Ulster Women finished off the Inter Pro series with a win against Connacht on Saturday afternoon at a wet Ballymoney Rugby Club. Tries by Laura Nicholl and Sorcha Chipperfield put Ulster 10 – 0 clear in the first half but the Ulster girls had to withstand a spirited fightback from Connacht who crossed the line twice in the second half.

Big thanks to Michael Greene for the match details and the pictures from the game.

A final try by Poppy Cleall was enough to see the home side keep their noses in front and finish off a much improved campaign with a well deserved win by  15 – 12.

Both sides have improved considerably this year, in order to compete with Munster and Leinster Women, and this was a game that both side really wanted to win. 

Connacht show their intent early on, pressurising the Ulster line but the Ulster defence held firm and the home team broke up field only for the move to end with a knock on. However good pressure at the scrum kept the pressure on the visitors and when Ulster got their hands on the ball it was fed to Laura Nicholl with the veteran  centre going over in the corner to give Ulster a 5 – 0 lead after 5 minutes.

The game entered a period of stalemate, with defences dominating, but with ten minutes to go before the break Ulster broke through to dash for the Connacht line only for the move to break down six or seven meters short. Ulster kept Connacht pinned in their own half and the pressure told with Ulster’s second try going to a delighted Sorcha Chipperfield, with the prop blasting over from close in.

With the score at 10 – 0 at the break Ulster looked well set for a comfortable win with the first half belonging to the home side who showed some smooth and quick passing as well as a great defence and excellent counter rucking at the breakdown. Connacht were not allowed much freedom but did show some flair with the ball in hand.

Connacht turned the game on it’s head early on in the second half. Good hands and quick passing stretched the Ulster defence and such was the intensity that the Ulster defence was unable to stop a try by Connacht within the first 6 minutes of the second half taking the score to 10 – 5.

Not to be outdone Ulster struck back within 3 minutes of the restart with a push over try. The build up to the try resulting from a period of panic in the Connacht defence with the Connacht winger becoming isolated with the ball close to the try line. The resulting scrum saw Poppy Cleall touch down taking the score to 15 – 5.

Connacht picked up the pace of the game again, as they did in the first 5 minutes of the 2nd half, and a period of slick passing and retained possession the visitors broke the Ulster defence allowing the Connacht’s Alison Miller to run in for their 2nd try. The conversion was good taking the score to 15 – 12 with 20 minutes to go.

With the rain now pouring down the game got a bit scrappy but Ulster were determined not to let this one slip, especially after nearly turning over Munster in Limerick last week. The home team defended well and held out reasonably comfortably to cue much celebration at the final whistle.

A great result for the Ulster girls who have shown much improvement this season, along with Connacht, in what is now a highly competitive Women’s Inter Provincial series. Ulster have added a lot of new faces to the squad this season and the team have stood up and competed with the best in Irish Rugby.  I’m looking forward to nest season’s Inter Provincials already and an exciting AIL Women’s League for the remainder of this season.

Ulster Women (1-15): Lizzie Ballentine (c) (Cooke), Stacey-lea Kennedy (City of Derry), Lauren Day (Cooke), Glenda Mellon (City of Derry), Brigid Reynolds (Cavan), Poppy Cleall (Exile), Gemma McCutcheon (Enniskillen), Nikita Armstrong (Cooke), Imogen Porter (Cooke), Grace Davitt (Cooke), Eliza Downey (Cooke), Laura Nicholl (Cooke), Nikki Caughey (Belfast Harlequins), Zoe Templeton (Belfast Harlequins), Ashleigh Baxter (Belfast Harlequins). Replacements: Sorcha Chipperfield (Belfast Harlequins), Emma Lowe (Cooke), Claire Knipe (Belfast Harlequins), Hilary Quinn (Cavan), Caroline Kelly (Cooke), Rachael Fleming (City of Derry), Teah Maguire (Cooke).