The original fixture may have been postponed due to awful weather conditions, but Sunday’s reschedule Women’s All-Ireland League clash between Railway Union and UL Bohemians promises to brew up its own type of storm, writes Michael Gallagher.
WOMEN’S ALL-IRELAND LEAGUE: Sunday, November 26
RAILWAY UNION (2nd) v UL BOHEMIANS (1st), Park Avenue, 1pm
UL Bohs, the defending champions and table toppers, travel to their nearest challengers for a mouth-watering meeting between two highly-accomplished and free-scoring squads.
Both sides have been unbeaten all season but Railway Union’s strength-in-depth will be well tested this weekend with ten of their players selected to play for Ireland at the Dubai Sevens tournament, however the Dubliners can still name a formidable side for the visit of UL.
Teenager Daisy Earle, a standout player in Railway’s victory against Cooke last week, has been called up to the Ireland Sevens Development squad for Dubai, replacing her club colleague Chloe Blackmore who injured an ankle at training earlier this week.
In Earle’s absence, Ireland’s Ciara Cooney reverts to number 8 with Siobhan McCarthy coming into the second row. Emma Taylor, who played for Canada against England at the Twickenham Stoop on Tuesday night, will be looking to make an impact off the bench, while veteran Shirley Corcoran takes her place at loosehead prop.
Railway captain Meg Kendal is looking forward to hosting the champions in Sandymount, stating: “Bohs have been the premier team in Ireland for many years now, perennial league winners and the club that everyone aspires to, but we’re playing well at the moment.
“Training is very sharp and we place a big premium on skills. We’re vastly improved, as a team and individually, from where we were this time last year and ‘JC’ (director of rugby John Cronin) has us playing an attacking style that suits us and that puts a lot of pressure on the opposition. We’re really looking forward to testing ourselves against the champs on Sunday.”
Meanwhile, Bohemians are relishing the prospect of taking on the Railway women according to their team manager Kate Kirby, who said: “It’s a massive game for both sides and a fixture we’ve been looking forward to for a while now.
“I’m sure it will be a high-intensity game with serious physicality. We’re well up for this game and are looking to solidify our top spot with a win on Sunday.”
Related Links –
Women’s All-Ireland League: Round 8 Review
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