Vodafone Women’s Interpros: Round 1 – Leinster v Connacht Preview

The reverse fixture from the start of last season’s Vodafone Women’s Interprovincial Championship sees Leinster looking to avenge a rare defeat to Connacht, before taking their title defence on the road to Cork and Belfast. Tickets are available here.

VODAFONE WOMEN’S INTERPROVINCIAL CHAMPIONSHIP – ROUND 1:

Saturday, August 10 –

LEINSTER v CONNACHT, Energia Park, kick-off 4.45pm (live on TG4)

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Recent Interprovincial Form: Leinster: WLWWW; Connacht: LWLWL

Last Five Meetings: 2019: Leinster 34 Connacht 6, Energia Park; Final: Leinster 25 Connacht 12, Energia Park; 2021: Connacht 12 Leinster 17, the Sportsground; 2023: Leinster 38 Connacht 10, Energia Park; Connacht 18 Leinster 17, the Sportsground

Players To Watch Out For: Leinster: Ruth Campbell – The athletic 21-year-old lock came to prominence during last season’s Championship-winning run, putting herself into international contention. Benefitting from the recent Women’s Six Nations Summer Series, she looks set to kick on with more game-time in the blue jersey.

Connacht: Clara Barrett – Despite only making her debut in January 2023, Geesala native Barrett has quickly become an important player for Connacht. Ever-present in the back-line last season, the 20-year-old played in the centre and on the wing, and won her first Ireland cap against Colombia last October.

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Pre-Match Views: Hannah O’Connor (Leinster captain) – “It’s been a long two months of prep, so to be finally in match week, the whole group are buzzing for this one. Can’t wait for kick-off to come now.

“As captain, it’s an incredible feeling to be given the honour again by Tania (Rosser) to lead the girls, and it’s something that I don’t take for granted. It’s a big privilege for me, and my family, to be able to do it again.

“We learned a lot from last year’s game against Connacht. They hit the ground running. They’re a very good side, physical, and have experience and youth. Round one brings an unknown quantity and hopefully we’ll be definitely ready for it this time come Saturday.”

Emer O’Dowd (Connacht head coach) – “We’ve been building slowly, slowly and quietly. A little undercurrent going here. A lot of nervous excitement coming into round one, going up against the Leinster giants, but we’re in it to compete – we’re not in it to participate anymore.

“Connacht are going to Dublin to really put it up to them. Leinster came down to Galway and lost last year, they won’t want it to happen a second year in a row. With the young blood coming through, it’s a big of a nightmare for me to pick a 15 or a 23 but that’s a good thing.

“There’s no fear in it and we just want to go out and play. We’ve thrown a lot at them, a lot of detail at them. A few newcomers coming in, also new coaches involved. There’s a lot of difference from last year, but it’s a good difference.”

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Preview: Connacht were quickest out of the traps at the Sportsground twelve months ago, with a new-look team upsetting the odds to win 18-17. It is not that Leinster played badly, both Aoife Wafer and try scorer Eimear Corri certainly caught the eye.

Equally, Ireland full-back Méabh Deely shone for Connacht with two tries and a try assist, and new head coach Emer O’Dowd has the players – even if a few are only just out of the Under-18 grade – to cause problems for Leinster again.

Connacht co-captain Nicole Fowley and the new centre pairing of Ava Ryder and Éabha Nic Dhonnacha, who recently turned 20, will be hoping to get the best out of their attack, but it could be a baptism of fire up front for four players on debut.

Led by Hannah O’Connor, Leinster’s forwards will aim to take advantage – particularly a tight five which includes Linda Djougang and newly-qualified doctor Corri (pictured below) – and returning winger Ella Roberts is part of a potent-looking back-three.

Reigning champions Leinster have never lost at home to Connacht in Interprovincial action, and their only other loss in this match-up was when they went down 8-6 in Tuam eight years ago.

Despite O’Dowd rightly feeling that ‘there is something brewing in Connacht’, especially on the back of last season’s Under-18 Interpro double in 15s and Sevens, Tania Rosser’s side appear too strong across the board.

It will be interesting to see how Rosser integrates the four uncapped players among her replacements. They include Ireland Under-20 captain Jane Neill, who played in the recent Women’s Six Nations Summer Series with Connacht’s Faith Oviawe, who will bring plenty of impact off the visitors’ bench.

Sligo native Lesley Ring is another quality operator at Energia All-Ireland League level, and the Old Belvedere skipper and centurion will be a player to watch out for on her Connacht bow. Notably, seven of her ‘Belvo team-mates are in blue today.

Team News: New Connacht boss O’Dowd has handed starts to 18-year-old duo Gráinne Moran and Ella Burns on their senior debuts, as they head to the capital to take on Interprovincial title holders Leinster.

Ballina starlet Burns partners Connacht co-captain Fowley at half-back for this Donnybrook duel, while Burns, one of three Tuam/Oughterard RFC products in the starting XV, is set to pack down opposite Ireland international Djougang in the front row.

With Deely touching down in both halves, Connacht stunned Leinster into submission in Galway twelve months ago. They are missing some key players, including the injured Aoibheann Reilly and Kayla Waldron, but a number of impressive youngsters are emerging.

Backs Nic Dhonnacha, Laoise McGonagle, and Clara Barrett were part of the UL Bohemian squad that won an Energia All-Ireland League and Cup double earlier this year. Mayo youngster Ryder (pictured above) shifts to outside centre and also steps up as vice-captain.

