Three-Try Leinster Take Home PwC U-18 Women’s Interpro Title

Leinster erased an early seven-point deficit to beat Connacht 17-14 and lift the PwC Under-18 Women’s Interprovincial Championship trophy at Buccaneers RFC on Saturday.

PWC UNDER-18 WOMEN’S INTERPROVINCIAL CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL:

Saturday, September 7 –

LEINSTER UNDER-18 WOMEN 17 CONNACHT UNDER-18 WOMEN 14, Buccaneers RFC
Scorers: Leinster U-18s: Tries: Gráinne Cleary, Molly Whately, Kate O’Molloy; Con: Aoibhe Kelly
Connacht U-18s: Tries: Ailbhe Gannon, Faith Durkin; Cons: Siofra Hession 2
HT: Leinster U-18s 7 Connacht U-18s 7

Second half tries from Molly Whately and Kate O’Molloy, adding to a Gráinne Cleary effort on the stroke of half-time, saw the Leinster Under-18s make it four wins out of four for 2024/25, and reverse last season’s final result in the process.

This year’s decider, held again at Dubarry Park, saw Connacht, who had rotated their squad when losing 46-5 to Leinster last week, shoot out into an early lead thanks to an Ailbhe Gannon seven-pointer.

However, Derek Maybury’s table toppers dug deep in defence – particularly when Viktorija Kubiliute was in the sin bin – and had the better of the second half before Faith Durkin’s last-minute consolation score.

One of the returning players from last season’s successful campaign, Connacht captain Siofra Hession pointed the way for her side early on with a well-won turnover that sparked some fast-paced attacking phases.

Leinster leaked successive penalties, and off a scrum in the opposition 22 that had to be reset a few times, Connacht set up centre Gannon to crash over impressively despite the presence of three defenders.

That third-minute try was converted by Hession for a 7-0 lead, which Leinster were determined to quickly erase. With busy centre Whately forcing a penalty at the breakdown, the Blues flooded forward and flanker Kubiliute carried well off a lineout.

A combination of handling errors and scrum penalties saw Leinster lose promising field position, but their backs clicked into gear in the 11th minute. Half-backs Sophie Malone and Aoibhe Kelly, their captain, led a speedy break from deep.

Leinster let Connacht off the hook when the usually-reliable Teniola Onigbode missed touch from two penalties, and Hession did likewise after she had been tackled late back near halfway.

Ever the standard setter for her team-mates, Hession did get the Connacht attack going soon after, combining with Anna McDermott to release Aoife Heaney up into the opposition 22. Leinster used a knock-on to build their way back downfield, approaching the 20-minute mark.

Connacht had a numerical advantage when Leinster’s turnover-hunting openside Kubiliute saw yellow, paying the price for team penalties. They hammered away in search of a second try, but Leinster’s resilient defence was up to the task.

Gorey’s Usha Daly O’Toole set the physical tone for Leinster in terms of her tackling and work-rate around the pitch. Hession missed out on a potential try due to crossing, and Gannon was held up by a combination of Dundalk duo Whately and Malone.

Leinster finally got some space to work with out wide, thanks to Malone’s well-timed pass to release eager replacement Ava Usanov. She was duly closed down, but Orla O’Keeffe was first to a loose Connacht lineout to keep her team on the front foot.

Leinster built again from number 8 Daly O’Toole’s poach, and then from full-back Onigbode’s chip through up into the westerners’ 22. Daly O’Toole then took a return pass from Kubiliute, offloading neatly for Cleary to dummy her way past Roisin O’Sullivan for a well-taken score.

After Kelly’s right boot had added the conversion for a seven-all scoreline, her Leinster team-mates made further headway during a scrappy start to the second half. Whately’s counter-rucking led to a well-won penalty.

Connacht’s best play came from out-half Hession’s running or her slick distribution, and when Leinster countered at pace with a Cleary kick, Émer Collins did really well to tidy up on the edge of her own 22.

Malone, Hession’s opposite number, showed her breaking ability when slipping through midfield, and a barnstorming run from prop Kate Noons had her destined for the try-line until McDermott halted her progress with a vital tackle.

There was no denying Whately just a few minutes later, though, as Katie Anne Bobbett’s textbook turnover allowed Malone to quickly attack the left side and feed Whately to raid over from 13 metres out. Kelly’s missed conversion left it 12-7 to Leinster.

Maybury’s charges gained momentum again when their backs created space for Onigbode to launch a kick chase. Kubiliute’s follow-up tackle on Meabh Flannery earned Leinster prime position in the form of a five-metre scrum.

Following a couple of resets, the Leinster half-backs linked up with Whately to send winger O’Molloy over in the left corner. Her try went unconverted, but there was now a 10-point difference on the scoreboard.

Although time was not on their side, Craig Hansberry’s outfit battled on. Forwards Grace Kellett and Róisín Power both carried with great intent, and Gannon brought them closer to the whitewash only for Leinster to earn turnover ball.

There was a scrum penalty, and a lineout steal from Loughrea second row Katie Griffin, to keep Connacht in the right areas of the pitch during the closing stages.

Their persistence eventually paid off when number 8 Power rumbled up close before Ballinrobe’s Durkin squeezed over from the ruck. Hession converted with the final kick of a very entertaining encounter.

LEINSTER U-18 WOMEN: Teniola Onigbode (Clontarf FC); Kate O’Molloy (Dundalk RFC), Gráinne Cleary (Mullingar RFC), Molly Whately (Dundalk RFC), Rebecca Cahill (Portlaoise RFC); Sophie Malone (Dundalk RFC), Aoibhe Kelly (Tullamore RFC/Roscrea RFC) (capt); Kate Noons (Cill Dara RFC), Orla O’Keeffe (Portarlington RFC), Moya Murtagh (Mullingar RFC), Roisin Ridge (Seapoint Rugby Club), Mia Rowan (Longford RFC), Erin McFadden (Balbriggan RFC), Viktorija Kubiliute (Wexford Wanderers RFC), Usha Daly O’Toole (Gorey RFC).

Replacements: Katie Kearney (Navan RFC), Katie O’Driscoll (Suttonians RFC), Eabha O’Mahony (Mullingar RFC), Kate Miller (Cill Dara RFC), Katie Anne Bobbett (Ashbourne RFC), Ava Usanov (Clontarf FC), Eve Nolan (Enniscorthy RFC), Ellie White (Cill Dara RFC).

CONNACHT U-18 WOMEN: Roisin O’Sullivan (Ballinasloe RFC); Kate Gallagher (Ballina RFC), Ailbhe Gannon (Tuam/Oughterard RFC), Émer Collins (Ballina RFC), Aoife Heaney (Claremorris RFC); Siofra Hession (Creggs RFC) (capt), Meabh Flannery (Galway Corinthians RFC); Ciara Corrigan (Creggs RFC), Uillin Eilian (Tuam/Oughterard RFC), Grace Kellett (Westport RFC), Faith Durkin (Ballinrobe RFC), Katie Griffin (Loughrea RFC), Anna McDermott (Ballinasloe RFC), Ruby Jennings (Claremorris RFC), Róisín Power (Ballinasloe RFC).

Replacements: Amy O’Toole (Tuam/Oughterard RFC), Cairínn Kearns (Gort/Monivea RFC), Louise Seoighe (Tuam/Oughterard RFC), Evie Kennedy (Ballina RFC), Isabelle Quinn (Creggs RFC), Katie McNamara (Loughrea RFC), Carla Palasz (Westport RFC), Esther Olanrewaju (Ballinasloe RFC).

Referee: Kevin Coffey (IRFU)