AIB Cup Second Round Preview

The second round of the AIB Cup takes place on Saturday, with 16 fixtures taking place. All games kick off at 2.30pm.

All fixtures will be played on Saturday, 13th October, KO 2.30pm. If there are any changes to the KO times, this will be advised before Friday 12th October.

AIB Cup Round 2:
Bruff v Old Crescent
UCC v Dolphin
Belfast Harlequins v Shannon
St. Mary’s College v Corinthians
Malone v County Carlow/Midleton
Suttonians v Cork Constitution
Terenure College v Clontarf
De La Salle Palmerston v Bective Rangers
Ballymena v Buccaneers
Old Belvedere v Wanderers
Lansdowne v Garryowen
Blackrock College v Instonians
Dungannon v UL Bohemians
Galwegians v Ballynahinch
Dublin University v Clonakilty
UCD v Greystones

SHORT HISTORY

During the 2005 / 06 season seventeen clubs were entered into an open draw for the inaugural AIB Cup which took place in the second half of the season.
Seventeen clubs also played in the second AIB Cup competition in 2006 / 07.
The four IRFU provincial branches nominated the clubs that appeared in the first two competitions.
Cork Constitution beat St. Mary’s C.  37-12 in the inaugural AIBC final played at Lansdowne Road on Sat. 8 April 2006; Garryowen and Buccaneers reached the semi-final stage.
Garryowen beat Belfast Harlequins 20-7 in the second AIBC final played at Dubarry Park on Sat. 14 April 2007; Shannon and Clonakilty reached the semi-final stage

THIS SEASON

For the first time, all 48 AIBL clubs were invited into the AIB Cup.  The provincial breakdown of the 48 participating clubs:  Leinster – 17, Munster – 16, Ulster – 11, Connacht – 4.
The first round matches this season are scheduled for Saturday 6 October 2007, three Saturdays before the 18th AIB League Series commences on Saturday 27 October.
The draw for the first and second rounds took place on Tuesday 18 September 2007 at Dooradoyle Limerick, the home of  Garryowen FC., the reigning AIBL and AIBC champions
All sixteen Division One clubs received a bye into the second round of the 2007 / 08 AIB Cup.
The sixteen first round matches involve the 32 clubs from the second and third divisions of the AIB League.
Seven round one clubs competing this season have previously appeared in the AIB Cup  – Malone, Clonakilty, Buccaneers, DLS – Palmerston, Suttonians, Belfast Harlequins and Nenagh Ormond.

AFTERMATH OF THE DRAW

The first round draw has thrown up 14 club inter-provincial matches and only two games – Malone v Ards and Bruff v Highfield – between clubs of the same province.  A lot of travel and cost is therefore on the cards.
Fourteen AIBC first round ties involve clubs from different AIBL divisions while only two games – Co. Carlow v Midleton and Thomond v Belfast Harlequins – involve clubs from the same division.
The first round matches include eleven clubs from Munster (four from Limerick), nine from Ulster and Leinster and three from Connacht.
Six first round ties will take place in Ulster, five in Munster, four in Leinster and one in Connacht.
Three of the four Limerick clubs get home venue while six of the nine Ulster clubs also get home advantage.
There are four Munster v Ulster club interpros down for decision as there are four Munster v  Leinster club engagements.
With Co. Carlow drawn against Midleton, at least one AIBL – 3 club will see action in the second round.
The third round draw will take place before Christmas with the ties set for Saturday 5 January 2008.
The quarter-finals are due up on Saturday 2 February 2008,  the semi-finals on Saturday 8 March and the AIB Cup final on Saturday 12 April.

