#EnergiaAIL Women’s Division: Round 1 Review

A month on from her play-off heroics with Connacht, Hannah Clarke helped her new club Old Belvedere to begin the Energia All-Ireland League season with a bang.

Energia All-Ireland League Women’s Division: Round 1 Results Round-Up

Old Belvedere overcame Railway Union 34-19 for their first win in five meetings with their Dublin rivals, ensuring a bonus point-winning debut for freshly-appointed head coach Fiona Hayes.

Flying winger Clarke made a big first impression with her double, while fellow Ireland Under-20 international Ellie O’Sullivan Sexton also wielded plenty of influence from out-half with 14 points.

Railway kicked off in miserably wet conditions, and some early Belvedere pressure led to O’Sullivan Sexton scrambling over from close range. Ireland Rugby World Cup squad member Ivana Kiripati made two powerful carries in the build-up.

The Railway pack beat a path to the visitors’ try-line, with Keelin Brady and Megan Collis both prominent. Leinster captain Molly Boyne crashed in under the posts in the 14th minute, following an initial tap penalty. Caughey levelled with the conversion.

A lively second quarter produced four tries, by the end of which ‘Belvo had established a 26-14 lead. Ireland Sevens speedsters Amy Larn and Robyn O’Connor combined on a blistering break for the visitors.

They maintained the field position, and a few minutes later, lock Naoise Smyth forced her way over to make it 14-7. Emily Gavin used a nice step to respond for Railway in the 24th minute, with Caughey again converting.

‘Belvo continued to be clinical when inside the home side’s 22, though, and they nipped back in front when Clarke scored with a short arcing run. She made it a quick-fire brace when touching down O’Sullivan Sexton’s perfectly-weighted cross-field kick.

Last season’s beaten finalists had the better of the third quarter, but luck was not on their side. A forward pass and a knock-on thwarted promising attacks, and they were also unable to follow up on scrum half Hannah Scanlan’s pacy break.

With the rain unrelenting, Deirbhile Nic a Bháird’s breakout from deep got ‘Belvo moving in the right direction again. O’Sullivan Sexton’s well-struck 54th-minute penalty duly extended their lead to 29-14.

Ailsa Hughes provided energy and impact off the Railway bench, knitting together a prolonged attack which resulted in Caughey and Heidi Lyons freeing up replacement Hannah Johnston to cross out wide on the right.

That got the gap down to 10 points, but Old Belvedere managed to swiftly slam the door shut. Slick interplay between Kiripati and Nic a Bháird opened up the defence, and replacement Hazel Simmons finished off a multi-phase attack with their fifth and final try.

There were a number of new faces for both teams at a rain-soaked Park Avenue, including incoming Railway boss Sana Govender. His side travel to UL Bohemian next Saturday for a repeat of last season’s final.

UL Bohs, whom Hayes coached to back-to-back Women’s Division titles, kicked off their latest defence with a tidy 21-12 triumph at Blackrock College.

Now coached by Sarah Quin, Bohs’ power up front proved decisive as captain Chloe Pearse crashed over to add to first-half scores from Aoibhe O’Flynn and Eilís Cahill.

In wet conditions, Kate Flannery immediately pinned Blackrock back with a classy touchfinder. Luck was not on ‘Rock’s side when Lauren Farrell McCabe’s clearance kick cannoned off one of her own players, and O’Flynn reacted the quickest to touch down.

Caitríona Finn nailed the conversion from the left, opening up an seven-point advantage. Defences were on top for much of the first half, with Blackrock, driven on by skipper Hannah O’Connor and Maeve Óg O’Leary, unable to capitalise on a couple of maul opportunities.

The hosts opened their account on the half hour mark, Abby Moyles receiving a kick near halfway and quickly inviting Maggie Boylan to attack the space with a long pass.

The fleet-footed Boylan took off, handing off Abbie Salter-Townshend and cutting inside Éabha Nic Dhonnacha for an excellent individual score, converted by full-back Moyles.

However, the Red Robins retook the lead just before half-time. Number 8 Pearse punched through with two penetrating carries, having initially taken a quick tap. From a subsequent ruck, Eilís Cahill plunged over beside the posts to make it 14-7.

