Five-Try Munster Finish On Top In Cork Classic

VODAFONE WOMEN’S INTERPROVINCIAL CHAMPIONSHIP – ROUND 2:

Saturday, August 17 –

MUNSTER 32 LEINSTER 21, Virgin Media Park
Scorers: Munster: Tries: Beth Buttimer, Claire Bennett, Chisom Ugwueru, Penalty try, Alana McInerney; Cons: Kate Flannery, Penalty try con; Pen: Kate Flannery
Leinster: Tries: Ailsa Hughes, Aoife Dalton, Leah Tarpey; Cons: Nikki Caughey 2, Jemma Farrell
HT: Munster 12 Leinster 14

It was try for try during the first half, as Beth Buttimer’s early maul effort was cancelled out by converted scores from Ailsa Hughes and Aoife Dalton. Claire Bennett, Munster’s player-of-the-match last week, closed the gap to 14-12 by half-time.

Fiona Hayes’ charges gained key momentum during the third quarter, moving into a 24-14 lead thanks to a Chisom Ugwueru five-pointer and a maul-led penalty try which landed Leinster’s Aoife Moore in the sin bin.

Munster’s superior maul work was a big factor in the result, in windy conditions at Virgin Media Park, but Leinster profited from Aoife Corey’s yellow card to send replacement Leah Tarpey over in the 65th minute.

The defending champions were right back in the hunt, yet a Lucia Linn interception saw Munster launch themselves downfield late on. A further turnover was expertly used, as Kate Flannery’s skip pass put McInerney stepping in off the left wing for her fourth try of the tournament.

Having lost twice to Leinster last season, including a 33-14 defeat in last September’s final on Leeside, this was a statement of intent from Munster who, with 10 points pocketed, have booked their place in the August 31 decider at Kingspan Stadium.

Leinster are in second place in the table on five points, just a point clear of Ulster ahead of their final round encounter in Belfast next Saturday. Connacht, who have three points so far, entertain table toppers Munster in Galway.

Munster out-half Flannery was quick to show her running threat, breaking past halfway and helping her half-back partner Muirne Wall to reach the Leinster 22. Ruth Campbell had to tackle Siobhan McCarthy into touch to end the pacy attack.

Flannery and Dalton were both very visible in attack during the opening minutes, with the latter combining neatly with Nikki Caughey on a surging break. Ugwueru and Emma Tilly also got some early touches, but the space was quickly shut down.

Ugwueru’s speed when chasing a well-placed Flannery kick saw her catch the retreating Hughes, forcing her into touch. From a gilt-edged 13th-minute maul opportunity, young hooker Buttimer piled over at the end of a dominant drive.

Just three minutes later, Leinster were level through their scrum half. Captain Hannah O’Connor’s strong carry gave them some hard-earned territory, and with Buttimer’s lineout throw going out the back, Hughes was able to score in impressive fashion from 15 metres out.

Caughey converted and also added the extras to Dalton’s 21st-minute try, which came from a Munster mistake from a goal-line dropout. Fed from the resulting scrum, Dalton swatted away Stephanie Nunan and Clodagh O’Halloran’s challenges to power over.

It was nip and tuck in a fiercely-contested scrum battle, but Munster’s maul built momentum again for their second score. Enya Breen then produced a tremendous leg-pumping run, with lively flanker Jane Clohessy also getting over the gain-line.

Leinster were suddenly right back on their try-line and they could not hold out, with lock Bennett picking her moment to ground the ball after getting in under tackles from Linda Djougang and Sarah Delaney. Flannery topped it off with the extras.

Leinster had a chance to reply before the interval, courtesy of Eimear Corri’s breakdown work. Dorothy Wall, on her seasonal debut, led some strong maul defence from the hosts, though, and two points remained the difference.

Leinster lock Campbell had to make two important tackles on Wall and Ugwueru, as Munster began the second half on the front foot. Their persistent pressure led to the lead try, initially with their forwards chipping away to tire out the title holders’ defence.

Muirne Wall and Breen pulled the trigger, getting the ball back out to the right wing where Ugwueru was quick off the mark to cross in the corner ahead of Ella Roberts. Following her missed conversion, Flannery made way for new cap Caitriona Finn,

With Breen stepping in at out-half and making another big break through the middle, a possession-starved Leinster had more defending to do.

The Buttimer-Clohessy lineout connection delivered the goods when teeing up another muscular maul, and with Moore infringing on her own line, referee Shane Gaughan awarded the penalty try and reached for his yellow card.

Now 24-14 in arrears, Leinster were struggling to contain Munster. Finn retrieved her own chip over the top, and Muirne Wall threatened on a kick chase. Clohessy stormed past three defenders, looking destined for a superb solo try until Leinster newcomer Robyn O’Connor denied her.

The numbers were evened up when Wexford youngster O’Connor was caught with a high tackle from Corey. Leinster lifted the tempo approaching the hour mark, a Tarpey kick forcing Breen to play the ball, and a follow-up tackle from Tilly earned a lineout.

Breen, a very deserving player-of-the-match, unfortunately had to hobble off, and in her absence, a well-executed forwards drive from Leinster paved the way for Tarpey to crash over despite the presence of Muirne Wall and Finn.

