Energia Women’s All-Ireland League: Round 9 Results

Galwegians put in a massive performance to see off Old Belvedere 19-10 in their first Energia Women’s All-Ireland League outing of 2020 at Crowley Park. Orla Dixon scored a hat-trick while two of the outside centre’s tries were converted by Nicole Fowley to ensure that Belvo went home empty handed.

The visitors were missing top-scorer Alison Miller and short on bench options and it was Vanessa Hullon’s try that kept them in contention in the first half.

Fraser Gow gave debuts to two players in the second half. Elizabeth McNicholas graduated from underage to senior interpro ranks with Connacht in 2018, but this was her first appearance in senior club rugby having played previously with Shannon and Tuam. Nikki Kennedy meanwhile is a New Zealander who had played with UCD‘s freshers side in 2019. With a turnover of 13 players this season, the duo’s ability to help see out the game will be another boost to ‘Wegians, who move up to seventh.

UL Bohemian made it 44 points from a possible 45 after nine games with a 31-26 win at home to Railway Union. The game also tees up a Women’s AIL Cup Semi-Final between the same two sides next Saturday.

It was a tight affair between the league’s two runaway teams with Bohs’ breakthrough coming from rookie Alana McInerney after 12 minutes.

The Ireland Women’s squad spent the weekend in camp in Wales, leaving both sides without their international contingent. Railway made seven changes to their starting line-out but Limerick woman Steph Carroll had them back into contention after 30 minutes.

Tries from Orla Curtin and Niamh Kavanagh either side of half-time gave UL Bohs the margin they needed to hold out. Railway bagged the last two tries of the game to secure two bonus points from their trip to Limerick.

Daniel Allen has taken over the reins at Cooke in the Energia Women’s All-Ireland League, but a frozen pitch prevented the new Head Coach from officially stepping up to the touch line this afternoon. Shaw’s Bridge failed a pitch inspection meaning Cooke and Suttonians will have to wait for their key tussle in the race for playoff spots.

Allen is taking over from Joe McTaggert who is stepping back from the role due to work commitments.

“I think the short term goals will be to try and hit that top four spot,” Allen told Irish Rugby TV in Belfast. “I think our prominent focus will be looking at next season and the season after that and seeing if we can break into that top three and top two. We’ve got to be patient and put a solid foundation in place to make sure that happens.”

You can head more from the Head Coach in the below video.

Blackrock College capitalised on the cancelled game by taking all five points on offer at home to Malone. Niamh Fitzgerald’s side won 33-12 but the half-time score of 7-7 is a fairer reflection of how close the game was. Neve Jones got the visitors’ first score while Sara Houston came off the bench for the second. Blackrock showed their scoring depth with a try for replacement Orla Molloy. Caoimhe Molloy also crossed with the rest of the tries coming from the back three of Natasja Behan, Ray Lawless and Aisling Brosnan. 

Sunday January 19 2020

BLACKROCK COLLEGE 33 MALONE 12, Stradbrook
Scorers: Blackrock: Tries: Caoimhe Molloy, Aisling Brosnan, Ray Lawless, Orla Molloy, Natasja Behan ;
Con: Lisa Mullen 4;
Malone: Tries: Neve Jones, Sara Houston; Con: Alexa Grudgings.
HT: Blackrock 7 Malone 7

BLACKROCK COLLEGE: 15 Natasja Behan, 14 Ray Lawless, 13 Ciara Scanlan, 12 Valerie Power, 11 Aisling Brosnan, 10 Lisa Mullen, 9 Laura Delaney, 1 Christina Haney, 2 AnnMarie Rooney, 3 Caoimhe Molloy, 4 Aoife Browne, 5 Jenni Burke, 6 Maeve Og O’Leary, 7 Alison Coleman, 8 Meadbh Scally,
Replacements: 17 Mairead Coughlan, 19 Hannah Woods, 20 Roisin Crowe, 21 Orla Molloy, 22 Rosie Newton

