Being Back In Blue Is Right Up Baker’s Street

Ireland Sevens international Kathy Baker may have been on the pitch a lot longer than she is used to, but it is fair to say the Leinster newcomer took to the Vodafone Women’s Interprovincial Championship like a duck to water.

Only a recent addition to the Leinster senior squad, Baker made sure her lack of 15s experience did not show in a 37-21 win over Ulster as she contributed two tries and three assists from outside centre.

The 27-year-old has played in 110 World Sevens Series matches for Ireland, and graced the Olympic stage in Paris last summer. The last time she wore the blue jersey of her home province was in the Under-18 Girls Interprovincial Series back in 2016.

Her 15s reintroduction, at senior level, saw her deliver a player-of-the-match performance at Energia Park on Sunday, and she clearly relished using her athleticism and skills from the Sevens game to make an impact.

“I enjoyed it. I’m not going to lie, it was long! I’ve very used to seven minutes a half! 80 minutes is long, but I really, really enjoyed it,” she told Leinster Rugby TV.

“It’s been good. There are so many skills that transfer so easily, especially going in as a back in 15s. I really enjoyed it, and getting to put some skills out there.

“I’ve come in only last minute, kind of a couple of weeks ago. It’s just really good that you have such a good base of girls that are so willing to teach you.

“They’ve been nothing but welcoming so it’s really beneficial to see that, the new players coming in. That it’s such a good environment to actually come into and learn.”

A total of 13 players made their senior debuts for Leinster on the day, showcasing what a fresh group this is under new head coach Ben Martin. Indeed, only Nikki Caughey, Jade Gaffney, captain Molly Boyne, and Jane Neill were retained from the team that started last year’s final.

That is largely down to their Ireland internationals’ Rugby World Cup commitments, as well as some injuries and retirements. In their absence, some of Leinster’s new caps led the way in some key areas against a resilient Ulster outfit.

Teenage winger Emma Brogan helped herself to a hat-trick of tries on her Leinster senior bow, lock Clíodhna Ní Chonchobhair led the tackle count with 11, including three dominant hits, and Brogan and Maggie Boylan both finished with over 100 running metres.

It was an all-action 80 minutes from Baker who, along with her involvement in those tries, made nine tackles and 10 carries, had two line breaks, beat three defenders, and picked up two breakdown steals.

It was setting up Brogan’s scores, particularly her last one with a pinpoint 15-metre skip pass, that gave the Dubliner the most satisfaction, as she said: “Emma was always there, I was like, ‘here you go, in you go!’. It was fantastic. I loved that.”

Given her global exploits with the Ireland Sevens team, playing in front of a home crowd was a novel experience for Baker, and she is set to do it again this Saturday when Leinster host arch rivals Munster in Donnybrook (kick-off 2.30pm – tickets are available here).

An attendance of 1,104 watched Martin’s charges open their campaign in bonus point-winning form, and with the finals day also taking place at Energia Park at the end of the month, they will want to continue to build momentum with their performances.

“We have a lot to clean up for next weekend. Tuesday is going to be really vital that we all arrive there in good shape.

“Ulster really put in a great performance, especially when we had a lapse in concentration in the middle. I have to give it to them, they had some really strong players out there.

“I loved the home support. Having a few people in the crowd that you know, and being at home, I have so many people (here). It’s an absolute pleasure and hopefully it will be the same again next Saturday,” added Baker.

Meanwhile, Brogan regularly gets on the scoresheet for whatever team she plays for, from the Leinster and Ireland U-18s through to her current club MU Barnhall. She crossed the whitewash when Barnhall won their third Energia All-Ireland Junior Cup title last January.

Fast forward seven months, and the Navan RFC product was recently part of the Ireland U-20 squad for the Six Nations Women’s Summer Series in Wales, and has now made the step up to senior level with Leinster.

She credits the high level of training which Martin’s side have undertaken across the summer, at their bases in Energia Park and The High School, as crucial in priming them for what was a very competitive opening clash.

“I’m buzzing with the start and I’m buzzing with the three tries. To be fair they were team tries, but I’m happy I was finishing them off anyway,” she said.

“It’s all down to training, we’re going flat out (in defence). We’re hitting each other hard. It just makes it easier going out onto the pitch, it’s like everyday training.

“It’s very welcoming (in the senior set-up) but it’s also very competitive. There’s new players coming in every week, and all the Sevens girls are back now so that will be more the kind of back-three competition.”

Brogan wants to contribute whether that is in the starting line-up, from the bench, or outside the matchday 23. She was typically busy on both sides of the ball against Ulster, making 10 carries, two line breaks, and six tackles, and beating four defenders.

Leinster certainly had to work hard for their winning start, with Ulster closing the gap to 17-14 approaching half-time, and then 27-21 with 30 minutes remaining. The connections in this new-look Leinster group feel tighter, a few weeks on from a 26-5 warm-up defeat to Ulster in Portadown.

“It was good (getting that try before half-time), because it kept our heads up as well. So when we were going into the second half, we were like, ‘come on girls, we have it, keep going’.

“Ulster definitely brought the physicality, I’m just glad that we came out on top. When we played the warm-up game against them, we weren’t together as a team then.

“We had a bonding trip, we got to know each other more, we got to know how each other plays and how to play, like different passes, flat, deep, whatever.

“Then we worked on it in training, and then we actually executed perfectly out on the pitch. We still have work-ons, but I’m glad we’ll be out next weekend, getting the chance to put those right against Munster,” she added.