There were two converted tries in it after Pearse had surged over in the 43rd minute. Cahill snapped up a loose ‘Rock lineout, setting the visitors’ attack in motion. Flannery soon pulled the trigger, dangling a peach of a pass behind her for her captain to collect and raid over beside the posts.

New Blackrock head coach Niall Neville would have been pleased with how his charges reacted. They denied Bohs a bonus point try, notably stopping their maul before lock Kate Jordan was able to force a turnover penalty just a few metres out.

The Dubliners were rewarded late on when Boylan brilliantly evaded three defenders out wide to complete her brace. Yet it was not enough for a losing bonus point, as Moyles’ conversion, with the final kick of the game, went wide.

Meanwhile, Ennis made their historic first All-Ireland League fixture extra special by coming from behind to beat Tullow 29-26 in an eight-try epic at Blackgates.

Gareth O’Hanlon’s young side from Clare had trailed by 12 points in the early stages, having lost flanker Sally Kelly to the sin bin for a high tackle.

Using the full width of their all-weather pitch, Tullow took advantage with Roisin O’Toole scoring a superb solo try from just outside her own 22. She evaded three Ennis backs, using a big hand-off on Orna Moynihan to propel her clear.

The lead was out to a dozen points on the quarter hour mark, with Tullow captain Grace Kelly’s powerful carry from a tap penalty leading to quick ruck ball. Alex O’Brien was next up, storming in under the posts for newcomer France Bloomfield to convert.

Ennis replied in the 25th minute, maintaining their presence deep inside the Tullow 22 before American signing Saher Hamdan’s hard line to the left of the scrum took her over the whitewash for Emma Keane to convert.

Tullow hit back on the stroke of half-time, Kelly again sucking in defenders before hooker Katie Ann O’Neill’s strong carry saw her touch down close to the posts. Samoan international Bloomfield added the extras for a 19-7 scoreline.

Caoilfhionn Conway Morrissey and Chloe Farrell swapped early second-half tries, the former twisting out of couple of tackles to ground the ball and reward some solid work from the Ennis pack.

Centre Farrell’s intercept effort from just outside the visitors’ 22 secured the bonus point for the Carlow outfit. That gave them a 26-14 advantage with half-an-hour remaining, but it was not enough in the end as Ennis put together 15 unanswered points.

Hamdan stole a march on the Tullow defence, injecting pace from a quickly-taken penalty and combining with Lyndsay Clarke to spread the ball wide for winger Megan O’Connor to score in the left corner.

It was tireless number 8 Conway Morrissey, one of the players who has been there since the Ennis and Kilrush teams were amalgamated in 2021, who got over for the levelling try in the 64th minute.

Hamdan increased her influence by claiming a loose ball, and O’Connor regathered her own kick inside Tullow’s 22. A scrum penalty followed, and Conway Morrissey successfully barged her way over, having swatted away Angela Viciano’s initial tackle.

Goal-kicking winger Keane converted to square things up at 26-all, and as Ennis came hunting for a match-winning score, Tullow’s O’Toole landed a vital tackle on Moynihan with an overlap to exploit.

Hamdan soon ripped the ball back in a tackle, and Clarke led the late charge for Ennis. Tullow were caught offside, allowing Keane to coolly clip over the penalty just to the left of the posts. Her kick, coupled with a final Clarke turnover, sealed a tremendous comeback victory.

Coached by former Ireland international Jack Clarke (Hannah’s dad), Galwegians were the fourth victorious away team on the opening day.

They ran out 29-19 bonus point winners at Ballincollig, with former Cooke centre Dolores Hughes starring with a hat-trick fo tries.

In the early evening kick-off, Wicklow, who are determined to build on their fifth place finish last season, produced a dominant display to beat Cooke 44-0 at Ashtown Lane.

Ireland dual international Vicky Elmes Kinlan contributed two tries from outside centre, with Jennifer Madden, Clara Dunne, co-captain Eimear Douglas, and replacements Sophie Murphy, and replacement Rebecca Brennan (2) also dotting down.

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