Munster U-18 Women Get The Better Of Ulster To Finish Third

PWC UNDER-18 WOMEN’S INTERPROVINCIAL CHAMPIONSHIP 3RD-4TH PLACE PLAY-OFF:

Saturday, September 7 –

ULSTER UNDER-18 WOMEN 5 MUNSTER UNDER-18 WOMEN 17, Buccaneers RFC
Scorers: Ulster U-18s: Try: Olivia McKinley
Munster U-18s: Tries: Niamh O’Mahony, Cailinn O’Brien, Orla MacCallum; Con: Lily Byrne
HT: Ulster U-18s 5 Munster U-18s 12

It was a well-judged victory for Noel O’Meara’s youngsters, who bounced back strongly from that 17-12 loss thanks to tries after four and 15 minutes respectively.

With the lion’s share of first half possession and territory at Dubarry Park, they crossed the whitewash through Niamh O’Mahony and Cailinn O’Brien.

Fresh from their first Interpro win since 2021, Ulster rallied before half-time with Olivia McKinley, one of their leading lights during the tournament, closing the gap to 12-5.

However, a maul effort from Orla MacCallum – the second half’s only score – ensured that Munster claimed third place, even with replacement Roisin Cullinane in the sin bin at the final whistle.

Munster hit the front insdie the opening minutes, with their maul setting the tone. An Aoife Grimes lineout take led to the pack driving up to five metres out, and Lani O’Donovan passed to Bandon and Ballincollig’s O’Mahony who stepped inside a tackle to finish off.

Garryowen flanker O’Brien took them into double figures on the quarter hour mark. The backs did the damage with a midfield break that was stopped short of the line, before Julie Finn put O’Brien over from close in.

Having absorbed a lot of Munster pressure, Becky Irvine’s charges got off the mark before the interval. They used a penalty to get into range, and following a series of pick-and-goes, Banbridge lock McKinley forced her way over.

Taking a seven-point advantage into the closing half, Munster’s Roxanne Llewellyn traded penalties at the breakdown with Ulster winger Abi Carson early on the resumption.

Defences remained on top with an Erin McConalogue-led break ending with Ulster being turned over inside the opposition 22. Ireland U-18 international McConalogue was eager for work on the left wing, but had limited opportunities.

Munster displayed their defensive strength again when Grimes and Ella Buckley’s choke tackle led to more turnover ball. Knock-ons made for some stop-start passages of play, with neither team able to get into scoring range.

A breakthrough looked likely when prop Buckley charged up into the Ulster 22, only for her offload to be knocked on by the supporting Grimes. However, Munster made the pressure count from a subsequent penalty.

They set up a lineout near the left corner and a well-controlled drive resulted in Fermoy and Ballincollig lock MacCallum touching down to widen the margin back to 12 points. Further penalties allowed Munster to gain more territory on the back of that unconverted try.

Malone’s Niamh Fulton reacted quickest to a loose Munster lineout, allowing Erin Robinson to kick clear back up towards halfway. Robinson showed her versatility by shifting from out-half to scrum half.

The young Reds responded by using another turnover to add some zip through midfield, with Lily Byrne and O’Mahony linking up neatly and finding some chinks in the defensive line.

Ulster captain Cara McLean, who put in another huge shift in both the back row and front row, was tough to bring down, taking her carries well into double figures. Nonetheless, Munster were making inroads when they put width on the ball.

Bantry Bay’s Grace Kingston was an incisive runner, popping up during a number of attacks, and Ulster just could not break out, despite Amy McConkey’s counter-attacking run which preceded a slight knock-on from replacement Codie McCloskey.

Aided by a McConkey turnover penalty, Ulster had most of the possession during the final few minutes. Munster ended the game without Cullinane, who was sin binned for a high tackle on McLean, but their defence stood firm in her absence.

ULSTER U-18 WOMEN: Aoibhin Smith (Virginia RFC); Abi Carson (Malone RFC), Caitlin Crowe (Co. Cavan RFC), Amy McConkey (Cooke RFC), Erin McConalogue (Inishowen RFC) (co-capt); Erin Robinson (Ballymena RFC), Julia Mulligan (Enniskillen RFC); Orlaith Maguire (Enniskillen RFC), Elinor van Lill (Virginia RFC), Grace Simati (Letterkenny RFC), Olivia McKinley (Banbridge RFC), Maeve O’Dwyer (Virginia RFC), Laura Scott (Ards RFC), Niamh Fulton (Malone RFC), Cara McLean (Larne RFC) (co-capt).

Replacements: Maebh Clerkin (Monaghan RFC), Dulcie Bowden (Cooke RFC), Sarah Corry (Enniskillen RFC), Brooke Schoenfeldt (Banbridge RFC), Rianna Mulligan (Enniskillen RFC), Eve Balfour (Enniskillen RFC), Codie McCloskey (Limavady RFC), Natalie Turner (Enniskillen RFC).

MUNSTER U-18 WOMEN: Grace Kingston (Bantry Bay RFC); Siobhan O’Callaghan (Ballincollig RFC), Niamh O’Mahony (Bandon RFC/Ballincollig RFC), Lily Byrne (Dolphin RFC), Alice O’Donovan (Bantry Bay RFC); Lani O’Donovan (Clonakilty RFC), Julie Finn (Clonakilty RFC); Tuathla Ryan (Ballina-Killaloe RFC), Erin Ridgway (Kinsale RFC/Dolphin RFC), Ella Buckley (Kanturk RFC/Ballincollig RFC), Orla MacCallum (Fermoy RFC/Ballincollig RFC), Aoife Grimes (Shannon RFC), Cailinn O’Brien (Garryowen FC), Roxanne Llewellyn (Clonakilty RFC), Sally Kelly (Ennis RFC).

Replacements: Ella Guerin Crowley (Killarney RFC), Alice Buckley (Kanturk RFC), Roisin Cullinane (Midleton RFC), Leona Arra (Clonakilty RFC), Mia Hennelly (Ballina-Killaloe RFC), Abi Kelly (Ennis RFC), Kelly Crowley (Midleton RFC), Clodagh McCarthy (Clonakilty RFC).

Referee: Siobhan Daly (IRFU)