Con Target Five In A Row
27th April 2017 By The Editor
Cork Con will be hoping to make it six successive final victories in the Bateman Cup when they play Lansdowne at Temple Hill
Five-in-a-row of Bateman titles will be on Cork Constitution’s mind, as they travel to Dublin on Saturday to take on Old Belvedere in their fifth consecutive final (KO 12.45pm).
Last year’s beaten All-Ireland League finalists will be itching to set the record straight when they face Clontarf once more on Saturday week, but the first final sees the Temple Hill side look to continue an astonishing run of All-Ireland Cup successes at Anglesea Road on Saturday early-afternoon.
Con secured this season’s place by virtue of beating Young Munster in last year’s Munster Senior Cup final, and have already booked next season’s spot by defeating the same side earlier on this year. The Cork side barely broke sweat in their 63-0 defeat of Division 1B Buccaneers in the semis, and will be undoubtedly favourites heading into the game which will be broadcast on RTÉ2.
More recently though Con caused a shock in the AIL Div1A semi-finals, travelling up to Dublin 4 and defeating Lansdowne for the second time on the Aviva back pitch, knocking the table-toppers out of the playoffs and handing Constitution yet another crack at the All-Ireland League Division1A title.
Young out-half Tomás Quinlan kicked a late-late penalty to book his side’s place in a dramatic close to the semis, and he will be crucial again if the Temple Hill outfit are to capture yet another Bateman Cup title on what’s been a golden run for Brian Hickey’s side.
It won’t be easy for Con though against a Belvo side who blitzed Ballynahinch in the first-half of their semi-final to lead 25-0, before the Co Down side got a few scores back. However Belvo, who were relegated from the top division this year, showed little mercy in a 44-14 victory.
Recent Bateman history has been kind to Munster, with Con’s last four added to the previous years by Garryowen (2011/12) and Bruff (2010/11) to ensure the cup has stayed in the province throughout the decade.
In front of the RTÉ cameras once more, Con will be looking to make sure Old Belvedere don’t break that run.
