damage. We ve a young pack second oldest is 26 with a few U-21's so it was always going to be tough.
A tough few years for Richmond I believe I was told by a coach there with he clubhouse being burnt down but having a savage season.

@bamboozle thanks for the congrats it's been a tough few years but some strong structures in place now and a few good players coming through and back tothe club.

Wanderers down to Junior Rugby I think is massive they have a serious history and repuatation and I remember them expecting to do well in the first AIL year as they had dominated Leinster before that. Not sure of the set up there and how they will get on. I feel its an amazing achievment nowadays to get back to the UBL.

ormond lad

shaungil wrote: »

A tough few years for Richmond I believe I was told by a coach there with he clubhouse being burnt down but having a savage season.

Wanderers down to Junior Rugby I think is massive they have a serious history and repuatation and I remember them expecting to do well in the first AIL year as they had dominated Leinster before that. Not sure of the set up there and how they will get on. I feel its an amazing achievment nowadays to get back to the UBL.

Yeah their clubhouse was burned to the ground twice, the 2nd time was in 96

Some change for Wanderers. Wasnt it something like Wanderers, Lansdowne, Ballymena and 1 of the other northern sides were going to dominate the all ireland league when it started at the start of the 90s and that the league would only be won by one of these sides for like the first decade.

It will be an amazing achievement for them to get back senior but IMO they should be looking to work from the bottom up and fielding at all the age groups and building up numbers as very few of the 18/19 year olds coming out of the schools in dublin and lads from around the country who come up to college in dublin will look to play with wanderers

shaungil

Re Wanderers I know they do have plenty of players up to 12/13 but then they go tt the schools and are out of the club and it's a matter of luring them back. I'd have though geograpically they should have a connection with St Michaels which would bode well for the future.

Plenty of people I know are not shedding many tears as they allegedly engaged in some sharp practice to avoid relegation back in the late 90's when they apparently watered a pitch to avoid playing key game. Also wrt the development of Lansdowne road I've heard they didn't make themselves popular. No details on this I'm afraid.

Gracelessly Tom

Heading up to Templeville tomorrow for the Marys match. Best of luck to the lads tomorrow against Young Munster. Hopefully we'll all be celebrating late into Sunday morning.

Come on Marys!

bamboozle

Gracelessly Tom wrote: »

Heading up to Templeville tomorrow for the Marys match. Best of luck to the lads tomorrow against Young Munster. Hopefully we'll all be celebrating late into Sunday morning.

Come on Marys!

I Cant see YM causing an upset tomorrow. Marys are the best team in the league and they'll be lifting the trophy tomorrow afternoon.

the only glimmer of hope for clontarf is that the bad weather forecast will favour YM's dull 10 man rugby.

Gracelessly Tom

bamboozle wrote: »

I Cant see YM causing an upset tomorrow. Marys are the best team in the league and they'll be lifting the trophy tomorrow afternoon.

the only glimmer of hope for clontarf is that the bad weather forecast will favour YM's dull 10 man rugby.

I don't think the rain will effect Marys negatively. Excellent pack and the lads thrive on bad weather days. Just hoping nerves or the yips don't come into play.

guapos

going to try to get to clontarf game this afternoon, if i do ill post updates, any chance someone at marys match could do the same, thanks

bamboozle

Gracelessly Tom wrote: »

I don't think the rain will effect Marys negatively. Excellent pack and the lads thrive on bad weather days. Just hoping nerves or the yips don't come into play.

dont disagree with you, my point re YM was that the only chance of them putting in a performance is poor weather and slow ground given they're a 10 man rugby team.

durkadurka

Going to my first ail game in 17 years today at st marys. Might post the odd update.

durkadurka

Going to my first ail game in 17 years today at st marys. Might post the odd update.

guapos

didnt make it to match.just discovered marys match is on tv, great to see a big crowd. Pity theres no play offs this year

Sofa King Great

'tarf losing 12 nil against lansdowne at the moment.

durkadurka

Mary's 13-3 down but coming back into it. Ht

guapos

if young munster can hold on till sin bined player is back on theyre lookin good to win even with a player sent off. 20 18 to landsdowne now

guapos

27 18 to landsdowne, marys 10 young munster 16, 28 left in marys match

durkadurka

Nice try from sexton the younger

guapos

what a finish to the season, clontarf ahead by 1, marys down by 3 with 8 left

Sofa King Great

Cracking finish in store here!

guapos

great stuff from young munster, no matter what the result

durkadurka

Mary's try.

GerM

Unbelievable finish. Tarf pipped at the death yet again. Gah.

durkadurka

23-19

Sofa King Great

Assume this wasn't a stop clock!!!

d-gal

Anyone know who got relegated 1A & 1B? Twitter not workin for me

durkadurka

Well it's been a long time since my last pitch invasion!

Great scenes at Mary's.

guapos

blackrock relegated and belvo into relegation play off

phog

Cracking finish to the season, tarf must surely have been hoping against hope that YM would hang on, the momentum was against them, playing against 15 men and the wind for the 2nd half was just too much. Mary's played poor tactics up to about 65 mins then they really got into the game. Heart break fro tarf but it was in their hands last week and they let it slip.

ormond lad

Highfield beat Thomond 20-13 in limerick in the 2A/2B playoff which mean Highfield are promoted to 2A and Thomond are relegated to 2B.

Ards beat Monivea at home 30-17 which means Ards remain a senior club and remain in division 2B and Monivea yet again will be back trying to get out of the junior ranks.

bamboozle

well done to St. Marys, for a brief while i believed we were going to snatch it but it wasnt to be. In fairness Marys beat us home and away this season, no complaints. That's now 3 AIL final defeats, 2 semi-final defeats (last season's in injury time) and now this season all in the last 10 seasons. the quest continues!

Hopefully the AIL has picked up some new followers in recent week, as the televised games i'm sure have shown the quality is there, hope the IRFU get their fingers out and channel fringe provincial players into AIL games and bring back the top 4 play offs.

Digifriendly

Division 1B news - UL Bohs up automatically and Belfast Harlequins in promotion /relegation play off with Old Belvedere. UUC already down but joined by Galwegians who only needed a losing bp away to Ballynahinch but failed to get it. Bruff escape relegation with a win and UCD make the great escape with winning bp performance against Dungannon who miss out on promotion as they couldn't get a losing bp which would have taken them above Harlequins. Day of great drama in this Division.

Gracelessly Tom

Still recovering from the celebrations last night. Great day, even if we made it as hard as possible on ourselves. Fair play to Young Munster, they didn't come to make up the numbers and even after the red card they gave it their all.

Well done to all the players, some season, especially after we lost two of the first three games. It's been a few years in the making but they came good yesterday.

Flincher

Just saw this retweeted by Michael Corcoran. Decent review of the AIL, better than the coverage in the papers anyway.

http://mccarthikus.wordpress.com/2012/04/25/ulster-bank-league-division-1a-the-year-in-review/