#EnergiaAIL Women’s Division: Round 4 Previews

Wicklow’s whirlwind start to the Energia All-Ireland League season has been the main talking point. They face Blackrock College, the champions from 2022, on a busy October Bank Holiday weekend.

ENERGIA ALL-IRELAND LEAGUE WOMEN’S DIVISION – ROUND 4:

Saturday, October 26

Kick-off 5pm unless stated –

WICKLOW (1st) v BLACKROCK COLLEGE (7th), Ashtown Lane, 2.30pm

Energia All-Ireland League Season’s Form: Wicklow: WWW; Blackrock College: LWL
Energia All-Ireland League Top Scorers – Wicklow: Points: Roisin Stone 25; Tries: Roisin Stone 5; Blackrock College: Points: Hannah O’Connor 18; Tries: Ava Fannin, Mya Alcorn 2 each

Preview: High-flying Wicklow are back on home soil after being mightly impressive in front of the irishrugby+ cameras in Sutton. Starting at inside centre, versatile young back Roisin Stone bagged a brace of tries last Saturday to take over as the division’s leading points and try scorer.

Jason Moreton’s charges have already accumulated 15 points for this season, having picked up 21 for the entire 2023/24 campaign. Blackrock College will present a very stiff test, especially as they showed good form to give Railway Union quite a battle at Stradbrook last week.

There are some cracking individual match-ups in this Leinster derby, particularly in the front row where Leinster duo Aoife Moore and Sarah Delaney will pack down for Blackrock opposite their provincial colleague Caoimhe Molloy. Ulster prop Ava Fannin has scored two tries already for ‘Rock.

Recent League Meetings – Saturday, October 7, 2023: Wicklow 10 Blackrock College 27, Ashtown Lane; Saturday, February 17, 2024: Blackrock College 24 Wicklow 10, Stradbrook

IrishRugby.ie Prediction: Blackrock College to win

BALLINCOLLIG (5th) v OLD BELVEDERE (10th), Tanner Park, 3pm

Energia All-Ireland League Season’s Form: Ballincollig: LDW; Old Belvedere: LLL
Energia All-Ireland League Top Scorers – Ballincollig: Points: Niamh Crotty 15; Tries: Niamh Crotty 3; Old Belvedere: Points: Emma Tilly, Megan Edwards 5 each; Tries: Emma Tilly, Megan Edwards 1 each

Preview: Ballincollig are looking to build on their first win of the season, which saw them put four tries past Tullow. Ireland Under-18 Sevens international Niamh Crotty showed her finishing skills with a hat-trick, including two tries from well-placed kicks from Emma Connolly and Michelle O’Driscoll.

Scoring points has been a big problem so far for bottom side Old Belvedere. Only Emma Tilly and Megan Edwards have been able to cross the whitewash so far for ‘Belvo, but admittedly they have been facing the defences of three of the top four finishers from last season.

This trip to Tanner Park should bring back good memories from last November when Tania Rosser’s side put 50 unanswered points on Ballincollig. Winning on the road would get Belvedere back on track, yet Ballincollig, hoping to go three rounds unbeaten, are sure to push them all the way.

Recent League Meetings – Saturday, November 18, 2023: Ballincollig 0 Old Belvedere 50, Tanner Park; Saturday, April 6, 2024: Old Belvedere 50 Ballincollig 12, Ollie Campbell Park

IrishRugby.ie Prediction: Old Belvedere to win

COOKE (8th) v UL BOHEMIAN (3rd), Shaw’s Bridge

Energia All-Ireland League Season’s Form: Cooke: LWL; UL Bohemian: WLW
Energia All-Ireland League Top Scorers – Cooke: Points: Amanda Morton 20; Tries: Ilse van Staden, Stacey Sloan 2 each; UL Bohemian: Points: Kate Flannery 18; Tries: Beth Buttimer, Chisom Ugwueru, Eilís Cahill 2 each

Preview: Cooke’s game against Galwegians last week got away from them in the second half, although it was noticeable how potent they were from kick throughs. Three well-judged dinks in behind by out-half Amanda Morton led to their tries in Glenina.

Four tries-to-one winners when they last visited Belfast in March, defending champions UL Bohemian have moved back up to third place after that late loss against Railway. Electric winger Chisom Uguwueru opened her account for the season with a brace last Saturday at Old Belvedere.

There has been some good early season exposure for young centres in both squads. Buncrana native Molly Boyd made her mark for Cooke with a well-taken try against ‘Wegians, while Lucia Linn and Éabha Nic Dhonnacha have already made two starts together in the Red Robins’ midfield.

Recent League Meetings – Saturday, October 14, 2023: UL Bohemian 57 Cooke 5, Annacotty; Saturday, March 2, 2024: Cooke 7 UL Bohemian 28, Shaw’s Bridge

IrishRugby.ie Prediction: UL Bohemian to win

GALWEGIANS (4th) v TULLOW (9th), Crowley Park

Energia All-Ireland League Season’s Form: Galwegians: WLW; Tullow: LLL
Energia All-Ireland League Top Scorers – Galwegians: Points: Emily Foley 20; Tries: Emily Foley 4; Tullow: Points: Grace Kelly, Joanna Mahon 10 each; Tries: Grace Kelly, Joanna Mahon 2 each

Preview: A second successive home match for Galwegians, and they will be keen to continue where they left off against Cooke. Jack Clarke’s side got their attack firing on all cylinders with an impressive  11-try display, which included hat-tricks from Gemma Faulkner and Emily Foley.

The form of 18-year-old Connacht winger Foley has caught the eye with four tries in three appearances. This is Tullow’s first trip out west and comes with them having put together some encouraging periods in games. A full 80-minute performance and a first league point remain the goals.

Tullow have a tough November schedule coming up, with clashes with both of last season’s two finalists, Railway and UL, so this is a match Paul Canavan’s charges will be determined to get something out of. Captain Grace Kelly continues to lead by example, touching down twice against Ballincollig.

Recent League Meetings – N/A

IrishRugby.ie Prediction: Galwegians to win

RAILWAY UNION (2nd) v SUTTONIANS (6th), Park Avenue

Energia All-Ireland League Season’s Form: Railway Union: WWW; Suttonians: WDL
Energia All-Ireland League Top Scorers – Railway Union: Points: Lindsay Peat 20; Tries: Lindsay Peat 4; Suttonians: Points: Clara Sexton, Katie Grant Duggan, Lauren Farrell McCabe 10 each; Tries: Clara Sexton, Katie Grant Duggan, Lauren Farrell McCabe 2 each

Preview: Railway Union had plenty to spare when they played Suttonians last season, winning the corresponding fixture by a full 69 points. Sutts have looked a stronger outfit since the start of the new campaign, albeit that they struggled to make much of a dent against table toppers Wicklow.

Railway’s talented back row of Claire Boles, Molly Boyne and Lindsay Peat has been wielding plenty of influence, particularly player-coach Peat. She is the division’s joint-second top try scorer with four tries, her latest coming in a seven-point success at Blackrock.

Strong-carrying forward Katie Grant Duggan will be a big loss for Suttonians. She captained the team last week against Wicklow in her final game before moving to New Zealand, and signed off with her second try of the season.

Recent League Meetings – Thursday, September 28, 2023: Suttonians 10 Railway Union 47, JJ McDowell Memorial Grounds; Saturday, December 9, 2023: Railway Union 88 Suttonians 19, Park Avenue

IrishRugby.ie Prediction: Railway Union to win

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