Women’s Interprovincial Championships: Leinster 22 Munster 33
Munster put themselves in pole position for a shot at regaining the Vodafone Women’s Interprovincial Championship 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.
READ MORE
Leinster debutant Vicky Elmes Kinlan’s dazzling opener had certainly raised the decibel level. Yellow cards for forwards Lisa Callan and Jane Neill hampered them, albeit that Kathy Baker was able to cross 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, and next Saturday’s trip to Ulster still to come, Munster look red-hot favourites for the final in Donnybrook in two weeks’ time. To set up a rematch with their arch rivals, Leinster will need to beat Connacht in Galway next week.
Scorers: Leinster: Tries: Vicky Elmes Kinlan, Kathy Baker, Molly Boyne, Katie Whelan; Con: Ellie O’Sullivan Sexton
Munster: Tries: Chloe Pearse 2, Chisom Ugwueru, Kate Flannery, Aoife Corey; Cons: Caitríona Finn 4
LEINSTER: Ellie O’Sullivan Sexton (Old Belvedere RFC); Emma Brogan (MU Barnhall RFC), Kathy Baker (Blackrock College RFC), Vicky Elmes Kinlan (Wicklow RFC), Maggie Boylan (Blackrock College RFC); Nikki Caughey (Railway Union RFC), Jade Gaffney (Old Belvedere RFC); Aoife Moore (Blackrock College RFC), Lisa Callan (Old Belvedere RFC), Katie Layde (Old Belvedere RFC), Clíodhna Ní Chonchobhair (Blackrock College RFC), Kate Jordan (Blackrock College RFC), Ciara Short (Wicklow RFC), Molly Boyne (Railway Union RFC) (capt), Jane Neill (Old Belvedere RFC).
Replacements: Kelly Burke (MU Barnhall RFC), Hannah Wilson (Old Belvedere RFC), Clodagh Dunne (Old Belvedere RFC), Alma Atagamen (Balbriggan RFC), Rosie Searle (Navan RFC), Katie Whelan (Old Belvedere RFC), Heidi Lyons (Naas RFC), Katie Corrigan (Old Belvedere RFC).
MUNSTER: Aoife Corey (UL Bohemian RFC); Órna Moynihan (Ennis RFC), Alana McInerney (UL Bohemian RFC), Stephanie Nunan (UL Bohemian RFC), Chisom Ugwueru (UL Bohemian RFC); Caitríona Finn (UL Bohemian RFC), Abbie Salter-Townshend (UL Bohemian RFC); Gráinne Burke (UL Bohemian RFC), Aoife Fleming (Ballincollig RFC), Eilís Cahill (UL Bohemian RFC), Aoibhe O’Flynn (UL Bohemian RFC), Claire Bennett (UL Bohemian RFC), Clodagh O’Halloran (UL Bohemian RFC), Maeve Óg O’Leary (Blackrock College RFC) (capt), Chloe Pearse (UL Bohemian RFC).
Replacements: Emma Dunican (Tralee RFC), Ciara McLoughlin (UL Bohemian RFC), Jane Clohessy (UL Bohemian RFC), Lily Morris (Ballincollig RFC), Deirbhile Nic a Bháird (Old Belvedere RFC), Eve Prendergast (Ballincollig RFC), Lucia Linn (UL Bohemian RFC), Kate Flannery (UL Bohemian RFC).
Referee: Siobhán Daly (IRFU)
Connacht 12 Ulster 7
Second-half tries from replacement Faith Oviawe and Roisin Maher steered a young Connacht team to a gutsy 12-7 win over Ulster at Dexcom Stadium.
With 21-year-old captain and player-of-the-match Éabha Nic Dhonnacha leading by example, Emer O’Dowd’s charges recovered from an early deficit to open their win account in this year’s Vodafone Women’s Interprovincial Championship.
Ulster’s new centre Siobhán Sheerin thundered over in the ninth minute, raising her side’s hopes of a first victory at this level in two years. They still led 7-0 after half-time, emerging unscathed from Brenda Barr’s sinbinning.
Nonetheless, with Connacht’s bench having the desired impact, forwards Oviawe and Maher scored within seven minutes of each other. In addition, Nic Dhonnacha clipped over the first conversion.
The hosts, who wore their club socks on their State of Origin day, remained on the front foot and saw out a rousing triumph, putting last week’s disappointing display against Munster to bed.
Unfortunately the hard-earned four points came at a cost for Connacht as the luckless Kayla Waldron was stretchered off in her first game since a horrific leg break in April 2024. There was a lot of concern too for Emily Foley who was taken off with an injury late on.
Ulster picked up a losing bonus point for their efforts, and will have home advantage against table toppers Munster at Affidea Stadium next Saturday. Connacht remain in Galway, with a place in the final to play for against Leinster, who are two points better off.
Scorers: Connacht: Tries: Faith Oviawe, Roisin Maher; Con: Éabha Nic Dhonnacha.
Ulster: Try: Siobhán Sheerin; Con: Siobhán Sheerin
CONNACHT: Clara Barrett (UL Bohemian RFC); Emily Foley (Galwegians RFC), Orla Dixon (Galwegians RFC), Éabha Nic Dhonnacha (UL Bohemian RFC) (capt), Hannah Clarke (Old Belvedere RFC); Kayla Waldron (Railway Union RFC), Gráinne Moran (Galwegians RFC); Hannah Coen (Creggs RFC), Lily Brady (Westport RFC/UL Bohemian RFC), Roisin Maher (Galwegians RFC), Poppy Garvey (Railway Union RFC), Grace Browne Moran (Galwegians RFC), Beibhinn Gleeson (Tuam/Oughterard RFC), Ailish Quinn (Galwegians RFC), Jemima Adams Verling (Creggs RFC).
Replacements: Stacy Hanley (Galwegians RFC), Ellen Connolly (Galwegians RFC), Hope Lowney (MU Barnhall RFC), Faith Oviawe (Railway Union RFC), Caoilfhionn Conway Morrissey (Ennis RFC), Lesley Ring (Old Belvedere RFC), Ava Ryder (Blackrock College RFC), Fódhla Ní Bhraonáin (Tuam/Oughterard RFC).
ULSTER: Kate Farrell McCabe (Suttonians RFC); Lucy Thompson (Enniskillen RFC/Cooke RFC), Siobhán Sheerin (Clogher Valley RFC), Tara O’Neill (Cooke RFC), Niamh Marley (Cooke RFC); Lauren Farrell McCabe (Suttonians RFC), Georgia Boyce (Cooke RFC); Sarah Roberts (Queen’s University Belfast RFC), Maebh Clenaghan (Queen’s University Belfast RFC), Ava Fannin (Blackrock College RFC), Lauren Darley (Queen’s University Belfast RFC), Brenda Barr (Suttonians RFC), Moya Hill (Enniskillen RFC), Ruby Starrett (Queen’s University Belfast RFC), India Daley (Enniskillen RFC/Blackrock College RFC) (capt).
Replacements: Cara McLean (Larne RFC), Megan Simpson (Cooke RFC), Sophie Barrett (Enniskillen RFC), Rebecca Beacom (Enniskillen RFC), Katie Hetherington (Clogher Valley RFC), Sophie Meeke (Enniskillen RFC), Kelly McCormill (Cooke RFC), Stacey Sloan (Cooke RFC).
Referee: John Purcell (IRFU)
