14-man Cork Constitution earn sweet AIL glory

Terenure College 22-33 Cork Constitution

Cork Constitution failed to let John Forde's 19th-minute red card derail their bid for Energia All-Ireland League glory, as they led from start to finish in an outstanding 33-22 final win over Terenure College at the Aviva Stadium.

Second row Forde was dismissed for a shoulder-led tackle on Terenure's Adam Melia, with Cork Con leading 10-0 at that stage.

A subsequent Billy Scannell maul try giving them a 17-10 half-time buffer.

Playing with huge intensity and physicality, particularly in defence, Jonny Holland's men were down to 13 and then 12 players, either side of the break, as Niall Kenneally and Sean Duffy both saw yellow.

Tries from Aran Egan and Adam La Grue had Terenure only trailing 23-22, but Matthew Bowen brilliantly held up Conor Phillips, with Con's player of the match James Taylor hugely influential from the kicking tee and as a game manager.

Taylor punished 'Nure's indiscipline with 18 points in all, including three second-half penalties, and Ireland Under-20 hooker Danny Sheahan came off the bench to claim the clinching try with seven minutes remaining.

The result saw Cork Con reverse the finishing positions in the table as they were crowned Division 1A champions for the first time since 2019, when they last appeared in the final.

It is their seventh All-Ireland League title, moving them within two of record holders Shannon.

Shannon remain the only club to have retained the All-Ireland League trophy as Terenure, who were contesting their third straight final on the back of a 13-match winning streak, missed out on becoming back-to-back champions.

They did end the campaign with a second successive Bateman Cup.

The first ever Energia All-Ireland League finals double header