Irish Rugby | Vodafone Women’s Interpros: Round 3 – Ulster v Munster Preview

Ulster host a final-bound Munster, who have put together back-to-back bonus point wins, as the last group match in this year’s Vodafone Women’s Interprovincial Championship takes place at Affidea Stadium, the venue for the 2024 decider.

VODAFONE WOMEN’S INTERPROVINCIAL CHAMPIONSHIP – ROUND 3:

Saturday, August 23 –

ULSTER (4th) v MUNSTER (1st), Affidea Stadium, 4.15pm (live on Spórt TG4 YouTube Channel)

Buy Your Match Ticket(s) Here

Match Programme – Vodafone Women’s Interprovincial Championship Round 3

Vodafone Women’s Interpros: Player Rankings – Top Tens After Round 2

Recent Interprovincial Form: Ulster: DLLLL; Munster: WWLWW

2025/26 Interprovincial Championship Top Scorers: Ulster – Points: Siobhán Sheerin 18; Tries: Siobhán Sheerin 2; Munster – Points: Chisom Ugwueru 20; Tries: Chisom Ugwueru 4

Last Five Meetings: 2019: 3rd-4th Place Play-Off: Munster 39 Ulster 12, Energia Park; 2021: Ulster 5 Munster 50, Kingspan Stadium; 2023: Munster 34 Ulster 0, Musgrave Park; Ulster 14 Munster 41, Palace Grounds; 2024: Munster 29 Ulster 22, Virgin Media Park

Team	Pld	W	L	PF	PA	Diff	TF	TA	TB	LB	Points
MUNSTER	2	2	0	77	27	+50	13	5	2	0	10
LEINSTER	2	1	1	59	54	+5	11	8	2	0	6
CONNACHT	2	1	1	17	51	-34	3	9	0	0	4
ULSTER	2	0	2	28	49	-21	4	9	0	1	1

Players To Watch Out For: Ulster: Abby Moyles – Moyles will make her seasonal debut for Ulster against a number of her club-mates. The skilful youngster from Trim, County Meath was an Energia All-Ireland League winner with UL Bohemian last April, and slots back in at out-half for Murray Houston’s side.

Munster: Clodagh O’Halloran – Vastly experienced and versatile, O’Halloran is equally comfortable in the second row or back row. The Kilkishen native’s 25th senior appearance for Munster last week, away to Leinster, saw her pinch possession at key stages with two turnovers and two lineout steals.

Pre-Match Views – Stephanie Nunan (Munster): “We had a review there on Tuesday, and we actually have left a lot out from last weekend. So there’s still that drive, and we have so much more to offer. The buzz around training has been amazing.

“So us, ourselves, we’re working on everything that we need to nail down now for the next two weeks, especially this week going into Ulster. It’s week by week to be honest, all the focus will be on the Ulster game, and bringing what we left behind us in the last two games.

“Getting them out on the pitch on Saturday, that’s what we’re looking for. It’s going to be a battle. Ulster are amazing as well, you can see the improvements they’ve made, and some of the newer players pushing through. It’s up to us to nail down everything we have been working on.”

Leah Lyons (Munster): “We’re really aware of what Ulster can do. They’re a very good team, a strong, physical team. I think for us this weekend, it will be looking at ourselves to see can we keep to our standards of what we’re doing.

“Can we also really, really compete with them, because we know we’re going to get that battle physically whether it’s set-piece and around the park. I guess for us it is let’s go out and win it. That’s what we’re going to look for, but also we’re really aware that it’s going to be a really good challenge up north.

“We got into a really good swing of things against Leinster. We got go-forward, we got good momentum off the ball from players. Set-piece was really good from players as well, I suppose there was that good feeling going into the game, and you know the girls took control of it, and great to get a win.”

Team News: Ulster head coach Murray Houston has made a number of changes to the matchday 23 ahead for the province’s only home game of the Interprovincial Championship.

Skipper India Daley moves to hooker and is joined by seasoned Aishling O’Connell and Sophie Barrett at tighthead and loosehead prop respectively.

Vice-captain Brenda Barr returns at lock and is joined by Ellen Patterson.

Rounding off the forward pack is Moya Hill and Rebecca Beacom in the flanks, with Stacey Sloan at Number 8.

The out-half partnership sees two changes, with Sophie Meeke at scrum-half and Abby Moyles returning from injury at fly-half.

