AIL Division 1A round-up: Former stars haunt St Mary's College and give UCD fourth win in a row

Meanwhile, Clontarf captain Dylan Donnellan continued his try-per-game strike-rate since the new season began, as the defending champions powered their way to a bonus point win at Old Belvedere.

St Mary's Rob Gilsenan scores a try against his former team. Pic: ©INPHO/Nick Elliott.

Rob Gilsenan and Ruairi Shields both touched down against their former club UCD as St. Mary's College won 45-24 to move five points clear at the top of Energia All-Ireland League Men's Division 1A.

Mark McHugh's men, who were beaten semi-finalists last year, scored four tries by half-time at the Bowl, including a couple of scores from halfwayHow, as they made it four victories on the trot.

A forward pass from Aaron O'Neill denied Leandro Ramirez an early try, before Mary's had another near miss when Ireland Sevens international Aaron O'Sullivan just ran out of pitch as he tried to score from his own chip kick.

There was no stopping O'Sullivan in the 12th minute, his breakaway score coming from nice hands from Conor Dean, Mick O'Gara, and Dan Goggin. O'Gara and Paddy Clancy swapped kicks, the latter's penalty leaving it 7-3.

Another ex-UCD player, Greg Jones, took a great short line onto a Gilsenan pass, offloading sweetly for Richie Bergin to cross in the 27th minute. Gilsenan was next over the try-line, profiting from a neat one-two with Goggin via a ground-gaining maul.

With captain Dan Barron leading by example, the students managed to hit back soon after. Their lively attacking play forced penalties, and a well-controlled lineout drive earned them a penalty try, and a yellow card for Mary's prop Mick McCormack.

However, the visitors' skipper Dean was just as influential as his UCD counterpart, especially with ball in hand. Some deft handling across the back-line put Mark Fogarty into space and he released Ramirez out wide for the bonus point effort.

That was the first half's final action, putting the league leaders 26-10 clear. UCD replied just six minutes after the break, Duinn Maguire spinning off a maul, set up by Leinster Academy lock Conor O'Tighearnaigh, to pull seven points back.

Dean's crisp distribution kept the UCD guessing, and he sent number 8 Goggin on a tackle-breaking run in the 49th minute. Replacement Adam McEvoy was up in support to finish off the move, with O'Gara converting for a 33-17 scoreline.

With the wind at the backs and more penalties coming their way, Emmet MacMahon's young side had opportunities to draw back closer. Jones thwarted them at a close-in lineout, though, and Mary's replacement Finn Burke also won a penalty at the breakdown.

Despite Josh Gimblett's sin-binning, Mary's crowded out Mark Canniffe in the corner. They soon broke downfield for a brilliant 78th-minute try, Goggin's cross-field kick inviting O'Sullivan foward before the supporting Shields romped clear from 60 metres out.

There was still time for UCD replacement Maguire to get the maul try that he deserved. Yet, Mary's had the final say with their seventh try, Ronan Watters thundering over from the left wing with a big fend.

Meanwhile, Clontarf captain Dylan Donnellan continued his try-per-game strike-rate since the new season began, as the defending champions powered their way to a 34-12 bonus point win at Old Belvedere.

Conor Kelly's ever-reliable left boot opened the scoring in the seventh minute for Clontarf, who had pressed almost immediately from Peter Maher's lightning quick break from deep.

Dylan O'Grady got across to deny Old Belvedere full-back Morgan Meredith in the right corner, but the hosts made the subsequent possession count. Ryan McMahon barged over for his third try of the campaign, converted by David Wilkinson.

The O'Grady brothers, Dylan and Alex, led a pacy 'Tarf attack early in the second quarter. Their beefy pack took over, winning a scrum penalty before Donnellan drove over from the lineout for what was incredibly his 80th league try in four years.

Seven minutes before the interval, Luke McLaughlin, younger brother of Leinster debutant Hugo, matched Donnellan with a well-taken maul score for 'Belvo to establish a 12-8 lead.

Disappointingly for the vocal home support, the home side were held scoreless after that. The title holders soon got back on the front foot, Paul Deeny rampaging his way up into the 22, and a double movement denied Tadhg Bird from close range.

Nonetheless, Justin Leonard's yellow card for a high tackle on Kelly invited 'Tarf forward again. Connor Fahy duly squeezed in a late converted try, the ball breaking for him to score under the posts following a well-weighted Kelly kick.

