It was a perfect day for rugby at Anglesea Road today as table-toppers Old Belvedere faced off against fourth-placed Galwegians.

It was Old Belvedere who started the brighter and, after an opening 10 minutes where they were largely on top, the Dublin side took the lead as Amber Redmond went over on the left, the try going unconverted to leave Belvo 5-0 up.

Galwegians gained a foothold in the game and it was a cagey affair for most of the remainder of the first half as both sides trades blows without either landing a punch until the 35th minute when Denise Redmond, the league’s leading point scorer, converted her own try to make it 7-5 to the Westerners.

The second half saw Galwegians begin to control territory and possession although Old Belvedere were a constant threat on the break. Mary Healy was swift to the base of the ruck and kept her backline supplied with a steady stream of quick ball.

On the hour, Galwegians’ supersub Orla Dixon picked off a stray Belvo pass and ran half the length of the field to dot down. Denise Redmond, whilst prominent in the loose, had an off-day with the boot and missed the straightforward conversion to leave it 12-5 to the visitors.

As the physical nature of the contest took its toll, Galwegians extended their lead when Dixon struck again on 70 mins to make it 17-5 to the visitors. Old Belvedere refused to buckle and Ailbhe Dowling capped a fine display when she pulled one back for the home side in the 75th minute to ensure they collected the losing bonus point.

Pictures and report – JC Sports Photography