Kelly McCormill and Siobhán Sheerin run out in the midfield.

Niamh Marley stays at wing this week, and is joined by debutante, Ciara Fitzsimons.

Kate Farrell-McCabe completes the starting XV at full-back.

Replacement cover comes from Megan Simpson, Bronach Cassidy, Sophie McAlister, Lauren Darley and Georgia Boyce, with Ciara O’Donnell, Farrah Cartin-McCloskey and Katie Gilmour all hoping to make their debut.

Meanwhile, Munster boss Matt Brown has made four changes to the team that recorded a bonus point win over current title holders Leinster last weekend.

Up front Deirbhile Nic a Bháird replaces Aoife Fleming at hooker. She will pack down with Grainne Burke at loosehead and Eilís Cahill at tighthead.

There are two changes to this week’s second row pairing as Clodagh O’Halloran and Jane Clohessy replace Aoibhe O’Flynn and Claire Bennett. Brianna Heylmann will join captain Maeve Óg O’Leary and Chloe Pearse in the back-row.

Abbie Salter-Townshend will continue as our scum-half for this week and will be accompanied by fellow UL Bohs team-mate Kate Flannery at out-half.

Caitríona Finn will take up the inside centre role with Stephanie Nunan on her outside. While Alana McInerney will make the switch back out to the wing and join Chisom Ugwueru and Aoife Corey to make up the back-three.

There will be another three players making their debuts this weekend as Ballincollig RFC’s Alisha Flynn, Ennis RFC’s Sally Kelly and Loughborough College’s Meghan Crilly are named on the bench.

Crilly will also be the first-ever current U18 player to play for the side.

They will be joined by Ciara McLoughlin, Claire Bennett, Emma Dunican, Sally Kelly, Eve Prendergast and Lucia Linn.

ULSTER: Kate Farrell McCabe (Suttonians RFC); Ciara Fitzsimons (Queen’s University Belfast RFC), Siobhán Sheerin (Clogher Valley RFC), Kelly McCormill (Monaghan RFC/Cooke RFC), Niamh Marley (Cooke RFC); Abby Moyles (UL Bohemian RFC), Sophie Meeke (Enniskillen RFC); Aishling O’Connell (Monaghan RFC/Cooke RFC), India Daley (Enniskillen RFC/Blackrock College RFC) (capt), Sophie Barrett (Enniskillen RFC), Ellen Patterson (Queen’s University Belfast RFC), Brenda Barr (Suttonians RFC), Moya Hill (Enniskillen RFC), Rebecca Beacom (Enniskillen RFC), Stacey Sloan (Cooke RFC).

Replacements: Megan Simpson (Cooke RFC), Bronach Cassidy (Queen’s University Belfast RFC), Sophie McAlister (Ballymena RFC), Lauren Darley (Queen’s University Belfast RFC), Ciara O’Donnell (Enniskillen RFC), Georgia Boyce (Enniskillen RFC), Farrah Cartin McCloskey (Enniskillen RFC), Katie Gilmour (Cooke RFC).

MUNSTER: Aoife Corey (UL Bohemian RFC); Alana McInerney (UL Bohemian RFC), Stephanie Nunan (UL Bohemian RFC), Caitríona Finn (UL Bohemian RFC), Chisom Ugwueru (UL Bohemian RFC); Kate Flannery (UL Bohemian RFC), Abbie Salter-Townshend (UL Bohemian RFC); Gráinne Burke (UL Bohemian RFC), Deirbhile Nic a Bháird (Old Belvedere RFC), Eilís Cahill (UL Bohemian RFC), Clodagh O’Halloran (UL Bohemian RFC), Jane Clohessy (UL Bohemian RFC), Brianna Heylmann (UL Bohemian RFC), Maeve Óg O’Leary (Blackrock College RFC) (capt), Chloe Pearse (UL Bohemian RFC).

Replacements: Alisha Flynn (Ballincollig RFC), Ciara McLoughlin (UL Bohemian RFC), Claire Bennett (UL Bohemian RFC), Emma Dunican (Tralee RFC), Sally Kelly (Ennis RFC), Eve Prendergast (Ballincollig RFC), Lucia Linn (UL Bohemian RFC), Meghan Crilly (Loughborough University).

Referee: Dermot Blake (IRFU)
Assistant Referees: Chris Cahoon, Stuart Campbell (both IRFU)