Nerveless James Taylor delivers 18-point haul that steers Cork Con to AIL title with win over Terenure College

Cork Con are back where they feel they belong, as they brilliantly dethroned the champions Terenure to win their first Energia All-Ireland title since 2019.

Con overcame John Forde’s 19th-minute red card, as well as two yellows later on, as Jonny Holland’s side showed tremendous character to get the job done against all the odds.

Terenure will have major regrets, particularly over their inability to gain control of a game that could easily have gotten away from Con. But with their set-piece firing, even without both of their starting locks for a period, Con were full value for their win.

Out-half James Taylor thrived on the big stage, putting in a flawlessly kicking display, scoring 18 points, while he expertly ran the game plan.

Billy Scannell and Jack Kelleher were immense up front, while winger Matthew Bowen came up with a crucial try-saving tackle late on.

Con scored three tries through full-back Rob Hedderman, Scannell and his replacement Danny Sheahan, and while ‘Nure put up a defiant defence of their title, no one could deny that Cork outfit were deserving winners in front of 7,768 at the Aviva Stadium.

Con have been playing great rugby under former Munster out-half Holland, and it was a beautifully worked set-piece special that got them up and running here.

Playing off a well-constructed lineout, scrum-half Adam Maher linked well with Niall Kenneally, and as soon as the veteran centre found out-half James Taylor out the back, Terenure were in trouble.

Hedderman ran a superb line, and taking the ball at speed, there was no stopping the Con full-back, with Taylor adding the extras for an early 7-0 lead.

Taylor then fired over a long-range penalty and just as everything was going according to plan, Con were reduced to 14 men, as Forde was shown a red card for a dangerous clearout on Adam Melia. The Con lock could have no complaints.

Terenure were still trying to find their feet, but Aran Egan eventually put them on the board with a 24th-minute penalty.

Con though, continued to look the better team, and they struck for a second try from another lineout that no doubt delighted their forwards coach Billy Holland.

Scannell nailed the throw and despite having a man less in their pack, Con bulldozed ‘Nure back over their own line, with the hooker, younger brother of Munster pair Niall and Rory, dotting down.

Taylor converted to push his side back into a healthy 17-3 lead, but Terenure are champions for a reason, and when Jordan Coghlan finished well from close range, Egan converting, it was game on again.

Further indiscipline meant Con made life even more difficult for themselves, as one of their most experienced players, Kenneally, was yellow-carded for a trip.

Con still led 17-10 at the break, and just when they needed cool heads after the restart, Forde’s fellow starting second-row Seán Duffy was sin-binned for a silly breakdown offence on 44 minutes.

Now down to 12 men, Con were struggling and ‘Nure made them pay, as former Munster winger Conor Phillips’ brilliantly offloaded to Egan, who scored in the corner.

The out-half was unable to bring his side level by adding the extra two from out wide, and the miss was soon compounded when Terenure coughed up a cheap penalty from the restart, which Taylor duly slotted before following it up with another well-struck kick to make it an eight-point game (23-15).

Terenure required a spark from somewhere and it arrived courtesy of full-back Adam La Grue, as he sent the large cohort of supporters into raptures with a superb try that Egan converted.

Con had Bowen to thank that they didn’t fall behind, as the winger’s stunning last-ditch tackle denied Phillips what looked like a certain try.

Having survived a major scare, Taylor eased the nerves among the travelling Cork fans by maintaining his 100pc record from the tee with a penalty just after the hour mark.

Con had even more reason to believe this was to be their year when Ireland U-20s hooker Sheahan got over for another try that stemmed from a lineout.

As Taylor nervelessly converted to put his side 33-22 in front with five minutes remaining, it left ‘Nure needing a miracle.

It never looked like materialising, however, as Con dug deep to ensure that the trophy made its way back to Leeside for the first time in five years.

TERENURE COLLEGE: A La Grue; C Adams, S Berman, P Sylvester, C Phillips; A Egan, A Bennie; C Classon (B Howard 62-76)), L Vaughan, A Tuite (C O’Donnell 37-62); H Brewer (capt), M Caffrey (M O’Reilly 52); A Melia, L Clohessy (J White 27), J Coghlan.

CORK CONSTITUTION: R Hedderman (R Jermyn 56); D Hurley, H O’Riordan, N Kenneally (B Crowley 49), M Bowen; J Taylor, A Maher (L Khan 65); A Heaney (B Quinlan 56-75), B Scannell (D Sheahan 56), L Masters (C Connolly 56); S Duffy (E Quilter, 37-41) (M Lamarque d’Arrouzat 56), J Forde; J Kelleher, R O’Sullivan (Quilter 56), D Hyland (capt).

REFEREE: A Cole (IRFU)

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