Corinthians face tough test in promotion semi-final tie

By John Mulligan

Corinthians travel to Dr Hickey Park in Greystones tomorrow to face the home side in the semi-final of Division 2B of the AIL, looking to repeat the outcome of the meeting between the sides just four weeks ago when they ran out 12-point winners in Cloonacauneen.

The battle to get out of Division 2B has been one of the most compelling of all Divisions in the competition with several teams in contention up to the last week of the season, and it took until the 80th minute before Corinthians secured their place in the last four with a try from Matthew Devine securing in a 31-24 win at home to Blackrock College a fortnight ago.

Their opponents on Saturday guaranteed top spot when they disposed of Dungannon and as a result will have home advantage for this tie, but the format of the league has not proven popular with some, as even the league leaders are not assured of promotion.

Instead, the top four enter the play-off semi-finals, with the top two having home advantage, and the winners of those one-leg semi-finals will then meet in a one-leg final, with only the winners clinching promotion.

While Corinthians lock horns with Greystones in Wicklow, Harlequins will host Blackrock in Belfast, and Corinthians won’t fear any of those three sides, having a 50% record against all three sides this season.

They won their home meeting with each side, defeating Greystones 33-21; recording a 31-24 win over Blackrock, and edging Harlequins 19-17. On the flip side, they lost all three away games – 43-7 to Greystones, 19-6 to Blackrock, and 20-10 to Harlequins – but this is now knockout rugby and it would be a brave person to bet against any of the four sides surviving the play-off stages.

“I was very happy overall with the performance against Blackrock. However, leaving it until two minutes from time to get a winner is not good for the heart,” Corinthians head coach, JP Cooney, said this week.

For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.

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