Club Men: AIL 1B Mid Season Wrap!

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It’s the halfway point in the AIL 1B and it’s been an interesting season so far, with no one side managing to dominate.

Week 9, the last weekend before the mid season break, was no different, bringing another set of unpredictable results. 

Ballynahinch11 – 7MaloneBallymacarn ParkBanbridge14 – 15City of ArmaghRifle ParkBuccaneers22 – 27BallymenaDubarry ParkNaas8 – 10Old BelvedereForenaughtsOld Wesley20 – 9St Mary’s CollegeDonnybrook

With the league taking a break until the 19th January 2019 we thought this would be an opportune time to have an indepth look at who’s doing what. Before we get into the detailed stats here’s a reminder of how the league looks going into the second half of the season. 

TeamPWDLFADiffTBLBPtSt Mary’s College9504214192224125City of Armagh9513148126221225Malone9504177141362224Ballynahinch9513179168112024Naas9405185158274323Old Wesley9513162170-81023Banbridge9405172148242321Old Belvedere9414149193-442121Ballymena9405153210-572018Buccaneers9207196229-333415

Home or Away. 

Looking at the results in terms of points picked up at home and away we get the following. (The percentages are calculated as a % of a maximum of 5 points per match) 

TeamWK1WK2WK3WK4WK5WK6WK7WK8WK9PTS%ALL%Home%AwaySt Mary’s CollegeHWBALALHWBALBHWBAWHWBAL2556%100%20%City of ArmaghHLBADHWBALAWHWALBHWAW2556%70%44%MaloneAWHWALHWBAWHWBALHLBALB2453%75%36%BallynahinchALHDAWBHWBALHWAWALHW2453%75%36%NaasAWBHWBHLBAWBHWBALHLALBHLB2351%48%55%Old WesleyAWHDALHLAWHWBALAWHW2351%55%48%BanbridgeALBHWAWHWBHLBALBHWALHLB2147%60%30%Old BelvedereHWBADHLALHWBALBALHWAW2147%70%28%BallymenaHLALHWBALHLALHWBHWAW1840%56%20%BuccaneersHLALHWBALBHLBALBBHWALBHLB1533%44%20%

The comparison between the top two sides, St Mary’s College and City of Armagh, and how they got there is interesting. 

St Mary’s have an outstanding home record, picking up a maximum haul of five points from each home game but they have only picked up one win and a losing bonus point away from home. In fact, at 20%, the table toppers share the worst away points return with the bottom two clubs, Ballymena and Buccaneers. 

Armagh on the other hand have been steady at home and regularly picked up points away. They only failed to pick up some form of  match points in one game. They have the third best away form in the league and it’s this that has kept them marginally in front of fellow Ulster clubs Malone and Ballynahinch.

Of the other sides. Naas and Buccs stand out by having disappointing home records where they have picked up less than 50% of the available points. Nass have compensated somewhat by having the best return on the road at 55% and bottom club Buccaneers, despite winning only two games, have kept themselves in the hunt by picking up seven bonus points. 

With only ten points separating top from bottom, no team can be ruled out from promotion or relegation battles. In fact, if we look at the “current form” of the 10 teams over the last five rounds it’s the Co Kildare side Naas, who were top after five rounds, that find themselves joint bottom of the “form league” alongside early pace setters Banbridge! 

TeamWK5WK6WK7WK8WK9PTSWIN%City of ArmaghWWLBWW1768%Old WesleyWWBLWW1768%Old BelvedereWBLBLWW1456%St Mary’s CollegeLWBWWBL1456%BallymenaLLWBWW1352%BallynahinchLWWLW1248%MaloneWWBLLBLB1144%BuccaneersLBLBBWLBLB936%BanbridgeLBLBWLLB728%NaasWBLLLBLB728%

We’ll find out in the New Year if it was a case of Christmas coming too early for the likes of Armagh and Wesley but I’d say it hasn’t come soon enough for Banbridge and Naas who will welcome the time off to regroup. 

Leading Points Scorers. 

Do we get any clue from the individual points scorers as to who is going to pull any of the teams together enough to sustain a challenge for promotion?

