#EnergiaAIL Women’s Division: Round 2 Review

Energia All-Ireland League Women’s Division: Round 2 Results Round-Up

Coached this season by Sarah Quin, UL Bohemian hosted Railway Union on Saturday in a repeat of last April’s final. Tries from Emily Gavin and Nikki Caughey had the Dubliners right in the hunt at just 17-14 down at half-time.

However, turning around with the wind at their backs, UL displayed their ruthless streak to run out 44-17 winners. Alana McInerney finished with a hat-trick of tries, while Caitríona Finn, Eilís Cahill, Kate Flannery, and captain Chloe Pearse (2) also touched down.

The Red Robins got off to a flying start, retaining the ball well and finding space out wide. Rachel Allen and Flannery invited Finn to have a cut on the right, and she accelerated through to cross in the right corner.

Responding to that second-minute setback, Caughey judged the wind to perfection with a brilliant 50:22 kick. The subsequent lineout maul delivered Railway’s opening points, with hooker Gavin getting the touchdown.

The visitors took a 14-5 lead just past the quarter hour mark, as their pack’s pick-and-goes chipped away at the UL defence. Out-half Caughey then seized her chance, finding a gap between Kate Flannery and McInerney to score with a diagonal run.

Bohs closed the gap in the 24th minute, Finn’s inviting kick through gobbled up by winger McInerney for the first of her tries. As conditions worsened with heavier rain, the home side beat a path to the try-line again.

Experienced centre Allen carried strongly to make the initial incision before prop Cahill, last season’s Energia All-Ireland League Player of the Year, drove over beside the posts. Finn’s conversion made it a three-point margin at the interval.

A classy break from Aoife Corey paved the way for Flannery to pocket UL’s bonus point, early on the resumption. That made up for a disallowed Abbie Salter-Townshend effort, giving Bohs some breathing space at 22-14.

Railway’s scrummaging, coupled with the carrying of prominent number 8 Poppy Garvey, led to Caughey pulling back three points. But Bohs soon found another gear or two, scoring four tries during the final 22 minutes.

Pearse finished out wide following good passes from Flannery and Éabha Nic Dhonnacha, and as Beth Buttimer increased her influence, neat work from Allen and Finn set up McInerney to extend the lead out to 32-17.

Replacement Ailsa Hughes did her best to ensure Railway rallied late on, yet Quin’s charges had more in the tank. After Pearse had burrowed over, Flannery’s well-weighted cross-field kick bounced up for McInerney to dart over on the left.

Meanwhile, new leaders Galwegians followed up on their bonus point exploits in Ballincollig to beat Wicklow in impressive fashion on home soil. Connacht starlet Jemima Adams Verling starred with four tries in Glenina.

They laid the foundations for their 36-17 victory with four unanswered first-half tries. Full-back Sophie Cullen crashed over out wide in the fifth minute, following Siofra Hession’s initial cross-field kick which had been collected by Emily Foley.

Kila Curran Coleman lunged over from a 16th-minute ruck to make it 10-0, following up on a sharp first-phase attack involving Connacht duo Hession and Foley. Jack Clarke’s side continued to dominate territory, aided by a strong wind.

Heading towards half-time, the 19-year-old Adams Verling pounced inside Wicklow’s 22 for an intercept try, which Hession converted. She then fought off four defenders to stretch out for ‘Wegians’ bonus point score.

Wicklow lifted their game on the restart, quickly opening their account through Dutch hooker Lorraine Voorbach. They had a few near misses close to the try-line, including a disallowed Beth Roberts try, before captain Rachel Griffey crossed from a close-in ruck.

With their lead pared back to 22-12, Galwegians needed a swift response and they got it. Foley, sought out by Hession’s cross-field kick, fed number 8 Adams Verling to storm over from the left wing for her third try of the afternoon.

Recent Leinster debutant Clara Dunne, who featured on the left wing, made it over in the corner, giving Wicklow a shot at gaining a bonus point or two.

However, with four minutes remaining, Adams Verling sealed the result, picking her moment to snipe over from a ruck, in between sin-binnings for Wicklow replacement Jamie Church and Galwegians’ Rebecca Farrell.

Elsewhere, prop Ciara Coughlan’s early try lit the touchpaper for Ennis’ first home win in the All-Ireland League. They overcame Munster rivals Ballincollig on a 17-12 scoreline, maintaining their winning momentum from last week’s trip to Tullow.

Adding to her brace from the opening round, Caoilfhionn Conway Morrissey dotted down before half-time for the Clare outfit, while lively out-half Lyndsay Clarke tagged on their third try just three minutes after the restart.

Ballincollig battled their way to a deserved losing bonus point in the end, as loosehead Ciara Fleming claimed an 80th-minute try, their second of the game after captain Aoife Madigan had scored in the 12th minute.

Cooke erased a five-point half-time deficit as they emerged as 21-5 winners over Tullow at Shaw’s Bridge. Paige Smyth’s breakaway try during the closing stages wrapped things up for Brian McLaughlin’s side.

Tullow had hit the front in the 28th minute, spreading the ball at pace for winger Emma Carroll to get over out wide. Shola Iluyemi responded on the hour mark, picking from a ruck to score after Cooke had won a scrum against the head.

Amanda Morton sent Ulster hooker Maebh Clenaghan twisting her way over the whitewash before adding her second conversion. Capitalising on turnover ball, Smyth then had the pace to dash 70 metres downfield for the clinching score.

Meanwhile, Natasja Behan ended her 15-month absence due to an ACL injury, coming off the bench during Blackrock College’s well-judged 27-7 bonus point triumph away to Old Belvedere.

Maggie Boylan brilliantly showcased her speed and strength to open the scoring, taking her season’s haul to three tries already. There were 13 minutes on the clock when Blackrock struck again, scything through out wide following a turnover.

Returning from Rugby World Cup duty with Ireland, Méabh Deely burst clear from 40 metres out – following a well-timed pass from Ava Ryder – to put a dozen points between the Dublin rivals.

Old Belvedere prop Katie Layde answered back in the 23rd minute, stepping off her right for a clever finish from close range. Fiona Hayes’ charges, who were missing a number of their key players from last week, had steadied the ship after a rocky start.

They had not banked on Maeve Óg O’Leary restoring that 12-point gap before half-time. She got back on her feet after being tackled, regathering the ball to open up the ‘Belvo defence and score from 35 metres out despite Grace Tutty’s last-ditch tackle.

19-7 became 22-7 when Abby Moyles fired over a penalty, with Blackrock having brought on Behan for the start of the second half. She slotted in on the left wing, and the versatile Boylan made the move to scrum half.

‘Rock’s bonus point try arrived in the 73rd minute when out-half Moyles’ superbly-placed kick put replacement Andi Murphy over, on the back of strong carries by the tireless Hannah O’Connor and Aoife Moore.

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