Women’s AIL Round-Up

UL Bohemians secured a hard-fought 15-12 victory over Railway Union last weekend as Highfield were beaten at home by Old Belvedere in Division 1 of the All Ireland League.

Results
Blackrock 5-0 St Mary's, Stradbrook
Galwegians 44-43 Cooke, Crowley Park
Railway Union 12-15 UL Bohemians, Willow Lodge
Highfield 3-24 Old Belvedere, Woodleigh Park

UL Bohs report by John Keane

The game between UL Bohs and Railway Union at Woodleigh Park got off to a lively start as the visitors, who have never beaten the Robins in the All Ireland League, had most of the early play.

UL Bohs eventually picked up the pace and began to take more control. The first score arrived in the 33rd minute when Edel Murphy kicked a penalty for the visitors. This was cancelled out two minutes later with a penalty by Nickey Caughey for Railway. Some strong attacking play by Bohs was rewarded in the final minute of the half when with a very slick movement of the backline eventually saw Aine Staunton give a beautiful pass to Irish international winger Liz Burke to run in for the first try of the game to make it 8-3 at the interval.

In the second half Railway came out of the traps and made some good ground but excellent defence by the robins prevented them from crossing the whitewash. It was into the final quarter when Railway took the lead for the first time with three penalties by Nickey Caughey on 60, 62 and 68 minutes making it 12-8 to the hosts.

As usual, Bohs did not lie down and with just two minutes left on the clock the pack were in possession and with ball in hand Anna Caplice crashed over for the crucial score. This was converted by Edel Murphy to make it 15-12 for the Robins. Railway tried hard to come back but time ran out and the final whistle came after a tough game. Despite the tight scoreline, Bohs were the better team on the day and showed true grit in attack and defence which epitomises the great character that is in the UL Bohs squad.

UL Bohs: 1. Fiona Hayes (Captain) 2. Gillian Bourke, 3. Fiona Reidy, 4. Sara Hartigan, 5. Aoife O’Sullivan, 6. Anna Caplice, 7. Edel Murphy, 8. Chloe Pearse, 9. Christine Costelloe, 10. Rachel Allen, 11. Syphonia Pua, 12 Deirbhile Nic a Bhaird, 13 Niamh Kavanagh, 14 Lizabeth Burke, 15 Aine Staunton, 16 Leah Barbour, 17, Lisa Anglim, 18, Clodagh O’Halloran, 19 Ciara Griffin, 20 Helen McDermott, 21 Mairead Kelly, 22 Kate English.

Player of the Game: Anna Caplice

Old Belvedere made it two wins on the bounce in their quest to retain their league crown. For the second week in succession, the Dubliners scored a bonus point success as they ran in four tries against Highfield in a 24-3 victory.

The wet and windy conditions at Woodleigh Park hindered the defending champions' attempts at playing an expansive and flowing style of rugby but the autumn weather could not stop Ireland winger Alison Miller.

Miller was the three-try heroine for her side with her international team-mate Sophie Spence the other try scorer for the visitors.

New signing Jackie Shiels showed her worth yet again, controlling the game at number ten. The Old Belvedere out-half demonstrated a keen peripheral vision as she constantly found space behind the Highfield defence with her searching kicks off the back of a scrum that eventually became dominant as the game wore on.

The Wild Atlantic Way provided thrills and tries galore on Sunday with Galwegians edging out Cooke by a single point (44-43) in a tense, thrilling and terrific game of rugby.

The drama heightened to a crescendo as the clock ticked away the final seconds. Cooke were leading 43-37 with a mere 60 seconds to spare but that was all the time Galwegians needed to pull victory from the fiery jaws of defeat.

Nicole Fowley touched down between the posts to leave Claire Rafferty with a seemingly simple conversion but under enormous pressure to nail the shot. Rafferty's antennae were firmly focused this time and there was no doubt about her winning kick, giving her team victory by a solitary point.

Cooke head coach Grace Davitt praised her players' tenacity in a fiercely tight contest, saying: "We were in front until the final kick of the game but it had been nip and tuck the whole way through. We would get ahead then they would come back at us.

"It felt like a cup or league final, it had that atmosphere, and after losing by two points to Galwegians in last season's All-Ireland Cup final, we feel we owe them one now."

Blackrock came out on top of a low-scoring Dublin derby against St. Mary's at Stradbrook. Scrum-half Niamh Griffin scored the only try, indeed the only points of the game, for the home team who triumped 5-0. Leinster Under-18 winger Eimear Corri, who recently starred for the Ireland Under-18 Girls Sevens team, won her first cap for Blackrock.

Round 3 Fixtures: Sunday, September 25

Kick-off 1pm unless stated –

Cooke (4th) v Blackrock (5th), Shaw's Bridge

St Mary's (7th) v Highfield (8th), Templeville Road

UL Bohemians (3rd) v Old Belvedere (1st), Annacotty

Railway Union (6th) v Galwegians (2nd), Willow Lodge, 2.30pm

Women's All Ireland League table