After 6 rounds the UBL tables are starting to take shape.

It was another mixed weekend of results for Limerick sides in their respective divisions last weekend with a four wins and three losses out of the seven clubs. Shannon and Old Crescent remain dominant in their respective divisions, Bruff and Thomond look well placed to challenge for promotion, Garryowen and Young Munster lie just outside the playoff spots while UL Bohs need to start picking up points soon.

Young Munster 51 St. Mary’s 7

Young Munster’s kicked on from their superb last minute win over reigning champs Cork Con in round five with an emphatic 51-7 victory over St.Mary’s in Tom Clifford Park. Munsters’ pack were dominant throughout the game and scrum half Rob Guerin asserted their dominance from the very start with a try in the first minute. Whilst St Mary’s Jack Dilger replied three minutes later with a score of his own, it was one way traffic in favour of the home side from there on.

Shane Airey, who kicked the match winning penalty last weekend, was again in fine form from the boot knocking over two first half penalties as well as converting Gavin Coombes and Mike Madden’s first half efforts, leaving the score at 27-7 at the break.

SUPERB performance from @YoungMunsterRFC as they overcome @StMarysRFC with try scoring Tom Ryan here in the groove. #Limerick #cookies pic.twitter.com/eUKkONOjjV

— Liam Coughlan (@Liam09C) November 4, 2017

The second half continued in similar fashion to the first, with Gearoid Prendergast’s side putting the visitors defence under a huge amount of pressure and it soon told when young winger Daniel Hurley got in after six minutes of the first half. A second from Coombes soon followed with Tom McHale and Tom Ryan wrapping up the tie for the Cookies which moves them within a point of Garryowen in sixth place.

Lansdowne 32 Garryowen 22

It was a day to forget for Garryowen on Saturday as they made the trip to the capital to face 1A leaders Lansdowne on the Aviva back pitch. The away side did get off to a good start with Neil Cronin – reliant as ever from the boot – kicking a penalty as well as converting two first half tries from centre Peadar Collins and wing James McInerny leaving the sides 17-10 at the interval in favour of the Limerick side.

Garryowen had the wind in the first half which aided them, but it was a different story in the second, as former Grand Slam winning coach with Wales Mike Ruddock’s men set about disposing of the visitors. Within six minutes of the restart, the home side were level after Mark O’Keefe got over for the first of his two second half tries.

Out half Scott Deasy landed a penalty soon after before Tyrone Horan scored off the back of a maul on the hour mark to make a difficult task that bit harder for the Light Blues. O’Keefe’s centre partner, Harry Brennan raced away in the 76th minute to secure five points for the table topper’s but Conan Doyle’s side fought until the end and No. 8 Tim Ferguson got over for a consolation that was not enough to yield a losing bonus point.

Shannon 33 Banbridge 14

Shannon continued their dominance in 1B on Saturday afternoon on the back pitch of Thomond Park with a bonus point, 33-14 win, over their nearest rivals in the table at the time, Banbridge. It started as a close knit affair on Saturday with both sides defences cancelling each other out, but after about 15 minutes of play a loose Banbridge pass was picked off by winger Eathon Moloney who raced fifty metres unopposed to score under the posts with Conor Fitzgerald adding the extras.

The away side recovered quickly and after some good sustained pressure deep in Shannon territory and crossed for a try to level proceedings after 20 minutes. Shannon scored twice more in the first half via two driving maul’s to leave the score at 21-7 at half time and the home side well on their way to another win.

The loudest rendition of The Isle in quite some time, and well deserved #UBL #justthebeginning https://t.co/2aKSD9iP5e pic.twitter.com/IzMrZa2t9T

— Shannon RFC (@Shannon_RFC) November 4, 2017

Natahn Randles secured the bonus point in the 56th minutes and the impressive Fitzgerald got in for a try of his own with about five minutes left to secure the 6th straight win. The Northener’s did score a second half try but it wasn’t enough for them to ruin the 1B leader’s afternoon.

Old Belvedere 18 UL Bohemians 13

Saturday proved another disappointing day for UL Bohemians after they were defeated 18-3 by Old Belvedere in Anglesa Road. It was a tight first half in Dublin with the struggling Limerick side opening the scoring through the boot of out half Robbie Bourke on 23 minutes, but that slender lead didn’t last very long and the hosts soon replied with a try five minutes later.

It was a busy few closing moments in the first half when Bourke again put the visitors in the lead via a penalty and it looked as if that lead would hold until the second half but Belvedere responded with the last kick of the first half to take an 8-6 lead into the break.

The home side seized the initiative early in the second half with a penalty followed by a converted try to leave the scores at 18-6 with the final quarter to be played. Bohs’ James Ryan did get on the scoresheet to secure a losing bonus point but the Limerick side moved to second bottom in the table with their second loss in as many weeks.

Old Crescent 45 Skerries 0

Old Crescent made it six wins from six on Saturday with a huge 45-0 win over Skerries in Division 2B. Before the game, the visitors were just behind Crescent in the table further emphasising the importance of this win. The home side had secured their bonus point before the half time break with tries from Larry Hanly, Val McDermott 2, and Shane Mullaly and impressive out half Ronan McKenna adding four conversions.

The second half continued in similar fashion to the first with Cathal Monaghan, Brian Tuohy and McKenna adding tries and the out half converting one of the three leaving the away side scoreless at the end of the tie and Crescent 4 points clear at the top.

Bangor 13 Bruff 11

It was a disappointing day at the office for Bruff in County Down on Saturday as they came off second best against Bangor on a scoreline of 13-11. The home side got off to a promising start with a penalty but the visitors soon replied with their own to leave the score level after 30 minutes. Bruff set themselves up for the second half perfectly when they got over in the last play of the first half after a good break from Paddy Cleary, leaving it 8-3 at the break.

Bangor drew first blood in the second half with a penalty in front of the posts on 50 minutes which was closely followed by a converted try which saw the county Limerick side go behind 13-8 with a half hour to go. Owen Cahill’s side responded well with a penalty on the hour mark, and after huge pressure on the Bangor line, and a missed penalty, Bruff had to make do with a losing bonus point which means they dropped to third place in 2C.

Thomond 34 Malahide 17

Thomond made it two wins on the trot as they comfortably beat Malahide 34-17 at Liam Fitzgerald park. The home side started off on the right foot with out half Evan Cusack slotting a penalty after five minutes, and he was called into action soon after when he had to convert an Eoin O’Neil try. A dominant first half display saw further scores from Darragh O’Neil, and Liam Brock leaving the sides 24-7 at half time.

Malahide did manage a try and a penalty in the second half, but a try added to his conversions for Cusack as well as Darragh O’Neil’s second meant James Hickey’s men move up to second in the table after another bonus point win. Things are looking good in Division 2C with two Limerick sides in the top three, with Sligo leading the way on 24 points.