There are four new caps in the westerners’ starting pack, including Ring at openside flanker. It is just reward for the Sligo woman who has battled back from two ACL injuries, and last season saw her become the first Women’s player to reach 100 caps for ‘Belvo.

With illness unfortunately ruling out Ireland Under-20 international Ivana Kiripati, Connacht’s co-captain Shannon Touhey (pictured below) moves to number 8, and Tuam/Oughterard’s Béibhinn Gleeson slots in at blindside flanker.

Railway Union prop Megan Collis, who won her first Ireland cap at last season’s WXV3 tournament, and Lily Brady complete the front row, while Navan’s Rosie Searle will make her Connacht bow, combining with Orla Fenton in the engine room.

IQ Rugby recruit May Goulding is the province’s reserve scrum half, and is fresh from playing for the Ireland U-20s at last month’s Women’s Six Nations Summer Series. Fellow replacements Roisín Maher and Oviawe also featured for the national side in Parma.

Meanwhile, Searle’s Navan team-mate, Cara Martin, is set for her senior debut in Leinster colours. The talented teenager joins forces in the centre with Ireland ace Aoife Dalton, who has been announced as one of the Blues’ vice-captains alongside Molly Boyne.

O’Connor skippers Rosser’s team from the back row, starting at blindside flanker with Boyne filling the openside berth, and Wicklow’s Caoimhe Molloy adding even more ball-carrying threat from the number 8 position.

The second starter from Wicklow, Roberts, makes a welcome return to action with Leinster. She last played for the province in January 2023 due to injuries and a recent spell down in Australia.

Roberts, Aimee Clarke, and the Ireland-capped Emma Tilly, who scored 18 league tries for ‘Belvo last season, form the back-three, and Nikki Caughey and Katie Whelan, who impressed together for the Celtic Challenge-winning Wolfhounds, are the starting half-backs.

Completing Leinster’s starting line-up is an experienced tight five, with three more Ireland internationals included in tighthead Djougang, 19-year-old hooker Sarah Delaney, and second row Corri.

There are starts too for Aoife Moore and Ruth Campbell, two important players during last year’s successful campaign. Form-wise, Campbell was a standout performer for Ireland during last month’s Summer Series development tournament.

Among the replacements, and in line to make their senior debuts for Leinster, are front rowers Julia O’Connor and Katie Layde, Arklow RFC product Neill, who now plays out west with Galwegians, and former Ulster half-back Jemma Farrell.

LEINSTER: Emma Tilly (MU Barnhall RFC/Old Belvedere RFC); Ella Roberts (Wicklow RFC), Aoife Dalton (Tullamore RFC/Old Belvedere RFC), Cara Martin (Navan RFC/Blackrock College RFC), Aimee Clarke (Railway Union RFC); Nikki Caughey (Malone RFC/Railway Union RFC), Katie Whelan (Enniscorthy RFC/Old Belvedere RFC); Aoife Moore (Carrick-on-Suir RFC/Blackrock College RFC), Sarah Delaney (PortDara Falcons RFC/Blackrock College RFC), Linda Djougang (Wanderers FC/Old Belvedere RFC), Ruth Campbell (Naas RFC/MU Barnhall RFC/Old Belvedere RFC), Eimear Corri (Portlaoise RFC/Blackrock College RFC), Hannah O’Connor (CYM Terenure RFC/Blackrock College RFC) (capt), Molly Boyne (Railway Union RFC), Caoimhe Molloy (Gorey RFC/Wicklow RFC).

Replacements: Julia O’Connor (Suttonians RFC), Katie Layde (Mullingar RFC/Old Belvedere RFC), Christy Haney (Blackrock College RFC), Clodagh Dunne (Gorey RFC/Old Belvedere RFC), Jane Neill (Arklow RFC/Galwegians RFC), Jemma Farrell (Old Belvedere RFC), Ailsa Hughes (Tullamore RFC/Railway Union RFC), Leah Tarpey (Tullamore RFC/Railway Union RFC).

CONNACHT: Méabh Deely (Blackrock College RFC); Laoise McGonagle (UL Bohemian RFC), Ava Ryder (Railway Union RFC), Éabha Nic Dhonnacha (UL Bohemian RFC), Clara Barrett (UL Bohemian RFC); Nicole Fowley (Galwegians RFC) (co-capt), Gráinne Moran (Ballina RFC); Ella Burns (Tuam/Oughterard RFC), Lily Brady (UL Bohemian RFC), Megan Collis (Railway Union RFC), Orla Fenton (Galwegians RFC), Rosie Searle (Navan RFC), Béibhinn Gleeson (Tuam/Oughterard RFC), Lesley Ring (Old Belvedere RFC), Shannon Touhey (Tullamore RFC) (co-capt).

Replacements: Stacy Hanley (Galwegians RFC), Ellen Connolly (Galwegians RFC), Roisín Maher (Galwegians RFC), Faith Oviawe (Railway Union RFC), Karly Tierney (Tuam/Oughterard RFC), May Goulding (Saracens), Orla Dixon (Galwegians RFC), Emily Foley (Ballina RFC).

Referee: Matthew Kilgore (IRFU)
Assistant Referees: Berney White, Gary McCormack (both IRFU)