Vodafone Women’s Interpros: Round 1 – Leinster v Ulster Preview

The Vodafone Women’s Interprovincial Championship’s finals day will take place at Energia Park at the end of the month, and the road to the play-offs begins in Donnybrook for defending champions Leinster and Ulster.

VODAFONE WOMEN’S INTERPROVINCIAL CHAMPIONSHIP – ROUND 1:

Sunday, August 10 –

LEINSTER v ULSTER, Energia Park, 2.30pm (live on Spórt TG4 YouTube Channel)

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Match Programme – Vodafone Women’s Interprovincial Championship Round 1

Recent Interprovincial Form: Leinster: WWLWW; Ulster: WLDLL

Last Five Meetings: 2019: Semi-Final: Leinster 59 Ulster 3, Templeville Road; 2021: Leinster 57 Ulster 12, Energia Park; 2023: Ulster 0 Leinster 43, Queen’s University Upper Malone; Leinster 57 Ulster 5, Energia Park; 2024: Ulster 14 Leinster 39, Kingspan Stadium

Players To Watch Out For: Leinster: Jane Neill – Fresh from captaining the Ireland Under-20s to two wins at the Six Nations Women’s Summer Series, Neill is having a real statement summer. Playing at lock and in the back row, she was honoured as Ireland’s MVP award winner at the tournament in Wales. A Leinster debutant last year, the 21-year-old has all the tools to have a big Interprovincial campaign.

Ulster: Niamh Marley – Marley, the attack-minded back-three player, is back to full fitness and eager to make her mark with Ulster again. Sidelined with a knee injury before the start of last season, she returned with Cooke and scored five tries in 10 games. The Armagh native has experience of two previous Interpro Championships.

Pre-Match Views – Molly Boyne (Leinster): “It’s so exciting. We’ve been training over the last couple of months and we’ve been putting in the hard work. We’ve got the detail from day dot from Ben (Martin) and the team, and really been building on that since then.

“We obviously have a very different looking team overall with a huge amount of young players coming in, and players from across the province. Having Ben, ‘Claff’ (Michelle Claffey), and Charlie (Doel) as our coaches has been amazing. We have a really exciting system that we’re looking to put into practice.

“If we can nail that, we’ll put any team under pressure. We had a recent warm-up game against Ulster, and got a huge amount of information about how they want to play and the tactics that they use. Everyone is raring to go and we can’t wait to get out onto the pitch on Sunday.”

India Daley (Ulster): “To captain this team is a huge privilege. I’m very honoured to be chosen. I’ve been playing here for the past four years. There’s such a good blend of experience and youth, and I can’t wait to see how this team progresses this year.

“I think our (warm-up) wins over Connacht and Leinster have really boosted our morale, especially after last season where we didn’t win any of our Inteprovincial games. We’re really going to hit the ground running now.

“It was mentally and physically tough (coming back from my ACL injury), but put in the hard work and you will get there. The rehab team have been unbelievable to get me back, and the physios pushed me so hard and really helped me through it. I’m so grateful for them.”

Team News: Leinster’s title defence, and the start of a potential three-in-a-row bid, kicks off in the familiar setting of Energia Park. Following in the footsteps of Tania Rosser, Ben Martin takes the coaching reins with Molly Boyne replacing the retired Hannah O’Connor as captain.

With many senior players off on international duty with Ireland ahead of the Rugby World Cup, a total of 13 players are set to make their Leinster senior debuts this weekend, including Ireland Sevens internationals Kathy Baker and Katie Corrigan.

Boyne, who captained the Blues in last year’s final in O’Connor’s injury-enforced absence, features at openside flanker, with debutant Ciara Short from Wicklow, and Ireland Under-20 captain Jane Neill completing the back row.

Clíodhna Ní Chonchobhair, who was part of last season’s successful Wolfhounds squad, and Kate Jordan form a new-look second row pairing, packing down behind Aoife Moore, Katie Layde, and returning hooker Lisa Callan, who missed last season’s Interpros due to a patella tendon tear.

Railway Union star Nikki Caughey also makes a welcome return, renewing her half-back partnership with new vice-captain Jade Gaffney, and Paris Olympian Baker will team up with Navan youngster Cara Martin in midfield for the first time.

Emma Brogan and former Munster player Maggie Boylan get the nod on the wings with Castlepollard teenager Caoimhe McCormack at full-back, as the hosts’ selected back-three make their first senior appearances in the blue jersey.

