Just one Limerick win on dramatic opening day in All-Ireland League

JUST one of Limerick's six senior clubs managed to secure a win on a dramatic opening day in the new Energia All-Ireland League season.

There was no joy for any of the three local sides competing in Division 1A this term. Young Munster had to make-do with taking a losing bonus point from their heartbreaking 19-18 defeat to Cork Constitution at Temple Hill.

However, both Garryowen and Division 1A newcomers Shannon suffered heavy defeats in their respective fixtures. Garryowen succumbed 14-50 to a free-scoring Dublin University side at Dooradoyle, while Shannon lost out 39-3 to last season's Division 1A finalists Terenure College on the back pitch at Thomond Park.

Meanwhile, in Division 2A, Old Crescent did secure a try bonus point as they succumbed 44-27 away to MU Barnhall, while UL-Bohemian lost out 20-5 to local rivals Nenagh Ormond at UL North Campus.

In Division 2C, Bruff recorded the only Limerick win of the day, getting their campaign off to the perfect start when edging past Omagh Academicals 20-18 at Kilballyowen Park.

In the top flight Young Munster gave a start to Ireland Under-20 flanker Ronan O’Sullivan in their back-row for the trip to Leeside to face great rivals Cork Con. Powerful tighthead Paulo Leleisiuao, who started on the bench, has made the move to Greenfields from Australian club Randwick this season.

Munsters' led 3-0 their hosts after the opening 20 minutes, thanks to a penalty goal from Evan Cusack. The home side then hit back to draw level at 3-3.

However, the visitors regained the lead on 31 minutes when Conor Hayes crossed for the game's opening try and an 8-3 advantage.

Munsters' maintained that five-point advantage until half-time.

After Con' reduced the deficit to two points, 8-6, with a second penalty goal, Munsters' regained the initiative when a second try from the prolific Hayes, converted by Cusack, had the visitors 15-6 in front.

Resilient Con' hit back with a run of 10 unanswered points through a penalty goal and converted try to lead by a point.

However, Munsters' responded and a successful penalty had the Greenfields side in front at 18-16.

The drama wasn't done yet, however, and Con' grabbed the win late on through a successful penalty kick.

Next up for Munsters' is a high stakes Limerick derby meeting with arch rivals Garryowen at Tom Clifford Park on Saturday next, 5pm.

At Thomond Park's back pitch, Shannon marked their return to the top flight with a home fixture against last year's beaten Division 1A finalists Terenure College.

The home side got off to the perfect start when former Ealing Trailfinders Academy out-half Mike Cooke landed an early penalty goal to help the Parish side into a 3-0 lead.

However, after that bright opening for the home side, Terenure College gained the ascendancy on the scoreboard. The Dubliners hit back with two converted tries, including one from Jordan Coghlan, to lead 14-3.

A third try for 'Nure from captain Harrison Brewer on 27 minutes had the visitors 19-3 in front, before the visitors crossed for a fourth try before the interval from Craig Adams to secure the bonus point and jump into a 26-3 half-time advantage.

The clinical visitors then added a fifth try 10 minutes into the second half from Luke Claw to increase their lead to a sizeable 28 points at 31-3.

And the Dubliners eased further clear when converting a penalty award.

At Dooradoyle, Dublin University opened the scoring with a try from out-half Aaron Egan which he also converted for a 7-0 lead.

Garryowen hit back with two penalties from Tony Butler, but a second try for the Dublin students had them 12-6 to the good at half-time. 

A third Butler penalty reduced the Trinity advantage to just three points, 9-12, three minutes into the second half.

However, the see-saw nature of the scoring continued when Dublin University stunned the home side with two tries to jump into a sizeable 24-9 advantage. 

The students then added two further tries to secure the bonus point, with the impressive Colm Hogan among those to dot down as Trinity raced into a 43-9 advantage.

Garryowen did hit back with a try of their own through Bryan Fitzgerald on 76 minutes to reduce the deficit to 29 points, 14-43.

However, there was still time for the students to score another converted try and bring their tally of points to a half century.

In Division 2A, Crescent, who have been celebrating the 75th anniversary of the founding of the club this season, made a disappointing start when falling 7-0 in arrears inside the opening minute as home side MU Barnhall struck for an early converted try.

Crescent hit back four minutes later with a try of their own scored by Rob Magill to trail 5-7. However, the wind-assisted Kildare side took a grip on the game when going over for their second try to lead 12-5 on 22 minutes.

An Aaron Cosgrove penalty kept Crescent in touch before Barnhall regained the upperhand scoring tries on 32 and 38 minutes to lead 34-8 at half-time.

Crucially, Barnhall struck for the first try of the second period to stretch clear at 39-8, before Eoin Murphy notched the visitors second five-pointer of the game after 55 mins.

Crescent also scored a third try, this time a terrific individual effort from exciting teenager Stephen Kiely with Cosgrove's conversion making it 44-20 to the home side.

The highly-rated Kiely, a former Limerick minor footballer, who has featured for the Munster Development side this season then added his second try of the game to help Crescent secure a bonus point at 44-27 with two minutes remaining.

Also in 2A, UL-Bohemian, under new head coach Ian Keatley, trailed Nenagh Ormond 0-13 at half-time at ULs North Campus.

The Tipperary side, who had knocked the Red, Red Robins out of the Limerick Charity Cup earlier in the season, led 6-0 thanks to two James Finn penalties, before the visitors struck for a converted try to build that substantial half-time advantage.

To their credit, UL-Bohs got back in the game when scoring a second half try. However, Nenagh closed out a deserved win when awarded a late penalty try.

In 2C, Bruff got off to an ideal start racing into a 10-0 lead with Paul Collins kicking an early penalty, before he added a try which was also converted.

Visitors Omagh then hit back with an unconverted try to trail 5-10. A second try for the visitors had the scores tied 10-10 at half-time.

Omagh then hit the front after the restart, scoring their third try of the game to lead 15-10.

However, battling Bruff hit back and a try from Paul Collins saw the Limerick side into a 17-15 lead. The see saw nature of the scoring continued as Omagh regained the lead at 18-17 with a further penalty goal.

Bruff were very unlucky not to go back in front shortly afterwards when a penalty attempt hit off an upright.

However, Bruff were not to denied shortly afterwards when Collins kicked them in front with a precious drop goal.

It proved to be the winning score of a thrilling contest.