Garryowen will face high-flying Cork Constitution in the January 30th final of the AIB Cup at Dubarry Park, with the trophy destined to rest in Munster once again.
The 2007 AIB Cup champions Garryowen, who are currently bottom of AIB League Division 1A, showed their cup form had not deserted them as half-backs Willie Staunton and Conor Murray drove them to a deserved win over Dolphin last Saturday at Musgrave Park on a scoreline of 16-9.
Garryowen were superb in both attack and defence, putting in tackle after tackle with the likes of Paul Neville, Ed Mackey and Anthony Kavanagh competing for every ball.
The victory, coming seven days after Garryowen’s gritty league win over UL Bohs under the Thomond Park floodlights, has Paul Cunningham’s men just 80 minutes away from an AIB Cup success.
Last season’s winners, Ballynahinch from County Down, have been the only non-Munster champions in the AIB Cup’s five-year history.
The climax of the AIB Cup and AIB Junior Cup competitions have been handed a double header date on Saturday, January 30 with the two finals scheduled to be held at Dubarry Park, Athlone, the home of Buccaneers RFC.
