Interprovincial: Connacht Women 31 Ulster Women 17

Ulster Women slumped to their 15th consecutive defeat in the Women’s Interprovincial Championship with this 31 – 17 loss to Connacht at the Sportsground on Saturday afternoon. Their last result was five years ago with a draw against Connacht, at the Queens Arena and it’s six years since they last recorded a win.

Connacht (17) 31

TRY: Catherine Martin, Mairaid Coyne, Amelie Roux, Ciara O’Connor, Anne Marie O’Hora

CON: Nicole Fowley (3)

Ulster (5) 17

TRY: Vicky Irwin (2) Kathryn Dane

CON: Vicky Irwin

It was again a case of Ulster not playing until they were behind as Connacht took a  deserved 10 – 0 lead through unconverted tries from Catherine Martin and Mairead Coyne. Vicky Irwin pulled one back for Ulster following a break down the right by Ella Durkan but Connacht took a 17 – 5 lead into the break with Amélie Roux crossing for Nicole Fowley to convert just before the break.

Ciara O’Conner touched down and Fowley converted for the hosts shortly after resumption but Ulster hit back through a Kathryn Dane try and a Vicky Irwin conversion, after a period of pressure on the Connacht line, to take the score to 24 – 12.

Any thoughts of an Ulster comeback were dashed when Anne Marie O’Hora went over for Connacht’s fifth try of the afternoon to take the score to 31 – 12.

Ulster battled on and Irwin crossed for her second try and Eliza Downey was unlucky to be pulled back for a foot in touch after crossing with the last play of the game.

Final score: Connacht 31 Ulster 17

Connacht: Mairead Coyne, Jill Drapper, Catherine Martin, Nichole Fowley, Orla Dixon, Hillary Griffin, Mary Healy, Laura Feely, Ciara O’Connor, Anne-Marie O’Hora, Nicola Caldbeck, Amelle Roux, Denise Redmond, Edel McMahon, Nichola Fryday, Replacements: Moya Griffin, Elizabeth McNicholas, Julia Bauer, Clodagh Dunne, Tara Buggie, Shannon Lane, Ellen Taite, Rachel Healy.

Ulster: Larissa Muldoon, Eliza Downey, Maeve Liston, Vicky Irwin, Ella Durkan, Jemma Jackson, Kathryn Dane, Ilse van Staden, Neve Jones, Aishling O’Connell, Rebecca Lawlor, Sorcha Mac Laimhin, Beth Cregan, Claire McLaughlin, Lauren Maginnes. Replacements: Michelle Gormley-McLaughlin, Shannon Heapes, Kathryn Hannah, Keelin Brady, Pieta McAlister, Fiona Tuite, Chloe McIlwaine, Diane Ramsey

In the women’s interprovincial championship at Donnybrooks Leinster and Munster drew 14 all with Leinster taking the championship on points difference. The final table is shown below.

TeamPLWDPDBPPtsLeinster Women32164111Munster Women32137111Connacht Women310(50)15Ulster Women300(51)11

Ulster may not have won now for 7 years, but we do have the best pictures.  🙄

Gallery below