Here’s the leading points scorers to date: – 

PlayerClubTCPDGTotRory StinesOld Wesley11216077Peter OsborneNaas3169074Tim SmallBallymena11215074Luke CartyBuccaneers01811069Steve CrosbieOld Belvedere11311064Conor DeanSt Mary’s College11210059

While a solid kicker is increasingly important there is no real correlation between individual kicking performances and win percentages at this level. At the end of the day 60% of the points in this league are coming from tries and, while a kickers contribution may be crucial in individual matches, there is no one kicker driving their team consistently to glory. 

Leading Try Scorers

The leading try scorers, to date, are as follows.

PlayerClubTRIESPeter CromieBanbridge6Rhys O’DonnellBallynahinch5Andrew EllisNaas5Jack KeatingOld Belvedere5Connor SmythBallymena4Darragh CorbettBuccaneers4Andrew SmythCity of Armagh4Fionn HigginsNaas4Penalty TrySt Mary’s College4

Again there looks to be no real correlation between individual try scoring feats and overall team performances. At the start of the season the likes of Peter Cromie (Banbridge) and Andrew Ellis (Naas) seemed to be driving their teams to the top of the table but that has been somewhat reversed of late. 

In short, and unsurprisingly, winning or losing comes down to team performances rather than relying on individuals so below, we have a look at the individual teams and what they need to do to push on to glory! 

[accordions][accordion title=”ST MARY’S COLLEGE DETAILED STATS” load=”hide”]

ST MARY’S COLLEGE  

Longest winning run – 3 matchesLongest losing run – 2 matchesPoints % Home – 100%Points % Away – 20% Points % All – 56%

Team
WK1
WK2
WK3
WK4
WK5
WK6
WK7
WK8
WK9
PTS
%W

St Mary’s College
HWB
AL
AL
HWB
ALB
HWB
AW
HWB
AL
25
56%

 

Source of points.

St Mary’s College
Total
Per Match

Points scored
214
24

Tries
26
2.9

Conversions
21 (81%)
2.3

Penalties and Drop Goals
14
1.6

Points conceded
192
21

St Mary’s College sit top of the league courtesy of their home form and points scored.

The south Dublin side have turned Templeville Road into a fortress with bonus point wins in their four home games so far this season. These big home wins have contributed towards making St Mary’s the highest try scorers in the league and they also have the highest number of individual scorers. They are also maximising their return for thier efforts with a good try conversion rate of 81%

Despite their outstanding home form they have failed to pick up any match points in three away games and have the joint worst away form in the league. They are also in the top four of points conceded 

With five home games to come their aim will be to build on thier home form and look to pick up more points on the road. 

Scorers to date.

Player
Club
T
C
P
DG
Tot

Conor Dean
St Mary’s College
1
12
10
0
59

Penalty Try
St Mary’s College
4
4
0
0
28

Sean Kearns
St Mary’s College
1
4
3
1
25

Miles Carey
St Mary’s College
3
0
0
0
15

Cormac Foley
St Mary’s College
2
0
0
0
10

Hugo Conway
St Mary’s College
2
0
0
0
10

Mark Fogarty
St Mary’s College
2
0
0
0
10

Richard Halpin
St Mary’s College
2
0
0
0
10

Craig Kennedy
St Mary’s College
1
0
0
0
5

Dave Fanagan
St Mary’s College
1
0
0
0
5

David Aspil
St Mary’s College
1
0
0
0
5

Liam Corcoran
St Mary’s College
1
0
0
0
5

Liam Curran
St Mary’s College
1
0
0
0
5

Marcus O’Driscoll
St Mary’s College
1
0
0
0
5

Nick McCarthy
St Mary’s College
1
0
0
0
5

Ronan Winters
St Mary’s College
1
0
0
0
5

Tim McMahon
St Mary’s College
1
0
0
0
5

Ruairi Shields
St Mary’s College
0
1
0
0
2

Total
18
26
21
13
1
214

[/accordion]

[accordion title=”CITY OF ARMAGH DETAILED STATS” load=”hide”]

CITY OF ARMAGH

Longest winning run – 2 matchesLongest losing run – 1 matchPoints % Home – 70%Points % Away – 44%Points % All – 56%

Team
WK1
WK2
WK3
WK4
WK5
WK6
WK7
WK8
WK9
PTS
%W

City of Armagh
HLB
AD
HWB
AL
AW
HW
ALB
HW
AW
25
56%

Source of points.

