Clontarf eased past USI 61 to 15 in the All-Ireland League on Saturday, a result that keeps the hosts top of the table after three rounds. The visitors had carried similar form into the fixture, sitting fourth with two wins and one defeat, but the gap between them widened considerably.
By then the pattern was clear from the opening exchanges. Clontarf scored early and often, while USI struggled to find any rhythm in attack or defence. The final tally of 61 points suggests a one-sided affair, and to be fair, the scoreline told the truth of the contest.
Clontarf now sit on 11 points with a better points difference, having opened a two-point cushion over their nearest challengers. USI remain on 10 points but face a tougher run of fixtures if they hope to climb.
Both sides came into this weekend with identical records — two victories and one loss — but the quality of their previous results separated them. Clontarf had lost narrowly to S Merris College 31 to 36, while USI had beaten Lansdowne 43 to 26 and Ballynallynch 39 to 24.
The visitors have not beaten Clontarf since 2022, when they lost 35 to 17 at this same ground. That history between them adds an edge to any encounter, but on this occasion the old advantage felt like a distant memory.
Clontarf have kept their momentum going, and the result means they are running out of games to make mistakes if they want to challenge for the title. USI will need to find something quickly — one mistake ends it when you are playing against a side that throws everything at it.
