Munster U18 Girls Off To Winning Start

25th September 2017 By The Editor

Maggie Boylan on the attack for the Munster U18 Girls on Saturday. (c) Colbert O'Sullivan

The Munster U18 Girls got their 2017 Interprovincial campaign off to a winning start by overcoming their Leinster counterparts 17-14 in wet conditions at Ballincollig RFC on Saturday afternoon.

It was Leinster who were first to cross the whitewash on 15 minutes, but Munster’s reply was swift and were back in level terms no more than five minutes later through an Orla Curtain try and Ciara Clancy conversion.

Ireland 7s international Megan Burns struck next for Leinster and Natasja Behan’s second conversion of the game sent the visitors into the interval with a 7-14 lead.

The tit-for-tat scoring continued upon the resumption and a second try and conversion from Curtain and Clancy respectively had the sides back on level terms again.

In what was a wonderful team effort across the park in less than favourable conditions, a number of players stood out, namely Munster captain and Ireland 7s international Emily Lane who led by example at 10, the boot of Enya Breen kept the Munster-women in the right areas of the park, fullback Muirne Wall remained solid under the high ball all game, while second row Sarah Garrett was aerially astute in the lineout.

In terms of the game’s crucial score, having missed an earlier penalty, Clancy made no mistake at the second time of asking to push Munster three points ahead in the final quarter.

Eugene McCarthy’s charges held on from there to record a deserved 17-14 win over Leinster at Ballincollig RFC.

Ballinasloe is the next port of call for the Munster U18 Girls where they take on Connacht this Saturday at 3pm.

Munster U18 Girls: Muirne Wall, Maggie Boylan, Steffi Nunan, Enya Breen, Dorothy Wall; Emily Lane, Ciara Clancy; Andrea Stock, Orla Curtin, Hayley Betts; Sarah Garrett, Clare Bennett; Katylyn Fleming, Mary Hilda Hurley, Rebecca Hayes. Replacements: Annie Laffan, Caroline Downey, Sarah O’Connor, Rebecca Reilly, Sarah O’Gorman, Leah Turner, Gemma Lane, Jennifer Fogarty.