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#EnergiaAIL Women’s Division: Round 11 Previews

#EnergiaAIL Women’s Division: Round 11 Previews

Old Belvedere captain Lesley Ring wins a lineout for her side during their win away to Tullow last Saturday ©Ronan Ryan

The leading quartet in the Energia All-Ireland League Women’s Division are on unbeaten runs ranging from seven to 10 games, with only Wicklow, who visit Ballincollig this weekend, within touching distance.

ENERGIA ALL-IRELAND LEAGUE WOMEN’S DIVISION – ROUND 11:

Saturday, January 18

Kick-off 5pm unless stated –

SUTTONIANS (7th) v UL BOHEMIAN (2nd), JJ McDowell Memorial Grounds, 2.30pm

Energia All-Ireland League Season’s Form: Suttonians: WDLLWWLLLL; UL Bohemian: WLWWWWWWWW
Energia All-Ireland League Top Scorers – Suttonians: Points: Lauren Farrell McCabe 34; Tries: Lauren Farrell McCabe 5; UL Bohemian: Points: Chisom Ugwueru 50; Tries: Chisom Ugwueru 10

Preview: Suttonians fought back for a losing bonus point against Blackrock College, and will need to show those battling qualities and more for this visit of the defending champions. With two cancelled matches, they have not actually played UL Bohemian since October 2023.

Beaten 38-3 at home the last time they faced Bohs, Suttonians have swapped in Clara Sexton for Meabh Collins at full-back. Ciara Spencer and their two try scorers last week, Caoimhe Guinan and Mary Healy, also come in to start in the pack.

Aoife Corey, one of UL Bohs’ seven personnel changes to their starting XV, said: “Suttonians put up a good score against Blackrock, and to only lose by two points to a strong team is really good. We’re expecting a really tough battle, but we want another good win and to bring home five points.”

Recent League Meetings – Saturday, February 17, 2024: UL Bohemian v Suttonians, Thomond Park back pitch (UL Bohemian awarded 28-0 result and five league points; Suttonians deducted five points for conceding match); Thursday, December 5, 2024: UL Bohemian v Suttonians, Annacotty (UL Bohemian awarded 28-0 result and five league points; Suttonians deducted five points for conceding match)

IrishRugby.ie Prediction: UL Bohemian to win

BLACKROCK COLLEGE (3rd) v TULLOW (10th), Stradbrook, 4pm

Energia All-Ireland League Season’s Form: Blackrock College: LWLWWWWWWW; Tullow: LLLLLLLLLL
Energia All-Ireland League Top Scorers – Blackrock College: Points: Maggie Boylan 50; Tries: Maggie Boylan 10; Tullow: Points: Grace Kelly 20; Tries: Grace Kelly 4

Preview: Lisa Mullen will captain Blackrock College from out-half as they host Tullow for the first time ever. With Hannah O’Connor held in reserve, Ciara Scanlan is added to the back row, and there are also starts for Andi Murphy, Emily Whittle, and centres Catherine Martin and Sarah Farley.

Aoife Byrne replaces Nicola Kilcoyne in the second row for Tullow, who took a lot of encouragement from restricting Old Belvedere to just three first-half tries last week. Their losing run continued, but prop Anna O’Neill forcing her way over the whitewash was a real highlight.

43 points was Blackrock’s winning margin when they played Tullow before Christmas, with the game moved to County Carlow FC due to weather conditions. The Carlow side will need to keep close tabs on the Blackrock back-line as six of their backs touched down during that first meeting.

Recent League Meetings – Saturday, December 7, 2024: Tullow 8 Blackrock College 51, County Carlow FC

IrishRugby.ie Prediction: Blackrock College to win

BALLINCOLLIG (8th) v WICKLOW (5th), Tanner Park

Energia All-Ireland League Season’s Form: Ballincollig: LDWLLLLLL; Wicklow: WWWLLLLWWW
Energia All-Ireland League Top Scorers – Ballincollig: Points: Niamh Crotty 25; Tries: Niamh Crotty 5; Wicklow: Points: Beth Roberts 47; Tries: Roisin Stone 7

Preview: Shirley Bailey returns at number 8 for Ballincollig, fresh from making her Celtic Challenge debut for the Clovers last weekend. The Cork outfit need all hands to the pump as they have suffered six defeats in a row, leaving them just a point above second-from-bottom Cooke.

