#EnergiaAIL Women’s Division: Round 3 Review

Energia All-Ireland League Women’s Division: Round 3 Results Round-Up

Galwegians are going great guns at the top of the table, with a perfect 15 points registered so far. They have some heavyweight opposition to come before Christmas, but Jack Clarke’s side already look much improved compared to last season.

They finished a distant sixth last April, with just five wins on the board. Their attack has really clicked into gear in recent weeks, and they racked up a dozen tries in beating Tullow 74-7, including four from centre Niamh Murphy.

Under the floodlights at Blackgates, Catherine Dempsey’s well-timed interception threatened a first-minute try for Tullow until Gemma Faulkner got back to bring her down a few metres short.

Síofra Hession’s pullback pass sent Murphy away from the cover defence to give ‘Wegians an eighth-minute lead. They quickly warmed to their task, displaying their free-scoring form of the first fortnight.

Prop Ella Burns drove over for the Blue Belles’ second try, and tall centre Murphy crossed again in the 16th minute, stepping off her right to score after captain Ellen Connolly had been stopped just short.

Following the first of Jemma Lees’ seven successful conversions, the visitors bagged their bonus point by the end of the first quarter. Connacht starlet Emily Foley supplied the finishing touches to a pacy three-player break down the left.

Gráinne Moran, who sniped over after a powerful lineout maul, and Catherine Fleming got in on the act, either side of the half hour mark. While Tullow were faring well in the scrum, they were now 32 points in arrears.

Winger Foley darted clear for a 36th-minute breakaway try, which started with Dolores Hughes’ instinctive kick from deep. 39-0 became 46-0 early on the resumption, as Murphy’s terrific run from halfway took her try tally to three.

Foley then completed her own hat-trick, accelerating away after Moran had dangled an inviting pass behind her. Tullow knuckled back down in the windy conditions, with Alex O’Brien, Diana Kabi, and Orla Hanlon leading the charge.

Katie Ann O’Neill was brought down short amid a prolonged spell inside Galwegians’ 22. But there was no denying Nicola Kilcoyne in the 64th minute, the replacement front rower plunging over from a ruck after the Carlow outfit had tapped a penalty.

However, the visitors’ bench also made an impact. The fresh legs of Kila Curran Coleman took her over for two late tries, bringing her season’s haul to five. In between, Murphy beat four defenders for another smashing score from 50 metres out.

Meanwhile, Fiona Hayes’ return to Annacotty was an unsuccessful one as the new Old Belvedere head coach watched her former UL Bohemian team record a 36-0 bonus point victory.

Despite missing captain Lisa Callan and top try scorer Hannah Clarke, amongst others, Old Belvedere made a bright start in heavy rain. Half-backs Jade Gaffney and Ellie O’Sullivan Sexton were knitting play together well.

But it was the defending champions who hit the front after just four minutes. They transitioned from defence to attack in ruthless fashion, Emma Dunican collecting a loose ball to set up a ruck before Kate Flannery neatly unleashed the outside backs.

Taking play up to ‘Belvo’s 10-metre line, Éabha Nic Dhonnacha and Aoife Corey combined with Alana McInerney whose return pass put full-back Corey over from just outside the 22, fending off O’Sullivan Sexton along the way.

Orlaith McAuliffe’s turnover penalty was a highlight of the Dubliners’ defensive efforts. Megan Edwards also scrambled back well to get to a breaking ball following a McInerney kick that had UL on the move again.

Changing positions to the wing this week, Aoibhe O’Flynn made a big carry out wide after skipper Chloe Pearse’s flicked pass. The Red Robins’ phase-building wore down the ‘Belvo defence for Rachel Allen to send McInerney over for her fourth try of the campaign.

Flannery’s conversion put a dozen points between the sides, and inside 12 minutes of the restart, Bohs had their bonus point. Firstly, McInerney completed her brace, shrugging off two tackles to cross following some strong running from Allen and Nic Dhonnacha.

Belvedere got themselves in a good position courtesy of a Sinéad Farrell-controlled maul, only for a subsequent handling error to stop them in their tracks. Their opponents were clinical at key stages, though, and Cahill duly crashed over in the 52nd minute.

