O’Connor Aiming To ‘Hit The Ground Running’ As Leinster Launch Title Defence

Leinster and Connacht lock horns again at Energia Park on Saturday (kick-off 4.45pm – live on TG4), with the defending champions looking to build some early momentum in what is their only home match of the Championship. Tickets are available here.

Women In Rugby Conference – Book Now

O’Connor needs no reminding of Connacht’s threats – a brace of tries from Méabh Deely did most of the damage in that dramatic 18-17 win twelve months ago – and knows that her Leinster team will have to produce a strong performance in order to avenge that loss.

“Definitely haven’t forgotten that day,” she admitted. “It’s definitely in the front of my memory in terms of the frustration and the upset that was caused for us on the first day of the campaign last year.

“We’re under no illusions as to the task that is ahead of us this weekend, and the threats that Connacht pose. They’re a really good side, they have a mix of experience and youth in their ranks.

“I suppose it’s the unknown quantity of the first game that always brings that extra bit of tension to it. So, we’re definitely not taking anything lightly. Full of respect for them.

“They were the deserved winners in that match last season, they played the full match and we didn’t take our chances when we had them. We had the lovely weather of the west with us as well, which I’m familiar with from back home (Loughrea).

“We’ll be hoping for a sunnier day on Saturday and hopefully for ourselves to hit the ground running. We’ll be hoping that we turn the tables this year in our opening game.”

There is a good deal of continuity within the Leinster set-up, with Tania Rosser their head coach for a third successive Interprovincial campaign. Having initially been co-captain with fellow forward Christy Haney, O’Connor skippers the Blues for a second year.

The likes of Dannah O’Brien, Linda Djougang, Aoife Wafer, Aoife Dalton, and Katie Corrigan will also be targeting a big season for both province and country.

Among the potential new caps are former Ulster half-back Jemma Farrell, and Ireland Under-20 internationals Jane Neill, Jade Gaffney, and Robyn O’Connor, while Wicklow back-three specialist Ella Roberts returns after a stint in Australia.

Speaking about the quality of player coming through the provincial pathways, Hannah explained: “I suppose the way things are going with rugby now in Ireland, those girls who are slightly less experienced in terms of Leinster, a lot of them are coming off the back of playing with the Irish Under-20s, or the likes of the Sarah Robinson Cup.

“The pathways are so strong now that their rugby IQ is a lot higher than myself or any of the other girls who maybe started off about 10 years ago or so.

“It’s a bit different, but I suppose it’s just being around each other, and the blend that’s there is a nice blend. It kind of naturally happens that the two come together and hopefully that will transfer onto the pitch on Saturday as well.”

Retaining the Interprovincial trophy has proven difficult for Leinster over the years. Indeed, the only time they have won back-to-back titles was in 2019 when they beat Connacht 25-12 in the final in Donnybrook. O’Connor chipped in with a try that night.

This season’s decider will take place at Kingspan Stadium on Saturday, August 31, a week on from Leinster’s final round robin fixture which will be at the home of Ulster Rugby. They also face a second round trip to Cork to renew rivalries with Munster, last season’s runners-up.

As she reflected on Leinster’s 2023/24 season which culminated in a terrific 33-14 final victory over Munster, the Dublin-based primary school teacher acknowledged: “We entered knockout rugby in last year’s campaign a lot sooner than we would have wanted to.

“I suppose that defeat to Connacht really gave us the rocket up the backside to get into gear and realise that we literally could not put a foot wrong for the rest of the campaign.

“Luckily then we found our stride and we got into it. Winning up in Dublin (26-19 against Munster) in the style that we did, and then going down into Munster’s backyard the following weekend to back it up and seal the Championship was incredibly satisfying.

“Looking forward to it now. It’s been building, we’ve probably two months of work in the bank, and to be finally in match week is what we’ve all been looking forward to.”

Dalton and Wafer are both only 21 years of age, but already wielding plenty of influence in Leinster and Ireland colours in terms of their consistent performances.

The centre and back rower were the respective Leinster Women’s Player of the Year and Young Player of the Year award winners last season, while Wafer did the double at the Rugby Players Ireland Awards ceremony in May.

O’Connor is a big fan of the pair, saying: “They’re two of probably about 10 girls who are of a really, really good calibre, and they’re so exciting to play alongside. The extra dynamic that they bring to a team, you’d rather definitely have the likes of the two Aoifes on your team.

“Definitely happy that they’re in the blue of Leinster with us. It bodes well that they kind of set the standard now even though they’re are at a young age.

“They’re the standard setters and it’s up to the rest of us to kind of follow suit. What they lack in age, they certainly back it up in terms of lots of international caps. Coming from the pathways of Leinster Under-18s, it bodes really well for us as a province.”

While Rosser was ‘delighted’ to call on a natural leader like O’Connor again, the feeling is mutual for the versatile Ireland forward, who also played a key role in the Wolfhounds winning their first Celtic Challenge crown last season.

“Tania’s brilliant. I got to play alongside her when I first moved to Blackrock, so I got to experience her vocal side playing alongside her in my first year of playing AIL. That was a shock to the system, but I loved it!

“Getting to work alongside her now, having her as a head coach, she’s brilliant. I love her style of coaching, she says it exactly how it is.

“The experience that she brings in terms of what she’s done on the pitch, as well as now what she’s done off it – being a head coach in the AIL (with Old Belvedere) and with Leinster the last number of seasons – it’s great to work alongside her.

“The energy that she brings and the creativity in the way that she wants us to play is definitely in that Leinster style. It’s exciting to be both working alongside her, but as a player as well it’s definitely great to play underneath her,” added O’Connor.