Leinster Women Include Kenny And Short For Munster Clash
Full-back Maria Kenny and flanker Juliet Short are the two changes in personnel for Leinster’s showdown with title holders Munster in the final round of the IRFU Women’s Interprovincial Championship at Donnybrook on Saturday (kick-off 2.30pm).
Old Belvedere’s Maria Kenny comes in at full-back, joining Eimear Corri and Katie Fitzhenry, who ran in two tries against Ulster, in the back-three.
Ciara Cooney’s absence in the back row sees her Railway Union club-mate Juliet Short promoted from the bench to start at openside flanker, with captain Carmela Morey from Blackrock moving to the blindside berth.
The rest of Leinster’s starting line-up is unchanged from their very impressive 46-0 bonus point success against Ulster at Donnybrook, the venue for this weekend’s Interpro decider.
Nora Stapleton is still sidelined with a back injury, so Hannah Tyrrell continues in the number 10 jersey and she will face her Ireland Sevens team-mate, Munster’s Claire Keohane, in an intriguing out-half duel.
Adam Griggs’ Leinster side are second in the table heading into the final round, just two points behind Munster with third-placed Connacht, who host bottom side Ulster, also still having a mathematical chance of being crowned champions.
Portlaoise flyer Corri, who is enjoying her first experience of the senior Interpros, told Midlands 103: “It was great to bounce back against Ulster, we’ve been training hard and things really clicked for us (last Saturday). Now we’ve another home game so hopefully that will work to our advantage.
“We’re hoping that a lot of people come out this weekend and support us (against Munster) – it’ll be a really good game. It’s all to play for, we want to fight for it and hopefully we can bring the title back to Leinster.
“Munster are defending champions, they have a lot of internationals and will be coming out all guns blazing. We want to do the same, you always want to see how your plays work under pressure, against a team that is two from two. We’ll just try to play our best and bring everything we can to the game.”
LEINSTER WOMEN (v Munster): Maria Kenny (Old Belvedere); Eimear Corri (Blackrock), Jenny Murphy (Old Belvedere), Michelle Claffey (Blackrock), Katie Fitzhenry (Blackrock); Hannah Tyrrell (Old Belvedere), Ailsa Hughes (Railway Union); Lindsay Peat (Railway Union), Jennie Finlay (Railway Union), Joanna Mahon (Blackrock), Marie Louise Reilly (Old Belvedere), Susan Fogarty (Railway Union), Carmela Morey (Blackrock) (capt), Juliet Short (Railway Union), Paula Fitzpatrick (St. Mary’s).
Replacements: Caoimhe Molloy (Gorey), Cliodhna Moloney (Railway Union), Fiona O’Brien (Old Belvedere), Katie Norris (Blackrock), Kate McCarthy (Railway Union), Niamh Griffin (Blackrock), Niamh Byrne (Railway Union), Meaghan Kenny (Navan).
LEINSTER WOMEN – INTERPRO FIXTURES/RESULTS:
Saturday, December 3: Connacht Women 8 Leinster Women 5, Tuam RFC
Saturday, December 10: Leinster Women 46 Ulster Women 0, Donnybrook
Saturday, December 17: Leinster Women v Munster Women, Donnybrook, 2.30pm
IRFU Women’s Interpros Fixtures/Results/Table