Despite replacement Jemma Farrell’s pinpoint conversion from the right making it a three-point game, Munster crucially manufactured a quick-fire response in the 68th minute.

A restart from the returning Flannery found touch inside the Leinster 22, O’Halloran stole the lineout, and with Leinster replacement Jane Neill infringing in front of her posts, Flannery took the points on offer.

Back came Leinster, Campbell stealing a lineout and Dalton’s acceleration almost seeing her break free. Muirne Wall, who pushed Breen hard in terms of standout players, get her hand to the ball to force it loose from the Leinster centre’s grasp.

Even when the Blues won a scrum against the head, and the increasingly-influential Djougang thundered through deep into the Munster 22, scrum half Wall got the plaudits for holding up Corri from close range, with some help from Finn and Annakate Cournane.

Six points was never going to be enough of a lead for Munster, and Leinster, using O’Connor’s pace out wide, propelled themselves forward once more from a penalty in an advanced position.

Nonetheless, Dorothy Wall’s huge tackle on Neill typified the hosts’ dogged defence, and replacement Linn pinched possession from Djougang. She made it up just past halfway, and Finn’s tackle, following up on her own kick, allowed Maggie Boylan to win the breakdown battle.

The Munster forwards took their Leinster counterparts through some energy-sapping phases just a few metres out, before Flannery’s arcing pass found McInerney who stepped inside Jade Gaffney and Tilly to land the knockout punch.

TIME LINE: 13 minutes – Munster try: Beth Buttimer – 5-0; conversion: missed by Kate Flannery – 5-0; 16 mins – Leinster try: Ailsa Hughes – 5-5; conversion: Nikki Caughey – 5-7; 21 mins – Leinster try: Aoife Dalton – 5-12; conversion: Nikki Caughey – 5-14; 32 mins – Munster try: Claire Bennett – 10-14; conversion: Kate Flannery – 12-14; Half-time – Munster 12 Leinster 14; 48 mins – Munster try: Chisom Ugwueru – 17-14; conversion: missed by Kate Flannery – 17-14; 53 mins – Munster penalty try & conversion – 24-14; Leinster yellow card: Aoife Moore; 60 mins – Munster yellow card: Aoife Corey; 65 mins – Leinster try: Leah Tarpey – 24-19; conversion: Jemma Farrell – 24-21; 68 mins – Munster penalty: Kate Flannery – 27-21; 79 mins – Munster try: Alanna McInerney – 32-21; conversion: missed by Caitriona Finn – 32-21; Full-time – Munster 32 Leinster 21

MUNSTER: Aoife Corey (UL Bohemian RFC); Chisom Ugwueru (UL Bohemian RFC), Stephanie Nunan (UL Bohemian RFC), Enya Breen (Blackrock College RFC), Alana McInerney (UL Bohemian RFC); Kate Flannery (UL Bohemian RFC), Muirne Wall (UL Bohemian RFC); Siobhan McCarthy (Gloucester-Hartpury), Beth Buttimer (UL Bohemian RFC), Éilis Cahill (UL Bohemian RFC), Dorothy Wall (Exeter Chiefs), Claire Bennett (UL Bohemian RFC), Clodagh O’Halloran (UL Bohemian RFC), Jane Clohessy (UL Bohemian RFC), Chloe Pearse (UL Bohemian RFC) (capt).

Replacements used: Caitriona Finn (UL Bohemian RFC) for Flannery (50 mins), Ciara McLoughlin (UL Bohemian RFC) for Cahill, Lucia Linn (Loughborough Lightning) for Nunan (both 60), Flannery for Breen (64), Ciara O’Dwyer (UL Bohemian RFC) for McCarthy, Annakate Cournane (Shannon RFC) for Bennett (both 69), Emma Dunican (Tralee RFC) for Buttimer, Aoibhe O’Flynn (UL Bohemian RFC) for Clohessy, Maggie Boylan (Blackrock College RFC) for Ugwueru (all 76).

LEINSTER: Emma Tilly (MU Barnhall RFC/Old Belvedere RFC); Aimee Clarke (Railway Union RFC), Aoife Dalton (Tullamore RFC/Old Belvedere RFC), Cara Martin (Navan RFC/Blackrock College RFC), Ella Roberts (Wicklow RFC); Nikki Caughey (Malone RFC/Railway Union RFC), Ailsa Hughes (Tullamore RFC/Railway Union RFC); Linda Djougang (Wanderers FC/Old Belvedere RFC), Sarah Delaney (PortDara Falcons RFC/Blackrock College RFC), Christy Haney (Blackrock College 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 used: Aoife Moore (Carrick-on-Suir RFC/Blackrock College RFC) for Haney (37 mins), Leah Tarpey (Tullamore RFC/Railway Union RFC) for Martin (45), Robyn O’Connor (Wexford Wanderers RFC) for Clarke (53), Jemma Farrell (Old Belvedere RFC) for Caughey, Jade Gaffney (Navan RFC/Old Belvedere RFC) for Hughes (both 60), Jane Neill (Arklow RFC/Galwegians RFC) for Molloy (64), Clodagh Dunne (Gorey RFC/Old Belvedere RFC) for Corri (76). Not used: Kelly Burke (Mullingar RFC).

Referee: Shane Gaughan (IRFU)