Ireland Under-20 international Kelly Burke and Leicester Tigers signing Clodagh Dunne have been named amongst an otherwise uncapped set of replacements in Méabh Keegan, Rosie Searle, Emma Kelly, Erin McConnell, Ellie O’Sullivan Sexton, and Corrigan.

Meanwhile, Ulster head coach Murray Houston has included four debutants in his starting XV for the first round trip to Dublin. In a big boost, versatile forward India Daley steps up as captain after an ACL tear saw her sidelined for a year.

Daley, a training panellist with the Ireland squad in 2024, will start at number 8, joining the uncapped Ruby Starrett from Ulster Junior Cup winners Queen’s University, and Katie Hetherington in the back row.

There is another fresh combination at lock where vice-captain Brenda Barr and newcomer Lauren Darley link up. Two members of Ireland’s successful Six Nations Summer Series squad, Sophie Barrett and Maebh Clenaghan, will pack down with Queen’s prop Sarah Roberts.

Suttonians stalwart Lauren Farrell McCabe makes the move from full-back to out-half, combining with Cooke’s Georgia Boyce who makes her Interprovincial bow at scrum half.

Siobhán Sheerin, who joined Hetherington in helping Clogher Valley to Suzanne Fleming Cup glory in March, will win her first cap in the centre alongside Ireland U-20 international Tara O’Neill.

Ulster’s back-three will carry plenty of attacking threat with Niamh Marley manning the full-back position, and Lucy Thompson, Ulster’s Young Player of the Year in 2024/25, and Downpatrick youngster Paige Smyth picked on either wing.

Looking to upset the title holders in his third season at the helm, Houston has opted for a six-two split on the bench. Megan Simpson, Cara McLean, Ava Fannin, Rebecca Beacom, Moya Hill, and Stacey Sloan are the forward reinforcements, while Rachael McIlroy and Kelly McCormill cover the back-line.

LEINSTER: Caoimhe McCormack (Railway Union RFC); Emma Brogan (MU Barnhall RFC), Kathy Baker (Blackrock College RFC), Cara Martin (Blackrock College RFC), Maggie Boylan (Blackrock College RFC); Nikki Caughey (Railway Union RFC), Jade Gaffney (Old Belvedere RFC); Aoife Moore (Blackrock College RFC), Lisa Callan (Old Belvedere RFC), Katie Layde (Old Belvedere RFC), Clíodhna Ní Chonchobhair (Blackrock College RFC), Kate Jordan (Blackrock College RFC), Ciara Short (Wicklow RFC), Molly Boyne (Railway Union RFC) (capt), Jane Neill (Old Belvedere RFC).

Replacements: Méabh Keegan (Railway Union RFC), Kelly Burke (MU Barnhall RFC), Clodagh Dunne (Old Belvedere RFC), Rosie Searle (Navan RFC), Emma Kelly (Old Belvedere RFC), Erin McConnell (Wicklow RFC), Ellie O’Sullivan Sexton (Old Belvedere RFC), Katie Corrigan (Old Belvedere RFC).

ULSTER: Niamh Marley (Cooke RFC); Lucy Thompson (Enniskillen RFC/Cooke RFC), Siobhán Sheerin (Clogher Valley RFC), Tara O’Neill (Cooke RFC), Paige Smyth (Ballynahinch RFC/Cooke RFC); Lauren Farrell McCabe (Suttonians RFC), Georgia Boyce (Cooke RFC); Sarah Roberts (Queen’s University Belfast RFC), Maebh Clenaghan (Queen’s University Belfast RFC), Sophie Barrett (Enniskillen RFC), Lauren Darley (Queen’s University Belfast RFC), Brenda Barr (Suttonians RFC), Ruby Starrett (Queen’s University Belfast RFC), Katie Hetherington (Clogher Valley RFC), India Daley (Enniskillen RFC/Blackrock College RFC) (capt).

Replacements: Megan Simpson (Cooke RFC), Cara McLean (Larne RFC), Ava Fannin (Blackrock College RFC), Rebecca Beacom (Enniskillen RFC), Moya Hill (Enniskillen RFC), Rachael McIlroy (Queen’s University Belfast RFC), Kelly McCormill (Monaghan RFC/Cooke RFC), Stacey Sloan (Cooke RFC).

Referee: Cian Aherne (IRFU)
Assistant Referees: Stuart Donaldson, Gary McCormack (both IRFU)