PwC Under-18 Girls Interpros: Standings & Top Scorers After Round 2
Ireland Under-18 international Rebecca Cahill has been in impressive form for Leinster, scoring against both Ulster and Munster ©INPHO/Dan Clohessy
Top-scoring duo Rebecca Cahill and Sophia White have been key players in Leinster reaching the upcoming PwC Under-18 Girls Interprovincial Championship final. Connacht have also qualified, setting up a repeat of last year’s decider.
PwC Under-18 Girls Interpros: Round 2 Review
Leinster, the defending champions, and Connacht both made it two wins out of two last weekend, although the young Blues, coached by Derek Maybury, needed a last-gasp try from lock Orlagh O’Brien to edge out Munster.
With influential Ennis winger Abi Kelly contributing two tries, the Munster girls have come close to beating the Championship’s top two teams, losing by five points to Connacht at home, and by four to Leinster in Donnybrook last Saturday.
Colm Finnegan’s Ulster side have also been ultra competitive, particularly last time out at Galway Corinthians RFC where captain Olivia McKinley crossed the whitewash to cut the gap to 10-7, before the hosts showed their winning mentality again.
Portlaoise flyer Cahill, with three tries, and her provincial team-mate White are the competition’s leading scorers with 15 points so far. Leinster visit Connacht at Corinthian Park this Saturday (kick-off 12.15pm) in the final round of group games.
That same afternoon, Ulster will host Munster at Affidea Stadium (kick-off 1pm), as part of a double header with the senior Women’s teams. Tickets are available to buy here.
The two matches are dress rehearsals for the finals day at Wanderers FC on Saturday week, with the 3rd/4th place play-off kicking off at 1pm, and the final between Leinster and Connacht getting underway at 2.45pm.
Meanwhile, Cahill has six players close behind her in the race to be crowned top try scorer, with O’Brien, Kelly, McKinley, and Connacht’s Anna McDermott, Kate Gallagher (pictured above), and Kitty Fin Sweeney all sitting on two tries each.
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | Diff | TF | TA | TB | LB | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LEINSTER | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 55 | 22 | +33 | 9 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 9 |
| CONNACHT | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 34 | 12 | +22 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 9 |
| MUNSTER | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 20 | 29 | -9 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| ULSTER | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 14 | 60 | -46 | 2 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
PWC UNDER-18 GIRLS INTERPROVINCIAL CHAMPIONSHIP – TOP SCORERS AFTER ROUND 2:
POINTS –
15 – Rebecca Cahill (Leinster), Sophia White (Leinster)
10 – Abi Kelly (Munster), Anna McDermott (Connacht), Kate Gallagher (Connacht), Kitty Fin Sweeney (Connacht), Olivia McKinley (Ulster), Orlagh O’Brien (Leinster)
5 – Cailinn O’Brien (Munster), Gráinne Cleary (Leinster), Lily Byrne (Munster), Lily Harney (Leinster), Maebh Ní Cholla (Leinster)
2 – Erin Robinson (Ulster), Méabh Hull (Ulster), Mia White (Connacht), Sally Fleming (Connacht)
TRIES –
3 – Rebecca Cahill (Leinster)
2 – Abi Kelly (Munster), Anna McDermott (Connacht), Kate Gallagher (Connacht), Kitty Fin Sweeney (Connacht), Olivia McKinley (Ulster), Orlagh O’Brien (Leinster)
1 – Cailinn O’Brien (Munster), Gráinne Cleary (Leinster), Lily Byrne (Munster), Lily Harney (Leinster), Maebh Ní Cholla (Leinster), Sophia White (Leinster)