Round Up | Women’s Interpro Championship Semi-Finals

Munster Women, sponsored by Keane’s jewellers, lost out 17-20 to Connacht while Munster U18 Girls defeated Leinster 15-3 at St. Mary’s College RFC on Saturday to secure their place in the U18 Women’s Interprovincial Championship final.

Munster Women 17-20 Connacht Women 

Scorers: Munster Women: Tries: Eimear Considine, Sarah Quin; Cons: Enya Breen 2; Pen: Enya Breen
Connacht Women: Tries: Beibhinn Parsons 3, Alison Miller
HT: Munster Women 10 Connacht Women 10

Determined to show the form which saw them win 27-6 at the Sportsground last month, Munster opened the scoring with a fifth minute penalty from young centre Enya Breen, who took on the place-kicking duties for the first time for her province.

Connacht enjoyed the better territory, however, and 17-year-old starlet Parsons rode a tackle down the right wing to score in the corner. With the westerners’ scrum on top, out-half Meabh Deely had the platform to scythe through Munster’s back-line soon after. The scoring pass went out to Parsons – her team-mate from last year’s U-18 Interpro title-winning team – and Connacht suddenly led by seven points.

Munster bounced back to level this absorbing contest at 10-all before half-time, a bullet pass from Nicole Cronin exposing some narrow defending and putting co-captain Eimear Considine into space on the left wing to finish neatly in the 33rd minute.

Connacht’s indiscipline threatened to derail their game-plan during the third quarter as Laura Guest’s Reds inched closer and took the lead after 51 minutes when industrious number 8 Sarah Quin grounded the ball close to the posts.

Nonetheless, with just over a quarter of an hour mark, Parsons outfoxed Munster’s drift defence with a sharp turn to complete her hat-trick. Turning some of their best attacks into scores shows the progress being made by a Connacht squad who had only opened their try account in the last round.

Munster had possession in the final moments to try and manufacture a scoring opportunity but were met with a well-organised defence and some tenacious tackling, typified by open side Edel McMahon.

Munster Women: Eimear Considine (UL Bohemians) (co-capt); Stephanie Carroll (Railway Union), Enya Breen (UL Bohemians), Ciara Scanlan (St. Mary’s), Laura O’Mahony (UL Bohemians); Rachel Allen-Connolly (UL Bohemians), Nicole Cronin (UL Bohemians); Chloe Pearse (UL Bohemians) (co-capt), Edel Murphy (UL Bohemians), Fiona Reidy (UL Bohemians), Sarah Garrett (UL Bohemians), Clodagh O’Halloran (UL Bohemians), Grainne Fennelly (Thurles), Ciara Griffin (UL Bohemians), Sarah Quin (UL Bohemians).

Replacements: Kate Sheehan (UL Bohemians), Laura Delaney (UL Bohemians), Fiona Hayes (UL Bohemians), Claire Bennett (UL Bohemians), Christine Coffey (Thurles), Claire Keohane (Railway Union), Niamh Kavanagh (UL Bohemians).

Leinster U18 Girls 3-15 Munster U18 Girls 

Scorers: Leinster U18 Girls: Pen: Ava Jenkins
Munster U18 Girls: Tries: Chisom Ugwueru, Eilish Cahill, Alana McInerney
HT: Leinster U18 Girls 3 Munster U18 Girls 10

Our representatives for the Munster 18’s today. A try apiece for Eilish Cahill, Chisom Ugwueru and Alana McInerney. Onwards to the final next week against Ulster
Proud of our players! pic.twitter.com/0heaSV3D3F

— Ennis Rugby Club (@EnnisRugby) September 14, 2019

Munster U18 Girls: Aoife Corey (Ennis); Chisom Ugwueru (Ennis), Meabh McElligott (Listowel), Saskia Morrissey (Kilrush), Alana McInerney (Ennis); Emma Connolly (Skibbereen), Clodagh McMahon (Kilrush); Eileen Gleeson (Nenagh Ormond), Sarah Murphy (Kanturk) (capt), Erika Kiely (Carrick-on-Suir), Eilish Cahill (Ennis), Aine Enright (Listowel), Aaliyah Te Pou (Shannon), Faye Dowling (Fethard & District), Eimear Minihan (Ennis).

Replacements: Rebecca Collins (St. Mary’s), Marea Walsh (Shannon), Chloe Ann O’Driscoll (Skibbereen), Aoife Costello (St. Mary’s), Alex O’Sullivan (Skibbereen), Courtney Duhig (St. Mary’s), Marlese Flynn (Carrick-on-Suir), Abbie Salter Townsend (Skibbereen).

Fixtures Confirmed For Women’s Interprovincial Finals

Kick-off times have been confirmed for final round of the IRFU Women’s Interprovincial Championship on Saturday 21 September 2019.

MU Barnhall RFC will host the U18 Women’s Finals again with Munster and Ulster contesting the U18 Women’s Final at 2.45pm.