#EnergiaAIL Women’s Division: Round 7 Review

Energia All-Ireland League Women’s Division: Round 7 Results Round-Up

Energia All-Ireland League Women’s Division: Round 7 Highlights

Julia O’Connor’s 66th-minute try got Old Belvedere over the line against Galwegians, a game that ebbed and flowed eventually going their way after the home side had impressed during the first half.

The outcome was in doubt right until the end as these teams served up an enthralling encounter. Galwegians broke into a three-try lead before Fiona Hayes’ side fought back brilliantly to claim a 22-19 bonus point win.

Niamh Murphy’s eighth try of the season was the ideal start for ‘Wegians, her support of fellow centre Sophie Cullen’s lung-busting break from deep being rewarded in the 11th minute.

Some excellent interplay from their wingers saw Jack Clarke’s charges score again from their own 22. Old Belvedere had been building nicely up that point, advancing from penalties before a key lineout did not go to hand.

Ella Burns won a turnover penalty, and the possession was moved across to the right where Emily Foley and Kila Curran Coleman turned on the afterburners together, the former taking a return pass to cruise in behind the posts.

Teenage out-half Síofra Hession’s second conversion had the Blue Belles leading 14-0, and replacement Sinéad O’Brien soon stepped off her left to finish off some impressive handling from her team-mates.

Belvedere’s persistence paid off with a try on the stroke of half-time, as flanker Emily Byrne burrowed over from a close-in ruck. That left two converted scores in it, and it was the ‘Belvo pack that seized the initiative on the restart.

Leinster hooker Lisa Callan showed her power to swat away a couple of defenders and touch down under the posts. Hazel Simmons converted, and then replacement Alisha Flynn made it over the whitewash in equally determined fashion.

That 61st-minute score was coming after a couple of near misses, and the visitors’ dominance of territory. They took the lead for the first and final time when O’Connor squeezed over in the left corner following another collective attacking surge.

Try as they might, Galwegians just could not get back into scoring range, and Belvedere, with Leinster vice-captain Jade Gaffney standing out for her distribution and game management, closed it out to claim their fourth victory in a row.

Meanwhile, reigning champions UL Bohemian made it seven wins on the trot, as Beth Buttimer’s hat-trick helped to propel them past hosts Wicklow on a 43-10 scoreline.

Like Belvedere, UL Bohs were missing some of their key backs due to Ireland Sevens call-ups, but they made light of those absentees to charge into a 36-0 half-time lead at Ashtown Lane.

Wicklow’s defence held firm initially, although an excellent 50:22 kick from Caitríona Finn had UL’s tails up. The breakthrough came in the sixth minute, with flanker Lily Brady raiding over from Kate Flannery’s incisive pass.

Buttimer, who has been awarded her first senior contract withing the IRFU’s High Performance Programme, muscled over from a tap penalty on the quarter hour mark. Finn’s crisp conversion from out wide went over off the left-hand post.

Trailing 14-0, Wicklow were getting some joy at the breakdown and also won a scrum penalty. Nonetheless, Éabha Nic Dhonnacha took care of Bohs’ bonus point with two tries in a short spell, the second one from a smart sidestepping run after a partially-blocked kick.

Buttimer and Brady closed out the first-half’s scoring with two more tries, the 20-year-old from Tipperary grounding the ball off a well-executed maul, before Brady was lurking out on the left for a pacy finish in the corner.

Jason Moreton’s half-time words did the trick for Wicklow, who were much improved on the restart. Their share of possession and territory rapidly increased, and they attacked with gusto from another well-won scrum penalty.

Although a pass went to ground near UL’s 10-metre line, Ireland Under-20 back Clara Dunne showed quick reactions. Her pick-up and burst of acceleration took her outside Clodagh O’Halloran, and she evaded the clutches of Aoibhe O’Flynn for a tremendous individual try.

Wicklow got into double figures, their co-captain Rachel Griffey using her strength to crash over from a five-metre scrum. Shortly afterwards, there was a long injury stoppage for the unfortunate Roisin Stone, who hurt herself when making a tackle.

In her absence, Wicklow gained promising ground but the table-toppers slammed the door shut. Buttimer broke over from a ruck to complete her hat-trick in the 72nd minute, but Teni Onigbode’s defensive heroics denied Flannery a try right at the death.

Elsewhere, Railway Union improved their points difference handsomely when they visited Cooke. It was one-way traffic for most of the match at Shaw’s Bridge, with Ireland U-18 international Heidi Lyons starring with four tries in a 105-0 win.

A rampant Railway had twelve different try scorers. Claire Boles’ brace took her onto nine tries for the campaign. It is a tough run of fixture for Cooke before Christmas – they have Old Belvedere next up and then Blackrock College.

Blackrock have climbed above Galwegians into second place after recording a 44-12 win at home to Ennis. A five-try first-half performance set Niall Neville’s charges on their way, and they have now won six successive games.

Five minutes in, Maggie Boylan carved through the Ennis defence, and quick recycling led to young flanker Sarah Moody scoring her first Energia All-Ireland League try in the left corner, via a Maeve Óg O’Leary pass.

Ennis, who had done well to force an early maul turnover, failed to take advantage of a scrum penalty. Out-half Lyndsay Clarke was prominent, her right boot continually gaining territory and also proving dangerous with cross-field kicks.

The Clare outfit were struggling on their own lineout ball, though, and despite Aoibhín Donnelly arrowing through the middle when countering from a kick, a knock-on spoiled arguably their best attack involving Laura Cooney and Sally Kelly.

Méabh Deely kicked off a run of tries for Blackrock before half-time, the Ireland international crossing out wide after a neat attack sparked by Abby Moyles and Hannah O’Connor.

Boylan had the pace to beat both Patricia Coote and Clarke, taking her season’s haul to 10 tries, before O’Leary bagged two-well taken scores, both from lineouts with the second one from a powerful pack drive.

Ella Durkan used a strong hand-off to score within seven minutes of the restart. Deely’s conversion made it 32-0, and it was not long before ‘Rock’s industrious captain O’Connor drove in low to extend the lead by a further five points.

Both sides were leaking penalties at this stage, and Ennis took advantage, their number 8 Caoilfhionn Conway Morrissey with a great pick-up from a ruck to storm her way over from eight metres out. Coote added the extras.

Blackrock replacement Molly Fitzpatrick completed their eight-try tally with a bulldozing run. However, Ennis skipper Micaela Glynn deservedly hit back in the final play, rewarding Conway Morrissey’s turnover and a power-packed carry from Aoibheann Hahessy.

Ballincollig won for the first time in four rounds, getting the better of hosts Tullow thanks to second-half tries from Kate O’Sullivan and replacement Emeila Deane. The 31-10 triumph has moved them up one place to seventh.

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