VODAFONE WOMEN'S INTERPROVINCIAL CHAMPIONSHIP - ROUND 3:
Saturday, August 22 –
CONNACHT 12 MUNSTER 47, Dexcom Stadium
Scorers: Connacht: Tries: Uillin Eilian, Jemima Adams Verling; Con: Síofra Hession
Munster: Tries: Alana McInerney 3, Alisha Flynn 2, Caitríona Finn, Abbie Salter-Townshend; Cons: Caitríona Finn 6
HT: Connacht 5 Munster 21
Although Leinster's earlier victory over Ulster ended Connacht's hopes of reaching next week's final at Dexcom Stadium, they put in a gutsy display in their first game in front of the fully-completed Clan Stand.
Uillin Eilian had a dream start to her Connacht senior debut, grabbing a third-minute try, but Munster gradually took control of the scoreboard to lead 21-5 at half-time.
Alana McInerney's intercept effort was followed by Alisha Flynn driving in under the posts, and then Caitríona Finn's slick 33rd-minute score brought her tally to 11 points.
The defending champions' third straight bonus point success was rubber-stamped by further tries from player-of-the-match McInerney, who helped herself to a hat-trick, Flynn, and replacement Abbie Salter-Townshend.
Bursting over for a brilliant try on the hour mark, Connacht number 8 Jemima Adams Verling capitalised on Siobhán McCarthy's sin-binning, but the Reds had the result wrapped up.
Matt Brown's table-topping side, who are on a seven-match winning streak, will be back at Dexcom Stadium next Saturday, facing familiar foes Leinster as they bid for back-to-back Interpro titles.
The opening play-off clash on finals day will see Craig Hansberry's young Connacht outfit target a third place finish, with a revenge-seeking Ulster standing in their way.
The Connacht forwards exerted early pressure against Munster. Ireland Under-18 hooker Eilian was at the heart of two purposeful mauls, the second one seeing her plunge over the whitewash.
The hosts' lead was a brief one, though, as McInerney soon swooped on a Lyndsay Clarke pass to score from 30 metres out. Finn kicked Munster in front for the first time.
Centres Clarke and Anna McGann saw a decent amount of possession as Connacht got back on the front foot, getting decisions at scrum time and the breakdown/tackle area.
Midway through the first half, Munster began to make headway with punchy carries from Flynn, on her first start, and the 19-year-old Sally Kelly, one of their best players during this round robin phase.
They converted that momentum into a second seven-pointer, as Flynn, supported by fellow prop McCarthy, powered over in the 25th minute for Finn to convert from straight in front.
In response, Connacht blew a maul opportunity with Grace Moore getting her hands on a loose lineout ball. Possession changed hands quickly with Aoife Corey earning a turnover penalty, before Faith Oviawe stole a lineout.
It was then Finn's turn to crown her first start since returning from injury. The 20-year-old dummied twice to glide inside both Sarah Purcell and Clara Barrett on a 40-metre run-in.
Clodagh O'Halloran's clever maul defence thwarted Connacht just before the interval, and an early attacking surge, on the resumption, saw Munster pocket their bonus point.
Replacement Niamh O'Mahony and Lucia Linn both made breaks, putting the westerners on the retreat, before McInerney coolly collected a Finn kick out wide to double her tally.
They made it five tries to one in the 51st minute, profiting from O'Halloran getting her hand to a Connacht lineout inside their 22. McCarthy's latch helped Flynn to bag her brace from short range.
Barely five minutes later, an Aoibhe O'Flynn turnover set the wheels in motion for McInerney to complete her hat-trick, the winger using Corey's timely pass to fend off Barrett and make it 40-5.
Connacht received a subsequent boost, with the amount of penalties conceded by Munster resulting in McCarthy seeing yellow for taking Méabh Deely too far past the ruck.
The hosts took advantage in the 63rd minute, as Adams Verling exploded off the base of a midfield scrum, evading two tackles and breaking through Corey's challenge for an excellent individual try, converted by replacement Síofra Hession.
However, Connacht's defence gave way again soon after. A gap opened up for Salter-Townshend to snipe clean through from a ruck, with Finn adding her sixth successful conversion.
Mayo teenager Aoife Heaney, on her debut, brought some big cheers out of the home crowd with her try-saving tackle on Katie Corrigan, and a glimpse of her own speed in attack.
It was Munster who went closest to grabbing a late try, replacement Corrigan again threatening out but her pass back inside was intercepted by the tireless Aoibheann Reilly.
TIME LINE: 3 minutes - Connacht try: Uillin Eilian - 5-0; conversion: missed by Méabh Deely - 5-0; 6 mins - Munster try: Alana McInerney - 5-5; conversion: Caitríona Finn - 5-7; 22 mins - Munster try: Alisha Flynn - 5-12; conversion: Caitríona Finn - 5-14; 33 mins - Munster try: Caitríona Finn - 5-19; conversion: Caitríona Finn - 5-21; Half-time - Connacht 5 Munster 21; 42 mins - Munster try: Alana McInerney - 5-26; conversion: Caitríona Finn - 5-28; 51 mins - Munster try: Alisha Flynn - 5-33; conversion: Caitríona Finn - 5-35; 56 mins - Munster try: Alana McInerney - 5-40; conversion: missed by Caitríona Finn - 5-40; 58 mins - Munster yellow card: Siobhán McCarthy; 63 mins - Connacht try: Jemima Adams Verling - 10-40; conversion: Síofra Hession - 12-40; 66 mins - Munster try: Abbie Salter-Townshend - 12-45; conversion: Caitríona Finn - 12-47; Full-time - Connacht 12 Munster 47
CONNACHT: Clara Barrett; Clare Gorman, Anna McGann, Lyndsay Clarke, Emily Foley; Méabh Deely, Aoibheann Reilly (co-capt); Ella Burns, Uillin Eilian, Lily Morris, Faith Oviawe, Poppy Garvey, Emma Kelly, Ailish Quinn (co-capt), Jemima Adams Verling.
Replacements: Jess Keating, Éabha O'Mahony, Hannah Coen, Emma Fabby, Sarah Purcell, Aoife Heaney, Hannah Johnston, Síofra Hession.
MUNSTER: Aoife Corey; Alana McInerney, Lucia Linn, Enya Breen, Chisom Ugwueru; Caitríona Finn, Emily Lane; Siobhán McCarthy, Beth Buttimer, Alisha Flynn, Aoibhe O'Flynn, Jane Clohessy, Clodagh O'Halloran, Sally Kelly, Grace Moore.
Replacements: Emma Dunican, Caoimhe Murphy, Tuathla Ryan, Niamh O'Mahony, Ava O'Malley, Abbie Salter-Townshend, Kate Flannery, Katie Corrigan.
Referee: Alana Kerr (IRFU)
Assistant Referees: Eoin Staunton, Michael Honan (both IRFU)