Now trailing 24-0, ‘Belvo were boosted by a top class touchfinder from O’Sullivan Sexton. Gaffney followed up with a penalty win at the breakdown a few minutes later, but UL continued to find their way to the whitewash.

Clodagh O’Halloran lunged in under the posts in the 60th minute, rewarding her fellow forwards who kept coming around the corner and making the hard yards. Flannery tagged on the extras to leave more than four converted scores in it.

Sarah Quin’s well-drilled outfit signed off with a sixth try late on. They kept knocking on the door, thwarted by ‘Belvo’s resilient defence and their own handling errors, until replacement Ava O’Malley touched down on the back of Cahill’s initial tap penalty.

Elsewhere, Ballincollig scored three unanswered second-half tries against Cooke to climb three places up to sixth. Awatere McLean-Wanoa, their summer signing from New Zealand, starred with a try double in a 31-10 triumph.

A a rain-soaked Tanner Park, Munster scrum half Eve Prendergast was released for the left corner in the fourth minute, as wind-backed Ballincollig used a quick turnover to take the lead.

Amanda Morton got across to make a try-saving tackle on Alison Kelly, before Cooke advanced downfield courtesy of a series of penalties. Hooker Shola Iluyemi showed impressive strength to barge over on the quarter hour mark, supported by Laura Scott.

Brian McLaughlin’s charges edged ahead, leading 10-5 past the half hour mark thanks to a powerful close-range finish from Ireland Under-20 international Sophie Barrett who, minutes earlier, was central to securing a scrum penalty.

However, Ballincollig nipped back in front for half-time, their captain Aoife Madigan expertly breaking away from a maul for a timely score, converted by Emma Connolly for a two-point advantage.

It was Connolly’s surging run which set the wheels in motion for McLean-Wanoa’s 44th-minute effort. The half-time replacement brilliantly swatted away a couple of tackles to slide over in the right corner.

‘Collig pushed on during the final quarter to seal their first win of the season. The slippery ball was proving problematic for both sides, but the hosts kicked smartly to win the territorial battle, and the pressure eventually told.

Sprung from the bench, Vicki Good hurtled through a couple of tackles to touch down in the 65th minute. Connolly converted the bonus point score, and also added the extras to McLean-Wanoa’s closing pick-and-go try.

Blackrock College handed Railway Union their third defeat since the start of the season, winning 29-10 at Park Avenue. Munster captain Maeve Óg O’Leary touched down twice as ‘Rock broke back into the top four.

Abby Moyles got almost every inch out of an early penalty for the visitors, setting up a lineout drive which saw Sam Brackett plunge over for an opening unconverted try.

Railway Union were not long in responding, using a scrum 35 metres out to unlock the Blackrock defence. The experienced Ailsa Hughes broke down the short side and fed Laura Sheehan for a pacy finish along the right wing.

A Brackett turnover penalty broke up a promising spell for last season’s table toppers. It was tit-for-tat at set-piece time, but Niall Neville’s side regained the lead approaching half-time.

Moyles increased her influence with a rip in the tackle, and then another fine touchfinder from a penalty. Railway conceded a penalty at the subsequent maul, and just a couple of phases later, O’Leary drove over to the left of the posts. The conversion from Moyles made it 12-5.

Two quick turnovers, including a lineout steal, and two tap penalties saw Railway up the ante on the resumption. Captain Niamh Byrne crossed after just four minutes, following good hands from Megan Collis and Nikki Caughey.

Blackrock held onto a tight lead with Caughey short with the conversion from out on the left. Natasja Behan went close from a Moyles cross-field kick, before skipper Hannah O’Connor was able to force a penalty at the breakdown.

O’Leary made the possession and territory count again when driving in low to score, backed up by Kate Jordan. A decisive cushion developed on the hour mark, with Méabh Deely’s 50:22 kick pinning Railway back close to their own try-line.

Only just back from an ACL injury, Behan bagged the bonus point try, opening up a 24-10 advantage, following an assist from Moyles. Durling Mira Broeks’ sin-binning, Trinity Todd finished smartly in the 70th minute from a Deely pass.

Meanwhile, Wicklow erased a seven-point half-time deficit as they emerged as 33-12 winners at home to Ennis. In response to an Aoibheann Hahessy brace, the hosts’ backs shared out five tries, including two from Vicky Elmes Kinlan.

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