Limerick players inspire Munster to claim Women’s Interprovincial Championship

MUNSTER retained the Vodafone Women’s Interprovincial Championship title after scoring an impressive 50-24 bonus point victory over Connacht at the Sportsground on Saturday.

Niamh Briggs’ Munster charges completed a clean sweep of bonus point victories in the competition, becoming back-to-back champions for the first time since 2015 – and their all-international back row, led by number 8 Nic a Bháird, was again in terrific form.

Three first-half tries set Munster on their way as Alana McInerney, Clodagh O’Halloran and Deirbhile Nic a Bháird all dotted down in the opening 40 minutes.

Munster led 19-5 at half-time.

On the resumption of the second half, Róisín Ormond crossed for Munster’s fourth try which mathematically secured the title before a brace from Eilís Cahill and tries from Rachel Allen and Heather Kennedy secured the win.

CONNACHT: Mairéad Coyne (Galwegians RFC); Ava Ryder (Railway Union RFC), Orla Dixon (Galwegians RFC), Shannon Touhey (Suttonians RFC), Clara Barrett (UL Bohemian RFC); Nicole Fowley (Galwegians RFC), Mary Healy (Galwegians RFC) (capt); Grainne O’Loughlin (Railway Union RFC), Lily Brady (UL Bohemian RFC), Laura Feely (Blackrock College RFC), Fiona Scally (Galwegians RFC), Eva McCormack (UL Bohemian RFC), Karly Tierney (Tuam/Oughterard RFC), Kayla Waldron (Galwegians RFC), Grace Browne Moran (Galwegians RFC). Replacements used: Niamh O’Grady (Galwegians RFC) for O’Loughlin (48 mins), Sonia McDermott (Railway Union RFC) for McCormack (50), Mollie Starr (Galway Corinthians RFC) for Browne Moran, Éabha Nic Dhonnacha (Tuam/Oughterard RFC) for Ryder (both 58), Emily Gavin (Galwegians RFC) for Brady (59), Olivia Haverty (Galwegians RFC) for Healy (61), Hannah Coen (Galwegians RFC) for Feely, Orla Fenton (Galwegians RFC) for Waldron (both 67).

MUNSTER: Aoife Corey (UL Bohemian RFC); Aoife Doyle (Railway Union RFC), Stephanie Nunan (UL Bohemian RFC), Kate Flannery (UL Bohemian RFC), Alana McInerney (UL Bohemian RFC); Nicole Cronin (UL Bohemian RFC) (capt), Muirne Wall (UL Bohemian RFC); Róisín Ormond (Ballincollig RFC), Kate Sheehan (UL Bohemian RFC), Fiona Reidy (UL Bohemian RFC), Clodagh O’Halloran (UL Bohemian RFC), Claire Bennett (UL Bohemian RFC), Dorothy Wall (Blackrock College RFC), Maeve Óg O’Leary (Blackrock College RFC), Deirbhile Nic a Bháird (Old Belvedere RFC). Replacements used: Chloe Pearse (UL Bohemian RFC) for Nic a Bháird (half-time), Nic a Bháird for Sheehan (50-69), Eilís Cahill (UL Bohemian RFC) for Reidy (52), Rachel Allen (UL Bohemian RFC) for Flannery, Ciara Farrell (UL Bohemian RFC) for Ormond (both 58), Gillian Coombes (Ballincollig RFC) for Bennett, Heather Kennedy (Ballincollig RFC) for Corey (both 61), Stephanie Carroll (Railway Union RFC) for Nunan, Sarah Garrett (UL Bohemian RFC) for O’Halloran (both 63).

REFEREE: Paul O’Connor (IRFU)