Energia Women’s All-Ireland Cup: Quarter-Finals Review

There were debuts and welcome returns for Railway Union as they navigated their way past Blackrock College 36-10 to reach the semi-finals of the Energia Women’s All-Ireland Cup.

Grainne Egan returned to action for the first time since September 2018 and was ‘very effective’ in her 50 minutes of game-time, according to Railway Union Head Coach John Cronin. Nikki Caughey’s last game of rugby was for Ireland against USA in November 2018 and she came off the bench for a full 40 minutes.

Claire Keohane was making her first appearance of the season after a hip injury while Katelyn Faust was back on the field for the first time in six weeks.

There were also debuts for the league champions with prop Grainne O’Loughlin getting on the score sheet on her first outing. Stephanie Carroll and Dorothy Wall both lined out for the Ireland Development side at the 2019 Dubai Sevens and Carroll was on the score sheet in the second half while Wall made her debut at 6 before switching to tight head as the game wore on.

Hazel Simmons converted O’Loughlin and Carroll’s first half tries for a 14-5 lead at the break.

Caoimhe Molloy scored in both sides for the home side, but Railway kicked on with scores from Aoife Doyle and Lisa Callan. The remainder of their scores came off the bench – replacements Meaghan Kenny and Molly Boyle crossed the whitewash with Nikki Caughey kicking a conversion.

“It’s a credit to the players and our player welfare team for working so hard,” said Cronin of his returning players. “I’m delighted to see them all come through tonight, as I know getting back on the field means so much to them. That’s the highlight of tonight for me.”

Suttonians made the last four for the second year in a row with a 43-28 win at home to Tullamore. It was a game the ‘Tribe’ described as a ‘Game of three halves.’

Sutts went 19-0 up in the first 20 minutes with tries from Lauren Farell, Brenda Barr and Greer Muir. Sophie Gibney converted two of them.

Tullamore then rattled off 28 unanswered points to lead by nine points at the turnaround.

Shannon Touhey – a Connacht regular who made the switch this season from Galwegians was among the scorers as was Emer Phelan who showed her mettle earlier this season in lining out for the Ireland Combined Forces sides. Ann-Maree Manley crossed twice for the Offaly women while Kim Cobbe landed all four conversions.

Greer Muir has been a source of scores for Sutts this season and grabbed a second to help kick start the come back. Carrie O’Keefe was next up and Louise Catinot scored two individual efforts to make sure of the win.

UL Bohemian proved too strong for Malone with another big scoring performance at Gibson Park. The Cup holders ran in eight tries with a 50% conversion rate from Rachel Allen. Chloe Pearse‘s switch from the front to the back row didn’t stop her scoring form as she dotted down for the fifth game-in-a-row. Back row compatriot Sarah Quin scored twice.

A clinical first-half performance from Old Belvedere helped them to a 50-28 win at Cooke. Fiona Tuite bagged a hat-trick as the Dublin side fired a six try salvo in the opening 40 minutes.

Cooke rallied with typical determination in the second half and hit back with tries from Hannah Kilgore, Aishling O’Connell, Dolores Hughes and Kelly McCormill.

ENERGIA WOMEN’S ALL-IRELAND CUP SEMI-FINAL RESULTS

Sunday December 15th, 2019

COOKE 22 OLD BELVEDERE 50, Shaw’s Bridge

Scorers: Cooke: Tries: Hannah Kilgore, Aishling O’Connell, Dolores Hughes, Kelly McCormill. Con: Vicky Irwin.

Old Belvedere: Tries: Fiona Tuite 3, Vanessa Hullon, Alannah Rogers, Linda Djougang, Allison Miller. Cons: Jemma Jackson 5

HT: Cooke 5 Old Belvedere 38

COOKE: Teah Maguire, Dolores Hughes, Kelly McCormill, Amanda Morton, Caitlin Fisher, Victoria Irwin, Hannah Kilgore, Ilse Van Staden, Emma Kearney, Hanna Harris, Aishling O’Connell, Helen McGhee, Katie Kerr, Laura Cairns, Katie Hetherington.

Replacements: Sorcha Mac Laimhin, Breana Kaio Te Whetu, Claire Johnston.

OLD BELVEDERE: Fiona Tuite, Alba Marlasca Abasolo, Allison Miller, Elise O’Byrne White, Vanessa Hullon, Jemma Jackson, Kathryn Dane, Melissa Hayden, Rose Alice Murphy, Linda Djougang, Niamh O’Flynn, Jan Carroll, Clodagh Dunne,  Jennifer Murphy, Alannah Rogers.

