Match Report: Munster Women Defeat Leinster

A hard fought win for the Munster Women in their final game of this year’s interprovincial series sealed the title for them again.

Courtesy of:- Eileesh Buckley

Munster 15-7 Leinster

In dry conditions at Thomond Park Stadium the Munster women started at a high tempo, putting pressure on Leinster's defence from the start.

The opening minutes set the pattern for the game, a kick from Leinster to start the game, Munster earning a scrum then a penalty from the set piece.

Niamh Briggs used her range to great effect from the off, the first penalty pushing play up to the Leinster 22 for a lineout.

Unfortunately Munster's highly effective maul was neutralised by Leinster on the try line and forced the Munster women to concede a penalty of their own. Leinster's (and Ireland's) out half Nora Stapleton took the opportunity to push play back to the 22.

Despite winning their lineout Leinster lost possession on the ground to aggressive rucking from Munster. After a few phases of attacks from Munster a knock-on earned the Leinster women a scrum and centre Aine Donnelly took the opportunity to clear their lines.

Donnelly's clearance kick was collected by Munster full-back Valerie Power who returned the kick but chased up aggressively. The Leinster scrum-half Ailsa Hughes found herself isolated in possession near the touchline and the Munster chasers forced her to carry the ball into touch.

On the subsequent lineout Munster retained possession, but instead of moving the ball through the hands captain and out-half Niamh Briggs opted for a cross-field kick but it had too much on it for winger Laura O'Mahony to get to it before the ball reached touch.

The Leinster lineout then misfired resulting in Munster lock Elaine Anthony stealing possession, the Munster players found themselves pushed toward touch and released the ball on the ground without sufficient protection which gave Leinster the turn-over.

Leinster went on the attack at half-way and then kicked for territory but like Briggs put too much on it, and the ball went far ahead of the chasers and into the try area where munster claimed it for a 22 drop out.
The drop out was chased aggressively and Munster flanker Ciara Griffin forced a turn-over and then penalty at half-way.

Munster's lineout went to plan with a rolling maul pushing play well up to the Leinster 22, when it was eventually stopped Munster started putting the ball through their hands but the attack eventually broke down as Leinster centre Aine Donnelly latched onto a pass intended for a Munster jersey.

Donnelly took the opportunity to relieve the pressure and kicked the ball well down the field, into the Munster 22 and into touch.

Play then devolved into a series of lineouts before munster earned a penalty which gave them a lineout merely 5meters from the Leinster try line.

This was the cue for the Munster maul to once more rumble into action, prop Leah Lyons then peeled from the back of the maul to put the first points on the board with a hard-earned try.

Briggs duly converted in the breezy conditions to give Munster a 7 – 0 lead by the eighteenth minute.
Munster's confidence grew after the try with Ciara Griffin opting to run the restart from her own 22.

Leinster then conceded a penalty for not rolling away after the tackle which gave Munster another lineout, after retaining possession from the lineout the Munster backs stretched their legs.

Winger O'Mahony gained about 20 meters before offloading to centre Niamh Kavanagh who carried the ball a further 10 meters before being hauled to the ground. Leinster earned a scrum after lock Sophie Spence succeeded in tying up Munster's Lyons in a choke tackle, preventing her from going to ground before a maul was called by referee Helen O'Reilly.

Leinster were forced into an early substitution as flanker Jennie Finlay was injured, hooker Ann Marie Rooney came in as the replacement and starting hooker Sharon Lynch slotted into the back-row.

Another series of scrums, lineouts and penalties included an injury to Munster winger Deirbhile Nic a Bhaird, despite trying to shake it off she was called ashore shortly before half-time and replaced by Edel Murphy.
Leinster then earned a lineout within striking distance of the Munster line, this time they put their maul into action and earned further territory before passing the ball out to their backs whose fast hands led to a try for full-back Jeamie Deacon in the corner.

Out-half Stapleton matched her Ireland teammate Briggs by adding the conversion to the scoresheet leaving the sides level 7 – 7 at half-time.

The second half opened with a sequences of alternating penalties keeping the ball between the 22s.
It was the tenth minute before either side strung together a sequence of play to reach striking distance. Leinster's Deacon had failed to deal with a kick which gave Munster a scrum inside the 22.

Munster lost possession when replacement Murphy was forced into touch. Leinster opted to kick after their lineout but, the kick went into to touch well inside their 22.

Munster opted for fast ball off the lineout with the ball reaching the hands of winger O'Mahony only to be forced into a knock-on inside the try area.

Munster earned a penalty shortly after the 5m scrum and opted to kick for the points, Briggs ensuring the penalty was converted her team regained the lead 10 – 7.

On the restart Munster opted to kick the ball back with an aggressive chase by Kavanagh and Power. The ball went into touch and Leinster took a quick lineout, but with two munster women bearing down on them a turn-over was forced.

Munster then earned a penalty through the scrum giving them a lineout about 15 meters from the Leinster line.
The Munster pack produced another textbook maul this time passing the ball off the back into the waiting hands of Briggs who forced her way over the line to score the second Munster try of the game.

She failed to add the extra points after the wind playing havoc with her ball placement so the scoreline read 15 – 7 with twenty minutes remaining.

Munster were on the attack immediately off the restart with Niamh Kavanagh showing her international credentials with another powerful carry before being hauled down in an isolated position and conceding a penalty.

The next concerted attack came from Leinster reaching inside the Munster 22 before a careless pass fell into the arms of Munster's Murphy.

As further substitutions were made the game turned into a stalemate with both sides causing each other problems in the scrums and rucks.

The game ended with a knock-on in mid-field and a Munster win.

Munster XV: Valerie Power (Shannon); Deirbhile Nic a Bhaird (Highfield), Niamh Kavanagh (UL Bohs), Nicola Scully (Highfield) , Laura O'Mahony (Tralee); Niamh Briggs (UL Bohs), Ellen Murphy (Highfield); Fiona Reidy (UL Bohs), Amy Desmond (Highfield), Leah Lyons (Highfield); Róisín Ormond (Highfield), Elaine Anthony (Highfield); Siobhan Fleming (Tralee), Ciara Griffin (Tralee), Heather O'Brien (Highfield). Replacements: Zoe Grattagh (Highfield), Maura Collins (Abbeyfeale), Niamh English (Highfield), Gerda Coyne (Highfield), Chloe Pearse (Shannon), Mona Fehily (Highfield), Jayne Pennefather (Highfield), Edel Murphy (UL Bohs).
Gates at Thomond Park Stadium open at 1.30pm at the East side.

Munster Women's Management Team

Head Coach: Wayne Falvey
Team Manager: Dara O'Tuama
Assistant Coach: Dave Sweeney
Strength & Conditioning: Kieran O'Byrne