Blackrock College's Maggie Boylan crossed twice against Galwegians last time out to take her season's haul to seven tries in six appearances ©INPHO/James Lawlor
Top four hopefuls Old Belvedere and Galwegians are separated by just three points in the Energia All-Ireland League Women’s Division, as they prepare to go head-to-head in front of the irishrugby+ cameras on Saturday evening.
Saturday, December 7
Kick-off 5pm unless stated –
Energia All-Ireland League Season’s Form: Tullow: LLLLLL; Blackrock College: LWLWWWW
Energia All-Ireland League Top Scorers – Tullow: Points: Grace Kelly 15; Tries: Grace Kelly 3; Blackrock College: Points: Maggie Boylan 35; Tries: Maggie Boylan 7
Preview: If Tullow are not battle-hardened by now, they certainly will be by the time Christmas comes around. They host Blackrock College tomorrow and visit Old Belvedere next week, before ending the calendar year with their rescheduled trip to defending champions UL Bohemian.
Tullow captain Grace Kelly has led the way so far with three tries. Upping their scoring rate is a must if they want to keep within reach of the teams above them. But Blackrock have one of the best defences in the league, conceding an average of only 11.4 points per game this season.
As well as taking their winning run to four matches and having players away on international duty, in-form Blackrock had eight players included in the Clovers and Wolfhounds squads this week, with Ireland duo Méabh Deely and Christy Haney notably returning from injury.
Recent League Meetings – N/A
IrishRugby.ie Prediction: Blackrock College to win
Energia All-Ireland League Season’s Form: Cooke: LWLLLL; Railway Union: WWWWWWW
Energia All-Ireland League Top Scorers – Cooke: Points: Amanda Morton 20; Tries: Ilse van Staden, Stacey Sloan 2 each; Railway Union: Points: Amanda Berta 57; Tries: Lindsay Peat 10
Preview: The last four rounds have been full of frustration for Cooke, who were held scoreless by UL Bohemian, Blackrock, and Old Belvedere, before adverse weather conditions postponed their clash with Ballincollig. Brian McLaughlin’s charges have ground to make up.
Cooke restricted Railway Union to five tries on their last visit to Belfast, but last February’s encounter did see Railway winger Aimee Clarke sent off for a high tackle. Eight wins out of eight looks most likely on current form, especially with Lindsay Peat already on 10 tries for the campaign.
It has also been encouraging to see Ireland international Leah Tarpey get a run of matches under her belt, lining out alongside Railway’s captain Niamh Byrne in the centre. The 21-year-old has scored eight tries in five games, ahead of her involvement with the Wolfhounds in the Celtic Challenge.
Recent League Meetings – Saturday, September 23, 2023: Railway Union 71 Cooke 7, Park Avenue; Saturday, February 10, 2024: Cooke 5 Railway Union 29, Shaw’s Bridge
IrishRugby.ie Prediction: Railway Union to win
Energia All-Ireland League Season’s Form: Old Belvedere: LLLWWWW; Galwegians: WLWWLLL
Energia All-Ireland League Top Scorers – Old Belvedere: Points: Megan Edwards 45; Tries: Megan Edwards 9; Galwegians: Points: Emily Foley 30; Tries: Emily Foley 6
Preview: Galwegians return to the capital just a couple of weeks on from a deflating 47-5 reversal at the hands of Blackrock. Jack Clarke’s side, who have pocketed five bonus points so far, are in the midst of a difficult run of fixtures, with title holders UL Bohs still to come next week.
At the same time that ‘Wegians lost three on the bounce, Old Belvedere have strung together four convincing victories with an average winning margin of 34 points. Their back-three has been particularly potent with Megan Edwards and Emma Tilly tallying up 15 tries between them.
There will be some crossover between these squads once the upcoming Celtic Challenge tournament starts, as the Clovers selection includes Galwegians’ Grace Browne Moran, Grainne Moran, Nicole Fowley, and Ella Burns, as well as the Old Belvedere trio of Deirbhile Nic a Bháird, Jane Neill, and Ruth Campbell.
Recent League Meetings – Saturday, October 21, 2023: Galwegians 19 Old Belvedere 33, Crowley Park; Saturday, March 9, 2024: Old Belvedere 72 Galwegians 12, Ollie Campbell Park
IrishRugby.ie Prediction: Old Belvedere to win
Energia All-Ireland League Season’s Form: Wicklow: WWWLLLL; Ballincollig: LDWLLL
Energia All-Ireland League Top Scorers – Wicklow: Points: Beth Roberts 35; Tries: Rachel Griffey, Roisin Stone 5 each; Ballincollig: Points: Niamh Crotty 25; Tries: Niamh Crotty 5
Preview: With seven defeats between them in the last four rounds, this is a huge contest for both teams. Wicklow are hoping to make home advantage count, as they did back in March when front rowers Eimear Douglas, Linda Dempsey, and Lauren Barry all crossed in a 32-24 bonus point win.
Getting their powerful pack on top will be vital for a repeat result, but Ballincollig are more than a match for most teams in and around mid-table. Versatile ‘Collig forward Laurileigh Baker is fresh from winning her first Garda international cap against the Scottish Police, having played alongside club-mate Clodagh Walsh.
Number 8 Rachel Griffey, Wicklow’s joint-leading try scorer this season with five in six outings, said: “We need to put in the hard work for the next two games against Ballincollig and Cooke, because they’re not guaranteed wins. They’re extremely up to our level, and we need to show up on the day with our best squads to win those.”
Recent League Meetings – Saturday, October 14, 2023: Ballincollig 18 Wicklow 17, Tanner Park; Saturday, March 2, 2024: Wicklow 32 Ballincollig 24, Ashtown Lane
IrishRugby.ie Prediction: Wicklow to win
* Match called off – UL Bohemian awarded 28-0 result and five league points; Suttonians deducted five points for conceding match
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