FIRST ROUND RESULTS

MATCH  A        MALONE             50 ( 7-6-1-0 )     ARDS             5 ( 1-0-0-0 )
MATCH  B            CORINTHIANS    20 ( 3-1-1-0 )         BARNHALL    13 ( 2-0-1-0 )
MATCH  C            Co. CARLOW       13 ( 1-1-2-0 )            MIDLETON     16 ( 1-1-3-0 ) aet
MATCH  D            CITY OF DERRY   10 ( 1-1-1-0 )           CLONAKILTY    28 ( 4-1-2-0 )
MATCH  E            WATERPARK       7 ( 1-1-0-0 )        BUCCANEERS    36 ( 5-4-1-0 )
MATCH  F            RAINEY OLD BOYS 20 ( 1-0-5-0 )       DLS-PALMERSTON  24 ( 4-2-0-0 )
MATCH  G            BANBRIDGE         7 ( 1-1-0-0 )             BECTIVE R.    22 (4-1-0-0 )
MATCH  H          UC-CORK      43 ( 6-5-1-0 )       OLD WESLEY    13 ( 1-1-2-0 )
MATCH  I             SUTTONIANS    20 ( 2-2-2-0 )           QU-BELFAST    17 ( 3-1-0-0 )
MATCH  J            D. UNIVERSITY     23 ( 2-2-2-1 )          SUNDAYS WELL  17 ( 2-2-1-0 )
MATCH  K            THOMOND          7 ( 1-1-0-0 )          B. HARLEQUINS    34 ( 5-3-1-0 )
MATCH  L            BALLYNAHINCH   62 ( 9-7-1-0 )         NENAGH ORMOND    7 ( 1-1-0-0 )
MATCH  M          INSTONIANS     34 ( 4-4-2-0 )        YOUNG MUNSTER  24 ( 3-3-1-0 )
MATCH  N          BRUFF        6 ( 0-0-2-0 )       HIGHFIELD       5 ( 1-0-0-0 )
MATCH  0          OLD CRESCENT   29 ( 4-3-1-0 )         NAAS      14 ( 1-0-3-0 )
MATCH  P          WANDERERS    17 ( 2-2-1-0 )        CONNEMARA    14 ( 1-0-3-0 )

AIB CUP REGULATIONS

1. If clubs are tied at full time, extra time of 10 minutes each way will be played.
2. If still tied, the club which has scored most tries is the winner.
3. If still tied, the away team will be declared the winner.

FIRST ROUND REVIEW

Fourteen games took place where Div. Two clubs faced Div. Three clubs; Div. Two clubs won eleven of these matches while only three Div. Three clubs (Corinthians, Bruff, Instonians) were victorious.
Belfast Harlequins won the only all Div. Two clash while Midleton were successful in the single Div. Three match.
The results threw up nine home wins,   and seven away wins
One game (Co. Carlow v Midleton) went into extra time with Midleton kicking a late penalty goal to win the match
All three Leinster clubs that were pitched against Ulster clubs won their matches.
All four Leinster clubs that were pitched against Munster clubs won their matches.

SECOND ROUND PREVIEW

The line-up will include:  16 Div. One clubs, twelve Div. Two clubs and four Div. Three clubs.
Four games will feature clubs that have never previously met in AIB sponsored competition:  Bruff v Old Crescent, St. Marys C. v   Corinthians, Suttonians v Cork Constitution and Galwegians v Belfast Harlequins.
Only four Div. Two / Div. Three clubs will be guaranteed a place in the third round draw: Bruff or Old Crescent, Malone or Midleton, Dublin University or Clonakilty, DLS-Palmerston or Bective Rangers.
The second round draw has been kind to the Div. One clubs as nine of the 16 ties give home advantage to clubs from the top division.
Three Division One clubs will be making their debut in AIB Cup competition – Old Belvedere, Blackrock C. and UL-Bohemian.
Nine of the second round games will take place at Leinster venues, four will go ahead up in Ulster, two will be at Munster venues and one will kick off over in Connacht.
There will be two Div. One v Div. Three potential giant killing ties – St. Marys C. v Corinthians and Blackrock C. v Instonians.
There will be four all Div. One games on the list – Lansdowne v Garryowen, Terenure C. v Clontarf, Dungannon v UL-Bohemian and UC-Dublin v Greystones.
There will be two all Div. Two clashes – D. University v Clonakilty and DLS-Palmerston v Bective R..
Munster clubs have received two home games and eight away
Leinster clubs have received nine home games and four away.
Ulster clubs have received four home games and two away
Connacht clubs have received one home game and two away
There are thirteen Leinster clubs involved in the second round and not one of them will be required to travel outside the eastern province to fulfil their fixture; compare that to Limerick City where all four clubs still involved have to travel.