Energia All-Ireland Women’s Junior Cup Final Preview: Malone v MU Barnhall

ENERGIA ALL-IRELAND WOMEN’S JUNIOR CUP FINAL:

Sunday, January 19 –

MALONE v MU BARNHALL, Dundalk RFC, 2.30pm (live on irishrugby+)

Energia Junior Cup Titles – Malone: 0; MU Barnhall: 2 (2023. 2024); Previous Final Appearances – Malone: 0; MU Barnhall: 2 (2023 Champions, 2024 Champions)

Energia Junior Cup 2024/25 Top Scorers – Malone: Points: Alexa McMullan 17; Tries: Anna Stanfield 3; MU Barnhall: Points: Ciara Faulkner 26; Tries: Abby Healy, Katelynn Doran 3 each

Previous Energia Junior Cup Finals –

2023 – Tullamore 12 MU Barnhall 38
2024 – Tuam/Oughterard 6 MU Barnhall 15

Pre-Match Quotes – Lauren Maginnes (Malone): “The club’s really behind us with the supporters bus going down. Everyone’s really excited. So I just feel like we have a point to prove, to sort of prove that rugby in Ulster is at that level, and we can compete against these teams.

“It would mean so much. You know playing week in, week out, the league is an entirely different sort of event. To win a cup is something special, and because it’s an All-Ireland Cup (it) would mean even more. It would just be amazing for the club.

“We’ve proved that we can play with these big teams, we beat Tuam/Oughterard, the finalists from last year. Proved to ourselves and to everyone that we can play with those bigger teams.”

Órfhlaith Murray (MU Barnhall): “In Women’s rugby, I don’t think that finals come along too often, so it’s really nice to have been in a few. Like last year we were in two different finals, which is kind of rare in rugby.

“The standard is class, and we have so many numbers at training as well, over 45 players some nights. The competition that we have this year, it just makes everyone so much better as well.

“Malone are a really good team. I remember playing them. We played them in the first round of this competition last year, and it was a really tight game.

“I think they’re an experienced team as well, so they’ll know what they’re doing. We just have to prepare really well for them and see what happens on the day. It’s a final, so everyone’s going to be up for it. I imagine it’ll be a tight game again.”

Paths To The Final –

MALONE:

First Round
– won 46-14 v Mullingar home

Semi-Final
– won 31-27 v Tuam/Oughterard home

MU BARNHALL:

First Round
– won 41-10 v Ennis/Kilrush home

Semi-Final
– won 64-5 v Tralee away

Preview: Malone have broken new ground this season by becoming the first Ulster club to reach the Energia All-Ireland Women’s Junior Cup final. MU Barnhall have ensured a Leinster dominance during the competion’s first two years, winning back-to-back titles.

These two teams actually met at the start of last season’s Junior Cup, with MU Barnhall winning 24-15 at Gibson Park. Marshalled by head coach Niamh Fitzgerald, the Kildare side have won all eight of the Junior Cup ties they have contested so far.

Despite missing captain Peita McAlister and Hannah Beattie through injury, Malone are relishing this chance to win All-Ireland silverware. They were Energia All-Ireland Shield champions in 2022, during their most recent season in the All-Ireland League.

The likes of stand-in captain Lauren Maginnes, Jill Stephens, Emma Jordan, and Anna Stanfield, who has made the switch from centre to number 8, were part of that Shield-winning squad, and some exciting youngsters are also emerging, including Ulster Under-18 talent Niamh Fulton.

Coached by Shane Johnston and Lee Barlow, the Cregagh Red Sox reached the decider thanks to a late Stanfield try. They edged out last year’s runners-up Tuam/Oughterard 31-27 at home, and this is their first cup game away from Gibson Park after beating Mullingar there in the first round.

Johnston’s charges kicked off the New Year with a disappointing 45-12 Ulster Premiership defeat away to Enniskillen, but that result should have them primed for a much-improved performance this afternoon. Maginnes has highlighted how they need to cut out their slow starts.

Compared to Malone’s semi-final selection, Stephens comes in at full-back and recent senior debutant Fulton joins Cara O’Neill and Stanfield in the back row. Sophie Armstrong covers McAlister’s absence by switching to a centre role alongside Jordan.

Barnhall’s starting XV contains eight players who started against Tuam/Oughterard last January. They include Órfhlaith Murray and Katelynn Doran, the co-captains this season, and Ciara Faulkner who has top-scored with 26 points on their way back to the final.

Ireland Under-18 internationals Emma Brogan and Abby Healy have added to Barnhall’s attacking options this season, with the latter helping herself to a hat-trick of tries during their dominant semi-final display away to Tralee.

They needed a late 10-point burst to retain their crown twelve months ago, and Doran is anticipating another close battle given it was four tries-to-three in that last meeting. But based on their current table-topping form in Leinster with nine straight wins, Barnhall will take some beating.

IrishRugby.ie Prediction: MU Barnhall to win

MALONE: Jill Stephens; Claire McKane, Emma Jordan, Sophie Armstrong, Mia Ferguson; Alexa McMullan, Shirelle Wilson; Sarah Murphy, Katie-Anne McCallion, Ashleigh Currie, Ruby Devine, Lauren Maginnes (capt), Niamh Fulton, Cara O’Neill, Anna Stanfield.

Replacements: Leah Clarke, Rebecca Greenaway, Beth Leckey, Erin Jones, Lauren Hassett, Katie McAllister, Samantha Eley, Donna McGovern.

MU BARNHALL: Amy Rushton; Emma Brogan, Ciara Faulkner, Abby Healy, Alex Casey; Órfhlaith Murray (co-capt), Naïs Jaime Bouquet; Hope Lowney, Emily Byrne, Rebecca Francis, Anna Mai O’Brien, Ellen Dunne, Claire Burke, Prudence Isaac, Katelynn Doran (co-capt).

Replacements: Michelle Gorman, Aoibheann Healy, Holly Leach, Ali Howick, Aoife Corcoran, Uxue Merino, Emer Sweetnam, Lia Branigan.

Referee: Siobhán Daly (IRFU)