Report | Munster Girls Schools Cup Finals Day

There was plenty of excitement in Musgrave Park on Wednesday with the inaugural Munster Schools Girls Junior Cup and Senior Cup finals taking place.

In the Junior Cup, Limerick’s Ardscoil Mhuire emerged victorious over St Anne’s Community College on a 17-7 scoreline while in the Senior Cup, St Anne’s Community College edged out Bandon Grammar School 22-19.

Please find the respective match reports below:

Munster Schools Girls Junior Cup

St Anne’s Community College 7 – 17 Ardscoil Mhuire 

In what was a tight, tense affair throughout Ardscoil Mhuire emerged victorious on a final scoreline of 17-7.

The opening 30 minutes was mostly played between the 10m lines with both defences firmly on top with a number of vital breakdown turnovers secured on both sides.

In those early stages, Katie Hehir at inside centre impressed for Ardscoil Mhuire while Lauren Dowling produced some strong carries for St Anne’s.

It was St Anne’s Community College who came the closest to opening the scoring when Natasha Crotty made a scything break through midfield. The centre looked to have won the race to the line but Ardscoil Mhuire’s Aoife Grimes made an incredible last-ditch tackle to deny St Anne’s.

Munster Rugby Schools Women’s Junior Cup Final, Musgrave Park, Cork 30/3/2022
St. Anne’s Community College vs Ardscoil Mhuire
St. Anne’s Tuathla Ryan and Lucia Te Pou of Ardscoil Mhuire
Mandatory Credit ©INPHO/Ryan Byrne

At the start of the second half, it was Grimes again who made a brilliant intervention but this time she crossed for her side’s and the game’s opening try in the corner. The conversion was unsuccessful as the Limerick school took a 5-0 lead.

St Anne’s Community College hit back immediately with a try from prop Amy Lynch. Charlie Dillon’s successful conversion saw them take a 7-5 lead.

A great break from Ardscoil Mhuire’s Hana Hehir saw play brought deep into the St Anne’s half and a follow up carry from Katie Hehir provided the front foot ball for Orlaith Grimes to cross the line.

The conversion was wide of the posts as Ardscoil Mhuire took a narrow 10-7 lead.

The Corbally school made sure of the result when the excellent Aoife Grimes crossed for her second try.

Lucia Te Pou, younger sister of Munster’s Aaliyah, kicked the conversion to secure a 17-7 win for Ardscoil Mhuire.

St Anne’s Community College: Aoife Coleman, Sarah McNamara, Sophie O’Neill, Natasha Crotty, Hannah O’Shaughnessy, Charlie Dillon, Grace Dillon, Amy Lynch, Jessica Duggan, Tuathla Ryan, Lauren Dowling, Emily Darcy, Alana McKeogh, Aoibhe Slevin, Siobhan McMahon.

Replacements: Lily Power, Megan Meek, Paige Keogh, Emer Gilmartin, Isobel Quinn, Ellie Hennelly, Clodagh Ryan, Lucy Pearl.

Ardscoil Mhuire: Lucia Te Pou, Chelsea O’Connell, Alex Carew, Katie Hehir, Amy Long, Hana Hehir, Orlaith Grimes, Sophie Bowen, Amber Foley, Katie Ryan, Lauren Bailey, Emma Griffin, Jodi Ellis, Abbi Flanagan, Aoife Grimes.

Replacements: Chelsea Lee Troy, Rachel Laffan, Jodie O’Donnell, Lauren Tobin, Aisling Coffey, Faye Benson.

Munster Schools Girls Senior Cup

Bandon Grammar School 19 – 22 St Anne’s Community College

Bandon Grammar School dominated the opening quarter of this game but some determined St Anne’s defence kept the West Cork school out on numerous occasions.

Out-half Lucia Linn, who was recently called into an U18 Ireland training squad, was at the centre of all of Bandon’s positive play in those early stages.

For St Anne’s, Ella Joslin was hugely influential and as she grew into the game, so did her team.

Despite being under the pump for a lot of the first half, St Anne’s came very close to scoring the opening try with some close range carries just metres out from the Bandon line.

However, a quick turnover saw Niamh Hudson emerge with the ball as she sprinted over 90m to cross for the game’s opening try under the St Anne’s posts.

Munster Rugby Schools Girls Senior Cup Final, Musgrave Park, Cork 30/3/2022
Bandon Grammar School vs St. Anne’s Community College
Bandon’s Niamh Hudson breaks free to score the first try of the game
Mandatory Credit ©INPHO/Ryan Byrne

Megan O’Callaghan’s conversion was successful as the Cork school took a 7-0 lead.

With half-time approaching, St Anne’s continued to grow into the game and it was Joslin’s carries proving difficult for Bandon to handle. In fact, the flanker got her side back into the game with a well-worked try.

With the conversion unsuccessful, Bandon held onto a narrow 7-5 lead but St Anne’s then took the lead when Eibhlis Coleman showed her pace to get over in the corner.

The conversion was unsuccessful as St Anne’s took a 10-7 lead into the break.

Bandon started the second half like they did the first, on the front foot. This pressure eventually told as Aisling O’Morain crossed for her side’s second try. The conversion was wide of the posts as Bandon took a 12-10 lead.

A good half break from Zoe Loughran got St Anne’s good go-forward ball. Soon after, a number of close range carries had the Bandon defence under pressure before out-half Grainne Mahony spotted a gap to cross for a crucial try. The out-half converted her own try to give St Anne’s a 17-12 lead.

That St Anne’s lead didn’t last long as scrum-half O’Morain showed superb pace on the outside to score her second try. O’Callaghan’s conversion sailed through the posts as Bandon went into a 19-17 lead entering the final minutes of the game.

In the final moments of the game, Joslin came up with another crucial try which put St Anne’s into 22-19 lead.

Bandon Grammar School attacked in the final few seconds but St Anne’s managed to secure a turnover and with that, the Munster Schools Girls Senior Cup.

Munster Rugby Schools Women’s Senior Cup Final, Musgrave Park, Cork 30/3/2022
Bandon Grammar School vs St. Anne’s Community College
St. Anne’s Community College celebrate with the trophy
Mandatory Credit ©INPHO/Ryan Byrne

Bandon Grammar School: Niamh Hudson, Kate Kenneally, Ella Kingston, Isabelle Grogan, Amelie von Laffert, Lucia Linn, Aisling O’Morain, Kellie-Anna Lynch, Ciara Graham, Holly Pigott, Madison Claydon, Sarah Shannon, Caoimhe White, Megan Collinson, Megan O’Callaghan.

Replacements: Aoife O’Sullivan, Eve Cave, Sofia Subires-Tang, Lily von Guionneau, Beth MacCarthy, Muireann Creswell, Sara Relja, Isobel Jacobs.

St Anne’s Community College: Zoe Loughran, Patricia Mcwey, Eibhlis Coleman, Fionnuala O’Rahilly, Poppy McNamara, Grainne Mahony, Anna Hanly, Sarah McEvoy, Alice Walsh, Edie Reynolds, Maeve O’Brien, Ellie McEvoy, Roisin Mockler, Ella Joslin, Hayley Byrnes, Karen O’Mahony.

Replacements: Siobhan Coakley, Amy Reilly, Ciara Fitzgibbon, Caoimhe Maguire.