City of Armagh
Total
Per Match

Points scored
148
16

Tries
18
2.0

Conversions
13 (61%)
1.4

Penalties and Drop Goals
12
1.3

Points conceded
126
14

 

Armagh sit in second place in the league thanks to their solid defence, which has conceded the fewest number of points in the league. 

They are in the bottom three of the league for points scored, and finding the try line has been a problem given their usually high levels of territory and possession. Their conversion rate (61%) is the second worst in the league.

However, they are an incredibly hard working side and play for each other. They have only lost one game at home and have the second best away record in the league picking up eleven match points on the road. 

They will be very pleased with the start to their first season in AIL1B and if they can improve their attack and conversion rate, to add a few bonus points to those wins, they should be there or there about at the end of the season. 

Scorers to date

Player
Club
T
C
P
DG
Tot

Cormac Fox
City of Armagh
0
9
8
0
42

Ryan Purvis
City of Armagh
2
1
4
0
24

Andrew Smyth
City of Armagh
4
0
0
0
20

Andrew Willis
City of Armagh
3
0
0
0
15

Penalty Try
City of Armagh
1
1
0
0
7

Chris Colvin
City of Armagh
1
0
0
0
5

Gerard Treanor
City of Armagh
1
0
0
0
5

Josh McKinley
City of Armagh
1
0
0
0
5

Nigel Simpson
City of Armagh
1
0
0
0
5

Peter Lamb
City of Armagh
1
0
0
0
5

Peter Starrett
City of Armagh
1
0
0
0
5

Robby Whitten
City of Armagh
1
0
0
0
5

Tim McNiece
City of Armagh
1
0
0
0
5

Totals
13
18
11
12
0
148

[/accordion]

[accordion title=”MALONE DETAILED STATS” load=”hide”]

MALONE

Longest winning run – 3 matchesLongest losing run – 3 matchesPoints % Home – 75%Points % Away – 36%Points % All – 53%

Team
WK1
WK2
WK3
WK4
WK5
WK6
WK7
WK8
WK9
PTS
%W

Malone
AW
HW
AL
HWB
AW
HWB
AL
HLB
ALB
24
53%

 

Source of points.

Malone
Total
Per Match

Points scored
177
20

Tries
22
2.4

Conversions
14 (64%)
1.6

Penalties and Drop Goals
13
1.4

Points conceded
141
16

One of the teams that will be glad to see the Christmas break. After week six Malone had a 73% win rate, but that has dropped to 53% following three successive defeats. 

They are a team that are heavily influenced by Ulster releases and their form seems to swing dramatically. 

Having said that their home form has seen them pick up 75% of the available points and their away form is reasonable at 36% so it’s not major changes were talking about. They have the second best defensive record in the league and have the highest positive differential between points scored and conceded. 

An increase in their kicking percentage (currently 64%) might be enough to see them over the line in a few more matches. 

Scorers to date

Player
Club
T
C
P
DG
Tot

Rory Campbell
Malone
2
9
7
0
49

Callum Smith
Malone
1
1
4
0
19

Ben McCaughey
Malone
3
0
0
0
15

Jack Milligan
Malone
0
3
2
0
12

David Irvine
Malone
2
0
0
0
10

David McMaster
Malone
2
0
0
0
10

Josh Pentland
Malone
2
0
0
0
10

Peter Cooper
Malone
2
0
0
0
10

Penalty Try
Malone
1
1
0
0
7

Adam McBurney
Malone
1
0
0
0
5

Dan Kerr
Malone
1
0
0
0
5

Matthew Agnew
Malone
1
0
0
0
5

Matthew Hadden
Malone
1
0
0
0
5

Michael Shields
Malone
1
0
0
0
5

Nathan Brown
Malone
1
0
0
0
5

Ryan Clarke
Malone
1
0
0
0
5

Total
16
22
14
13
0
177

[/accordion]

[accordion title=”BALLYNAHINCH DETAILED STATS” load=”hide”]

BALLYNAHINCH

Longest winning run – 2 matchesLongest losing run – 1 matchPoints % Home – 75%Points % Away – 36%Points % All – 53%

Team
WK1
WK2
WK3
WK4
WK5
WK6
WK7
WK8
WK9
PTS
%W

Ballynahinch
AL
HD
AWB
HWB
AL
HW
AW
AL
HW
24
53%

 

Source of points.

