Women’s Interprovincal Championship, Round 2: Connacht 12 Ulster 7; Leinster 22 Munster 33
Connacht delivered a deserved victory in the Women’s Interprovincial Championship to maintain their strong record against Ulster at Dexcom Stadium.
Having suffered a punishing 44-5 loss against Munster, Connacht were looking for redemption in their second interpro of the season, which they achieved with a superior second-half display despite losing two players to injury and having been 7-0 down at the break.
Ulster enjoyed that one-score lead courtesy of a try scored after nine minutes – their physicality making it count, having wrested control from Connacht’s early dominance.
Taking advantage of two successive penalties to lay the platform, Ulster recycled the ball twice before the powerful Siobhán Sheeran crashed through three tackles.
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Ulster dominated the next 20 minutes, save for a 16th-minute Connacht penalty. The home side failed to capitalise on the incursion into the opposition 22 after the ball was kicked dead from a penalty.
It gave Ulster momentum to force their physicality on the game and put Connacht on the back foot.
But the hosts’ defence kept their visitors out on three occasions with impressive tackling and accurate counter-rucking, and Connacht looked more dangerous following the interval, using the wind advantage well.
Camped on the line, a misplaced pass went into touch, costing them a scoring opportunity. Hannah Clarke was always threatening with ball in hand, while No 8 Jemima Adams Verling regularly powered over the gain line, yet Ulster maintained their defensive discipline to keep the home side at bay.
Connacht were not helped by the loss of Kayla Waldron, who had just returned from a leg injury that had ruled her out for more than a year. Play was halted for 10 minutes while the Railway Union outhalf was stretchered off the field.
On the resumption, good work at the breakdown from lock Poppy Garvey and Adams Verling delivered another opportunity for Connacht, but it was the introduction of Faithe Oviawe that provided the spark. After several attempts, the flanker forced her way over to score a well-deserved try, with Éabha Nic Dhonnacha adding the conversion.
It levelled the score 7-7 after 54 minutes before a scrum penalty gave Connacht chance to push for the win. From a kick to touch, they made it count – Oviawe helping prop Roisin Maher to push through for what would become the winning score. Nic Dhonnacha’s conversion was inches wide of the uprights.
Connacht, now leading 12-7, carved another try-scoring opportunity, but were held up by the Ulster pack. With the breeze behind them, Emer O’Dowd’s side continued to dominate possession and territory despite losing Emily Foley to injury, and held on for the hard-earned win.
In Dublin, Munster put themselves in pole position for a shot at the title following a business-like 33-22 win over Leinster at Energia Park.
Playing with a maturity beyond her years, 19-year-old outhalf Caitríona Finn turned in her second player-of-the-match performance in the space of a week as Munster handed the defending champions a rare home defeat.
Chisom Ugwueru’s try just before half-time, adding to a quick-fire Chloe Pearse brace either side of the 20-minute mark, had Munster leading 19-10 as they proved clinical with ball in hand.
Yellow cards for Lisa Callan and Jane Neill hampered the hosts, but that didn’t stop Kathy Baker from crossing the line in the 28th minute.
However, Matt Brown’s charges effectively sealed the result when Kate Flannery and Aoife Corey both touched down inside 12 minutes of the restart. Molly Boyne and Katie Whelan replied late on for Leinster, giving them their own bonus point.
With back-to-back bonus point victories, Munster look favourites for the final in Donnybrook in two weeks’ time.
First though, they travel to Belfast next Saturday to face Ulster (kick-off 4.15pm), while Connacht are at home to Leinster (kick-off 2.30pm).
