VODAFONE WOMEN’S INTERPROVINCIAL CHAMPIONSHIP – ROUND 2:
Saturday, August 16 –
CONNACHT 12 ULSTER 7, Dexcom Stadium
Scorers: Connacht: Tries: Faith Oviawe, Roisin Maher; Con: Éabha Nic Dhonnacha
Ulster: Try: Siobhán Sheerin; Con: Siobhán Sheerin
HT: Connacht 0 Ulster 7
SECOND-half tries from replacement Faith Oviawe and Roisin Maher steered a young Connacht team to a gutsy 12-7 win over Ulster at Dexcom Stadium.
With 21-year-old captain and player-of-the-match Éabha Nic Dhonnacha leading by example, Emer O’Dowd’s charges recovered from an early deficit to open their win account in this year’s Vodafone Women’s Interprovincial Championship.
Ulster’s new centre Siobhán Sheerin thundered over in the ninth minute, raising her side’s hopes of a first victory at this level in two years. They still led 7-0 after half-time, emerging unscathed from Brenda Barr’s sin-binning.
Nonetheless, with Connacht’s bench having the desired impact, forwards Oviawe and Maher scored within seven minutes of each other. In addition, Nic Dhonnacha clipped over the first conversion.
The hosts, who wore their club socks on their State of Origin day, remained on the front foot and saw out a rousing triumph, putting last Sunday’s disappointing display against Munster to bed.
Unfortunately the hard-earned four points came at a cost for Connacht as the luckless Kayla Waldron was stretchered off in her first game since a horrific leg break in April 2024. There was a lot of concern too for Emily Foley who was taken off with an injury late on.
Ulster picked up a losing bonus point for their efforts, and will have home advantage against table toppers Munster at Affidea Stadium next Saturday. Connacht remain in Galway, with a place in the final to play for against Leinster, who are two points better off.
The westerners were quick to get Ballina native Foley involved, the young winger sweeping around to the impressive-looking North Stand side in a first-phase move. Out-half Waldron and Grace Browne Moran were also prominent early on.
Sheerin ran hard to take Ulster past halfway, and it was the Tyrone woman who opened the scoring a few minutes later. Connacht conceded a couple of penalties, and skipper India Daley broke off successive mauls, going close on the first occasion.
When the visitors decided to move play infield the second time, powerful centre Sheerin proved unstoppable, attacking a sliver of space between the home centres and shrugging off Waldron’s challenge to score beside the posts. She added the conversion herself.
The home crowd responded to some energetic phases from Connacht, with Ireland international Ailish Quinn getting on the ball. When they reloaded further out, they used Hannah Clarke’s searing pace to apply pressure when chasing a Gráinne Moran kick.
Nic Dhonnacha let Ulster off the hook by missing touch from a penalty. Clarke soon regained some lost ground with a terrific break, only for Lauren Farrell McCabe to win the breakdown battle, and a relieving penalty.
A second scrum penalty got the westerners out of some trouble after a fine burst from Maebh Clenaghan, one of the Ireland Under-20 internationals on show. When Connacht got back on the front foot, Quinn was pulled back for some crossing.
With 26 minutes on the clock, Clara Barrett made an important tackle on the advancing Niamh Marley as Ulster threatened a breakaway from deep, sparked by a well-timed Sheerin pass.
Connacht’s defensive work was impressive, with Orla Dixon poaching possession on the ground, and Beibhinn Gleeson regularly threatening and stealing Ulster’s lineout throws. They had a sudden numerical advantage when Barr was carded for a no-arms tackle on the neck area.
Connacht’s frustration grew with breakdown steals from Ruby Starrett and Daley lifting 14-woman Ulster, either side of the interval. Clarke continued to threaten out wide, but Daley and her team-mates were able to hold out near their own try-line.
Waldron’s injury led to a long stoppage, but Connacht resumed with a timely purple patch. Teenage number 8 Jemima Adams Verling applied the pressure at the breakdown, earning a penalty on the edge of Ulster’s 22.
With tighthead Maher carrying strongly, O’Dowd’s young team set up camp close to the Ulster line. Browne Moran was stopped just short, but Moran’s inviting pass put Oviawe in between two defenders to score in the 54th minute. Nic Dhonnacha levelled from the tee.