Ballynahinch
Total
Per Match

Points scored
179
20

Tries
22
2.4

Conversions
12 (55%)
1.3

Penalties and Drop Goals
15
1.7

Points conceded
168
19

 

On the face of it Ballynahinch have very similar headline stats to those of Malone but their swings have been more on a match by match basis rather than extended runs of wins or losses. 

They have struggled to pick up bonus points of any description, their try conversion rate appears to be a problem, being the worst in the league at 55%. They are scoring tries but not maximising their points which has left them short a few bonus points. 

As with Malone and Armagh,  Hinch need to look at their kicking percentage but perhaps with a bit more urgency!

Scorers to date.

Player
Club
T
C
P
DG
Tot

Hilton Gibbons
Ballynahinch
0
8
4
0
28

Peter Nelson
Ballynahinch
0
3
7
0
27

Rhys O’Donnell
Ballynahinch
5
0
0
0
25

Richard Reaney
Ballynahinch
3
1
1
0
20

James Simpson
Ballynahinch
3
0
0
0
15

Aaron Cairns
Ballynahinch
2
0
0
0
10

Campbell Classon
Ballynahinch
2
0
0
0
10

Ross Adair
Ballynahinch
2
0
0
0
10

Johnny McPhillips
Ballynahinch
0
0
3
0
9

Bradley Luney
Ballynahinch
1
0
0
0
5

Callum McLaughlin
Ballynahinch
1
0
0
0
5

Conor Piper
Ballynahinch
1
0
0
0
5

Rory Butler
Ballynahinch
1
0
0
0
5

Zack McCall
Ballynahinch
1
0
0
0
5

Totals
14
22
12
15
0
179

[/accordion]

[accordion title=”NAAS DETAILED STATS” load=”hide”]

NAAS

Longest winning run – 2 matchesLongest losing run – 4 matchesPoints % Home – 48%Points % Away – 55%Points % All – 51%

Team
WK1
WK2
WK3
WK4
WK5
WK6
WK7
WK9
WK8
PTS
%W

Naas
AWB
HWB
HLB
AWB
HWB
AL
HL
ALB
HLB
23
51%

 

Source of points.

Naas
Total
Per Match

Points scored
185
21

Tries
24
2.7

Conversions
16 (67%)
1.8

Penalties and Drop Goals
11
1.2

Points conceded
159
18

 

Naas will probably feel that they have completed two seasons already such has been their switch in form. They had an 84% point pick up after Week 5 but now they are on the worst run of form in the league with four consecutive losses. 

They currently have the second worst home record in the league and are one of only two sides with a home points return less than 50%.  However, their away form is the best in the league and they’ve picked up 55% of the available points on the road.

Quite simply, they need to make Fournaughts a tougher place to visit. 

Scorers to date

Player
Club
T
C
P
DG
Tot

Peter Osborne
Naas
3
16
9
0
74

Andrew Ellis
Naas
5
0
0
0
25

Fionn Higgins
Naas
4
0
0
0
20

Peter Hastie
Naas
1
0
2
0
11

Johne Murphy
Naas
2
0
0
0
10

Max Whittingham
Naas
2
0
0
0
10

Andy Ellis
Naas
1
0
0
0
5

Cathal Duff
Naas
1
0
0
0
5

Fionn Carr
Naas
1
0
0
0
5

Paul Monaghan
Naas
1
0
0
0
5

Paulie Tolofua
Naas
1
0
0
0
5

Pierce Dargan
Naas
1
0
0
0
5

Richard Fahy
Naas
1
0
0
0
5

Total
13
24
16
11
0
185

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