Helen Brosnan’s charges were well-beaten by Wicklow before Christmas, but had some decent moments against Railway Union last Saturday, particularly during the first half. Eve Prendergast and Aoife Fleming complete the personnel changes, starting at scrum half and hooker respectively.

Visitors Wicklow are on a three-match winning run, aided by Roisin Stone’s seventh try of the season against Cooke. Illness and injuries have impacted their selection, though, with Noelle Ward, Sarah Gleeson, and wingers Faye O’Neill and Jennifer Madden all brought into the team.

Recent League Meetings – Saturday, March 2, 2024: Wicklow 32 Ballincollig 24, Ashtown Lane; Saturday, December 7, 2024: Wicklow 49 Ballincollig 5, Ashtown Lane

IrishRugby.ie Prediction: Wicklow to win

GALWEGIANS (6th) v OLD BELVEDERE (4th), Crowley Park

Energia All-Ireland League Season’s Form: Galwegians: WLWWLLLLLL; Old Belvedere: LLLWWWWWWW
Energia All-Ireland League Top Scorers – Galwegians: Points: Sarah Purcell 34; Tries: Emily Foley 6; Old Belvedere: Points: Megan Edwards 70; Tries: Megan Edwards 14

Preview: Orla Dixon, Connacht’s Player of the Year in 2022/23, bolsters the Galwegians back-line, along with full-back Gemma Faulkner and 18-year-old scrum half Grainne Moran, who also comes in to start after gaining valuable experience with the Clovers in recent weeks.

Six successive losses have left ‘Wegians 18 points behind fourth-placed Old Belvedere, who won 34-7 when they hosted them six weeks ago. ‘Belvo are chasing their eighth victory on the trot, and have experienced operator Aine Donnelly donning the number 10 jersey for the trip west.

There are positional switches for both Juliet Byrne and Emma Kelly, and forwards Hannah Rapley and Kara Mulcahy are promoted from the Dubliners’ bench. Byrne and Kelly contributed 15 points between them, including a try from the former, during last week’s 40-point triumph over Tullow.

Recent League Meetings – Saturday, March 9, 2024: Old Belvedere 72 Galwegians 12, Ollie Campbell Park; Saturday, December 7, 2024: Old Belvedere 34 Galwegians 7, Ollie Campbell Park

IrishRugby.ie Prediction: Old Belvedere to win

RAILWAY UNION (1st) v COOKE (9th), Park Avenue

Energia All-Ireland League Season’s Form: Railway Union: WWWWWWWWWW; Cooke: LWLLLLLLL
Energia All-Ireland League Top Scorers – Railway Union: Points: Amanda Berta 83; Tries: Lindsay Peat 13; Cooke: Points: Amanda Morton 22; Tries: Stacey Sloan 3

Preview: Flanker Martha Dwyer will make her first All-Ireland League start, featuring in a rejigged Railway Union back row which has Evelyn Donnelly deputising for the 13-try Lindsay Peat at number 8. Otherwise they are unchanged from last week’s 58-3 victory in Ballincollig.

Cooke endured a big loss to the table toppers last month, but showed signs of definite improvement at home to Wicklow with a four-try haul. Getting Ulster winger Niamh Marley back on the pitch has sharpened up their attack, while Stacey Sloan is a try-scoring threat too in the forwards.

Last season’s corresponding fixture saw Railway run out 71-7 winners, but Cooke can point to last February’s 29-5 home defeat for encouragement in terms of their defence. Looking at the 2024/25 statistics, Railway are scoring an average of 64 points per game, while Cooke are conceding 50.

Recent League Meetings – Saturday, February 10, 2024: Cooke 5 Railway Union 29, Shaw’s Bridge; Saturday, December 7, 2024: Cooke 0 Railway Union 115, Shaw’s Bridge

IrishRugby.ie Prediction: Railway Union to win

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