Connacht began the final quarter with a second try, and again their forwards – led by the very effective Adams Verling, Hannah Coen, and Maher – did the damage.
A scrum penalty put them within range, and some more grunt up front resulted in Maher, with support from Oviawe, twisting out of a tackle and fighting hard to ground the ball after being double tackled.
Following Nic Dhonnacha’s missed conversion, Ulster dug deep with replacements Cara McLean and Stacey Sloan gaining penalties at the breakdown. Still though, Connacht ensured they could not break out of their own half.
When Ulster were slow to roll away in the 67th minute, their opponents went close to a third score, this time replacement Stacy Hanley was held up by McLean and Rebecca Beacom after an initial maul. Foley’s subsequent injury added to the growing tension with five points still the difference.
Connacht regrouped and made sure to keep their composure in a tightly-contested finish. When play got back underway, Ulster made it back into Connacht’s half, only for a mistimed lineout to be stolen at the rear by prop Coen.
Murray Houston’s outfit were still in the hunt, rallying again thanks to a last-minute scrum penalty. However, after electing to tap it, the ball found its way to Sophie Barrett who was well tackled by Lesley Ring, drawing a knock-on which clinched it for Connacht.
Full-time – Connacht 12 Ulster 7
CONNACHT: Clara Barrett (UL Bohemian RFC); Emily Foley (Galwegians RFC), Orla Dixon (Galwegians RFC), Éabha Nic Dhonnacha (UL Bohemian RFC) (capt), Hannah Clarke (Old Belvedere RFC); Kayla Waldron (Railway Union RFC), Gráinne Moran (Galwegians RFC); Hannah Coen (Creggs RFC), Lily Brady (Westport RFC/UL Bohemian RFC), Roisin Maher (Galwegians RFC), Poppy Garvey (Railway Union RFC), Grace Browne Moran (Galwegians RFC), Beibhinn Gleeson (Tuam/Oughterard RFC), Ailish Quinn (Galwegians RFC), Jemima Adams Verling (Creggs RFC).
Replacements used:Fódhla Ní Bhraonáin (Tuam/Oughterard RFC) for Waldron, Faith Oviawe (Railway Union RFC) for Gleeson (both 46 mins), Caoilfhionn Conway Morrissey (Ennis RFC) for Browne Moran (55), Ellen Connolly (Galwegians RFC) for Maher, Stacy Hanley (Galwegians RFC) for Brady, Lesley Ring (Old Belvedere RFC) for Quinn (all 62), Ava Ryder (Blackrock College RFC) for Foley (74). Not used: Hope Lowney (MU Barnhall RFC).
ULSTER: Kate Farrell McCabe (Suttonians RFC); Lucy Thompson (Enniskillen RFC/Cooke RFC), Siobhán Sheerin (Clogher Valley RFC), Tara O’Neill (Cooke RFC), Niamh Marley (Cooke RFC); Lauren Farrell McCabe (Suttonians RFC), Georgia Boyce (Cooke RFC); Sarah Roberts (Queen’s University Belfast RFC), Maebh Clenaghan (Queen’s University Belfast RFC), Ava Fannin (Blackrock College RFC), Lauren Darley (Queen’s University Belfast RFC), Brenda Barr (Suttonians RFC), Moya Hill (Enniskillen RFC), Ruby Starrett (Queen’s University Belfast RFC), India Daley (Enniskillen RFC/Blackrock College RFC) (capt).
Replacements used:Sophie Barrett (Enniskillen RFC) for Fannin (23 mins), Cara McLean (Larne RFC) for Roberts, Sophie Meeke (Enniskillen RFC) for Boyce, Katie Hetherington (Clogher Valley RFC) for Starrett (all 55), Stacey Sloan (Cooke RFC) for Daley, Kelly McCormill (Cooke RFC) for O’Neill (both 62), Megan Simpson (Cooke RFC) for Clenaghan, Rebecca Beacom (Enniskillen RFC) for Barr (both 68).
Not used: Cara McLean (Larne RFC), Megan Simpson (Cooke RFC), Sophie Barrett (Enniskillen RFC), Rebecca Beacom (Enniskillen RFC), Katie Hetherington (Clogher Valley RFC), Sophie Meeke (Enniskillen RFC), Kelly McCormill (Cooke RFC), Stacey Sloan (Cooke RFC).
Referee: John Purcell (IRFU)
