Hayes 'in awe' of Ugwueru every time she pulls on Munster jersey

Munster head coach Fiona Hayes believes this year's Interprovincial Series is the best she's seen. 

Munster's Chisom Ugwueru makes a break during the Interprovincial Series game against Ulster. Picture: ©INPHO/Ben Brady

Between them in this year’s Interprovincial Series, Munster wingers Chisom Ugwueru and Alanna McInerney have scored nine tries. Their exploits have not gone unnoticed by Ireland head coach Scott Bemand who gave both call ups for next month's international against Australia and the WXV1 tournament in Vancouver.

At 4:15pm on Saturday in Ravenhill, Munster face Leinster in the series final, aiming to back up the victory over their rivals in the round robin. Ugwueru and McInerney both crossed the whitewash in that 32-21 victory.

“She's certainly a character that does what she wants to on the pitch,” Munster head coach Fiona Hayes said about Ugwueru, whose brother Ikem plays inter-county football with Clare.

“And that's why we absolutely love her. She is electric in everything she does.

“Her work rate is getting better and better. Her love of the game, I can see it growing. I've coached a lot of players that would really work hard on concentrating on their systems and where to be all the time. She just has this natural ability, this natural talent to light it up. Just when you think she's not working hard enough, she'll just shoot through a gap and score a try for you.

“She's just one of those players that I'm in awe of every week because she brings her energy and she just brings her whole personality to our game down in Munster.” 

Jane Clohessy, daughter of Munster legend Peter Clohessy, has also been one of the breakthrough players for the province this season. Bemand rewarded the 23-year-old with a training panellist spot.

“She has rugby in the blood,” said Hayes, “fortunately for Jane, she didn't go into the front row. She pushed on through this Interpro series. Her athletic ability to break through the contact line… She's been working really hard in the gym.

“Her dad would have played rugby but when she came in herself, maybe three, four years ago, she wouldn't have had very much rugby playing knowledge. She started from scratch.

“I'm sure she asked Peter questions at home, but he's always slagging saying none of the boys made it, but Jane has finally made it. As a backrow, she works her absolute socks off. She's constantly learning.” T

This season is Hayes’s first as Munster head coach, though she had been involved previously as an assistant. She believes this year’s competition is the best she's seen. 

“I would have been left at home in Limerick if the standard was this high when I was playing because the speed of the game, everything is just superb,” said the former Ireland international.

“I've watched it with Connacht, Ulster and Leinster - everyone is trying to play wide. They're trying to get everyone involved in the game. You very rarely go away from any of these Interpro games and say it was a forwards-dominated game.

“There's just such amazing athletes out there that it's come together, these players being in (National Talent Squad). It's the confidence I think that they have to try and pull the trigger, to get wide, to try offloads.

“It's been a huge shift in standards, but it's just going to get better. As a coach, I'm embarrassed sometimes if I'm reviewing things and saying, ‘Why weren't you running there?’ If anyone went back and looked at me back in my heyday, I think they'd come back with to me with a few clips as well.

“The resources coming into it now, you can see that these players are comfortable and they're getting out and showing it on the pitch, which is brilliant to see.”