Leading by three points at the turnaround, Andy Wood's men added 19 unanswered second half points to bring a maximum haul back across the Liffey. They had to absorb some early pressure, with McLaughlin knocking on close to the whitewash.

A high hit landed Belvedere winger Joe White in the bin, and Bird capitalised to slip out of a tackle for try number three, 50 minutes in. Jordan Coghlan and Fionn Gilbert then combined in defence to win a relieving penalty at the other end.

'Belvo ended the third quarter trailing 29-12, as 'Tarf's speedy back-three conjured up an excellent try from just outside their 22. Dylan O'Grady made the initial break, the supporting Maher cut inside and it was Alex O'Grady who darted clear to score beside the posts.

The north Dubliners lost Donnellan to the bin, paying the price for repeated penalties under the watchful eye of referee Sam Holt. They held 'Belvo at bay before replacement Alex Tilly sent Maher over for a closing try late on.

Ballynahinch have moved up one place to second in the table after a fine 25-12 triumph at Cork Constitution. Aaron Sexton's fourth-minute try set them on their way at a wet Temple Hill, a venue where they lost 51-21 last year.

Conor Rankin had a composed presence at full-back, and also kicked well on the day. He finished with 10 points, converting Sexton and Chris Gibson's first-half scores and tagging on two penalties before the break.

Peter Hyland lifted Cork Con with a timely try, following some sustained pressure, to briefly close the gap to 17-7. Jack Kelleher added a second on the hour mark, making it an eight-point game (20-12).

In a grandstand finish, the Ballynahinch defence was in defiant mood and they were able to deal with what Con could throw at them, scrambling particularly well. It fell to out-half Paul Kerr to snipe over in the 79th minute to decide this absorbing battle.

Lansdowne captain Andy Marks led the way with a brace of tries as they got back to winning ways in Greenfields. Always a tough place to win at, the visitors had to stave off a late Young Munster fightback to win 40-35 in the end.

Lansdowne looked in control, leading 21-7 at half-time, and five of their backs shared out their six tries, including the influential back-three of Tom Roche, Sean Galvin, and Leinster Academy youngster Todd Lawlor.

The Cookies, who remain winless after four rounds but with seven bonus points, are made of stern stuff. They were 19 points behind when Orin Burke ran in his second try and then replacement Arron Roulston brought the gap down to just five points.

Despite a helter-skelter finish, Lansdowne took home the spoils. They host Nenagh Ormond next Saturday, the Tipperary men aiming to rebound from a 40-12 defeat at the hands of Terenure College.

Redevelopment work at Lakelands Park meant this was Terenure's first home league game under Carlos Spencer, and Nenagh proved tough to shake off. The home side led 14-12 at half-time, with the teams scoring two tries each.

Ben Blaney, 'Nure's two-try hero against Lansdowne, cleverly created an eighth-minute opening on the right wing, linking with Caolan Dooley who sent Dan Martin over from just outside the visitors' 22.

With 19 minutes on the clock, a lovely offload from Will Hickey launched Martin from deep. Kiwi scrum half Griffin Culver trailed him and was abe to scamper clear for a 50-metre run-in. Aran Egan added his second conversion for a 14-point advantage.

Back came Nenagh, making sure they scored twice during Culver's sin-binning for a high tackle. At the start of the second quarter, replacement Joe Coffey did well to break off a maul and get the ball down near the right corner.

Munster's fit-again prop Roman Salanoa, making his first start for Nenagh, was becoming more prominent. He won a scrum penalty and then popped up with a well-timed offload, knitting an attack together that ended with Conor McMahon converting his own try.

Max Russell's early second-half try from a dogged lineout drive got Terenure back on track. Culver was the provider for their 48th-minute bonus point score, stepping inside a defender and releasing teenager Arthur Ashmore for his first league score.

Now looking more comfortable with a 26-12 buffer, the 2023 champions kept Nenagh out from a tap penalty. Derek Corcoran's men soon made their way back into nearly the same position, only for a crooked lineout throw to let them down.

Martin slammed the door shut with a slickly-created second try for the young winger, who was the beneficiary of some terrific offloading sparked by Egan and former captain Harrison Brewer.

Connacht back rower Oisin McCormack, on as a replacement, wrapped up the scoring in the 71st minute with the rain coming down. He showed good strength to charge his way to the line after an inviting skip pass from Will Reilly.