Replacements: Christina Furlong, Aoife Lally, Alex Barczuk, Marie Louise Reilly, Aine Donnelly, Grace Miller, Rachel Whitten.

Saturday December 14th, 2019

MALONE 0 UL BOHEMIAN 48, Gibson Park

Scorers: UL Bohemian: Tries: Erin Coll, Rachel Allen, Chloe Pearse, Sarah Quin 2, Laura O’Mahony, Niamh Kavanagh, Edel Murphy; Cons: Rachel Allen 4

HT: Malone 0 UL Bohs 31

MALONE: Ella Durkan, Jill Stephens, Olivia Andrews,  Fern Wilson, Jasmine Ward, Alexa Grudgings, Jenna Stewart, Sarah Murphy, Ashleigh Currie, Nicole Hutchinson, Naomi McCord, Chloe McIlwaine, Eimear Hagan, Shirelle Wilson, Gemma McCamley.

Replacements: Brogain Ni Chiarrain, Sara Houston, Anna Stanfield, Grace Davitt, Shauneen Fitzpatrick

UL BOHEMIAN: Erin Coll, Aoife Bowman, Stephanie Nunan, Niamh Kavanagh, Niamh O’Neill, Rachel Allen, Helen McDermott, Fiona Reidy, Kate Sheehan, Laura Delaney, Ciara O’Halloran, Sarah Garrett , Chloe Pearse, Clodagh OHalloran, Sarah Quin.

Replacements: Edel Murphy, Claire Bennett, Emma Doolan, Lily Brady, Laura O’Mahony

SUTTONIANS 43 TULLAMORE 28, Station Road

Scorers: Suttonians: Tries: Lauren Farrell, Brenda Barr, Greer Muir 2, Carrie O’Keeffe, Louise Catinot; Cons: Sophie Gibney 4.

Tullamore: Shannon Touhey, Emer Phelan, Ann Marie Manley 2, Cons: Kim Cobbe.

HT: Suttonians 19 Tullamore 28

SUTTONIANS: Sophie Gibney, Brenda Barr, Maeve O’Brien, Molly Browne, Nicole Fitzgerald, Nicole Carroll, Lauren Farrell McCabe, Sorcha Maguire, Carrie O’Keeffe, Grainne Tummon, Syreeta Summon, Aislinn Rochelle Norris, Julia Layde, Louise Catinot, Greer Muir.

Replacements: Catherine Murphy, Shauna Ennis, Jessica Rice, Niamh Kennedy, Julia Baker.

TULLAMORE: Sinead Rigney, Jane O’Reilly, Shannon Touhey, Kim Cobbe, Emma Kelly, Ashling Magner, Robin Maher, Róisín Feighery, Katie Murray, Aileen Hayes, Ann Marie Manley, Hannah Foxe, Ciara Farrell, Emer Phelan, Catriona Kielty

Replacements: Sarah Jane O’Connor, Orlaith Foxe, Claire Leonard, Jana Dambrehte, Katie Hanlon, Roisin Kane, Hannah Bailey.

Thursday December 12th, 2019

BLACKROCK COLLEGE 10 RAILWAY UNION 36, Stradbrook

Scorers: Blackrock College: Tries: Caoimhe Molloy

Railway Union: Tries: Steph Carroll, Grainne O’Loughlin, Aoife Doyle, Lisa Callan, Meaghan Kenny, Molly Boyne; Cons: Hazel Simmons 2, Nikki Caughey.

HT: Blackrock College 5 Railway Union 14

BLACKROCK COLLEGE: Ellen Taite, Natasja Behan, Maeve Liston, Ciara Scanlan, Ray Lawless, Valerie Power, Mona Fehily, Christina Haney, AnnMarie Rooney, Caoimhe Molloy, Mairead Holohan, Anna Potterton, Aoife Browne, Maeve Og O’Leary, Alison Coleman.

Replacements: Jenni Burke, Mairead Coughlan, Jackie Sheils, Lisa Mullen, Orla Molloy, Rosie Newton.

RAILWAY UNION: Hazel Simmons, Stephanie Carroll, Aoife Doyle, Niamh Byrne, Katelyn Faust, Claire Keohane, Ailsa Hughes, Grainne O’Loughlin, Lisa Callan, Katie O’Dwyer, Aoife McDermott, Sonia McDermott, Dorothy Wall, Grainne Egan, Daisy Earle

Replacements: Aimee Clarke, Aoife Moore, Keelin Brady, Meaghan Kenny, Molly Boyne, Nicole Caughey, Emer O’Mahony.