MALONE: 15 Ella Durkan, 14 Jill Stephens, 13 Olivia Andrews, 12 Peita McAlister, 11 Anna Stanfield, 10 Alexa Grudgings, 9 Jenna Stewart, 1 Sarah Murphy, 2 Neve Jones, 3 Gemma McCamley, 4 Naomi McCord, 5 Chloe McIlwaine, 6 Eimear Hagan, 7 Shirelle Wilson, 8 Lauren Maginnes,
Replacements: 16 Ashleigh Currie, 17 Brogain NiChiarrain, 18 Sara Houston, 19 Jasmine Ward, 20 Shauneen Fitzpatrick, 21 Aoife Cahill

GALWEGIANS 19 OLD BELVEDERE 10, Crowley Park
Scorers: Galwegians: Tries: Orla Dixon 3; Con: Nicole Fowley 2;
Old Belvedere: Tries: Vanessa Hullon, Aoife Byrne. 
HT: Galwegians 7 Old Belvedere 5

GALWEGIANS: 15 Julie Lyons, 14 Chloe Mc Crann, 13 Orla Dixon, 12 Ina Butler, 11 Emma Keane, 10 Nicole Fowley, 9 Mary Healy, 1 Ellen Connelly, 2 Lisa Anglim, 3 AnnMarie O’Hora, 4 Fiona Farrell, 5 Celia Killilea, 6 Sabina Egan, 7 Tara Bugggie, 8 Dearbhla Canty.
Replacements: 16 Tracy Lawlor, 17 Sarah Heenan, 18 Elizabeth Mc Nicholas, 19 Cathriona Shally, 20 Andrea Donnellan, 21 Caoimhe Harte, 22 Nikki Kennedy, 23 Camille Lassalle.

OLD BELVEDERE: 15 Fiona Tuite, 14 Alba Marlasca, 13 Grace Miller, 12 Elise O’Byrne White, 11 Vanessa Hullon, 10 Aine Donnelly, 9 Aoife Byrne, 1 Melissa Hayden, 2 Katie Layde, 3 Rose Alice Murphy, 4 Pamela Bellerose, 5 Janice Carroll, 6 Allanah Rogers, 7 Franzi Klappoth, 8 Jenny Murphy.
Replacements: 16 Emma Lackey, 17 Maz Reilly.

Cancelled: Cooke v Suttonians, Shaw’s Bridge

Saturday January 18, 2020

UL BOHEMIAN 31 RAILWAY UNION 26, University of Limerick
Scorers: UL Bohemian: Tries: Alana McInerney, Orla Curtin, Niamh Kavanagh, Edel Murphy, Fiona Reidy; Con: Nicole Fitzgerald 3
Railway Union: Tries: Stephanie Carroll, Niamh Byrne, Lisa Callan, Aoife O’Shaughnessy; Con: Nicole Caughey 3
HT: UL Bohemian 12 Railway Union 7

UL BOHEMIAN: 15 Erin Coll, 14 Laura O’Mahony, 13 Stephanie Nunan, 12 Niamh Kavanagh, 11 Alana McInerney, 10 Nicole Fitzgerald, 9 Helen McDermott, 1 Chloe Pearse, 2 Orla Curtin, 3 Fiona Reidy, 4 Ciara O’Halloran, 5 Claire Bennett, 6 Clodagh O’Halloran, 7 Edel Murphy, 8 Sarah Quin.
Replacements: 16 Shelley Ring, 17 Aoife O’Sullivan, 18 Sarah Garrett, 19 Lily Brady, 20, Emma Doolan 21 Niamh O’Niell, 22 Aoife Corey

RAILWAY UNION: 15 Larissa Muldoon, 14 Stephanie Carroll, 13 Niamh Byrne, 12 Amanda McQuade, 11 Cliodhna O’Connor, 10 Nicole Caughey, 9 Molly Scuffil McCabe, 1 Grainne O’Loughlin, 2 Lisa Callan, 3, Aoife Moore, 4 Heather Carey, 5 Sonia Mc Dermott, 6, 7 Deirdre Roberts, 8 Daisy Earle.
Replacements: 16 Aimee Clarke, 17 Claire Coombes, 18 Molly Boyne, 19 Aoife O’Shaughnessy, 20 Emer O’Mahony, 22 Kate McCarthy