Tarpey the hero again as 'wounded beast' Leinster overcome Munster 

Leinster retained the Vodafone Women's Interprovincial Championship title with an impressive display at Kingspan Stadium

Leinster players, including Ruth Campbell, centre, celebrate with the cup after their side's victory in the Vodafone Women’s Interprovincial Championship final between Leinster and Munster at the Kingspan Stadium in Belfast. Photo by Shauna Clinton/Sportsfile

Vodafone Women's Interprovincial Championship Final:

Munster 7 Leinster 27

Leah Tarpey repeated her two-try heroics from last year's final as Leinster retained the Vodafone Women's Interprovincial Championship title with an impressive win over Munster at Kingspan Stadium.

Despite Alana McInerney's seventh try of the tournament raising Munster hopes early on, the table toppers, who had beaten Leinster 32-21 in Cork a fortnight ago, were unable to go four-from-four in Belfast.

Leinster’s Hannah O’Connor with Eimear Considine and Dorothy Wall of Munster. Pic ©INPHO/Ryan Byrne

An opportunist Tarpey score drew Leinster level, before Nikki Caughey kicked them ahead with a penalty, and a bulldozing seven-pointer from the outstanding Aoife Wafer made it 17-7 at half-time.

Dorothy Wall was denied a try from a monster maul early on the resumption, and it was just not Munster's day as young hooker Beth Buttimer had also been held up inside the game's opening minutes.

Increasingly dominant in possession, Leinster went on to become back-to-back Interpro champions, matching the achievements of their 2018 and 2019 predecessors, thanks to a Dannah O'Brien penalty, and a second try from player-of-the-match Tarpey.

Ireland out-half O'Brien came on to make her seasonal debut, and getting players of that calibre, including the likes of fellow internationals Wafer and Niamh O'Dowd, back on the pitch in recent weeks has been crucial to Leinster's strong finish to the campaign.

After watching injured captain Hannah O'Connor and her stand-in, Molly Boyne, lift the trophy together, Leinster head coach Tania Rosser said: “It feels great, we made history today for our Leinster Women’s team. Coming back after last year winning, and then putting in a great performance here.

Munster’s Chisom Ugwueru and Leah Tarpey of Leinster. Pic ©INPHO/Ryan Byrne

“We were a wounded beast, never underestimate a wounded beast, and the girls came and performed. I asked them at half-time how good were they, and if they were good enough, were they going to finish out this game?

“And look at the second half, they did that. When we lost that game in Cork, I said to the girls I believed in them. They’re a great bunch, they’ve worked really, really hard.

“I threw a few things at them, different spanners at them to try different things and they did it. But like I said to them, physicality will beat Munster. Munster are a great team and they held it up to us in the first game, but our girls came out and played well today.” 

Scorers for Munster: Try: Alana McInerney; Con: Kate Flannery 

Leinster: Tries: Leah Tarpey 2, Aoife Wafer; Cons: Nikki Caughey 2, Dannah O’Brien; Pens: Nikki Caughey, Dannah O’Brien  

MUNSTER: Aoife Corey (UL Bohemian RFC); Chisom Ugwueru (UL Bohemian RFC), Stephanie Nunan (UL Bohemian RFC), Enya Breen (Blackrock College RFC), Alana McInerney (UL Bohemian RFC); Kate Flannery (UL Bohemian RFC), Muirne Wall (UL Bohemian RFC); Siobhan McCarthy (Gloucester-Hartpury), Beth Buttimer (UL Bohemian RFC), Éilis Cahill (UL Bohemian RFC), Dorothy Wall (Exeter Chiefs), Claire Bennett (UL Bohemian RFC), Clodagh O’Halloran (UL Bohemian RFC), Jane Clohessy (UL Bohemian RFC), Chloe Pearse (UL Bohemian RFC) (capt).

Replacements used: Brianna Heylmann (UL Bohemian RFC) for Clohessy (21 mins), Caitriona Finn (UL Bohemian RFC) for Flannery (56), Lucia Linn (Loughborough Lightning) for Nunan, Eimear Considine (UL Bohemian RFC) for Corey (both 59), Aoibheann McGrath (Dungarvan RFC) for Bennett, Ciara McLoughlin (UL Bohemian RFC) for Cahill (both 63), Aoibhe O’Flynn (UL Bohemian RFC) for Pearse, Ciara O’Dwyer (UL Bohemian RFC) for Buttimer (both 69).

LEINSTER: Robyn O’Connor (Wexford Wanderers RFC); Emma Tilly (MU Barnhall RFC/Old Belvedere RFC), Aoife Dalton (Tullamore RFC/Old Belvedere RFC), Leah Tarpey (Tullamore RFC/Railway Union RFC), Ella Roberts (Wicklow RFC); Nikki Caughey (Malone RFC/Railway Union RFC), Jade Gaffney (Navan RFC/Old Belvedere RFC); Linda Djougang (Wanderers FC/Old Belvedere RFC), Sarah Delaney (PortDara Falcons RFC/Blackrock College RFC), Christy Haney (Blackrock College RFC), Ruth Campbell (Naas RFC/MU Barnhall RFC/Old Belvedere RFC), Eimear Corri (Portlaoise RFC/Blackrock College RFC), Jane Neill (Arklow RFC/Galwegians RFC), Molly Boyne (Railway Union RFC) (capt), Caoimhe Molloy (Gorey RFC/Wicklow RFC).

Replacements used: Aoife Wafer (Enniscorthy RFC/Gorey RFC/Blackrock RFC) for Neill (25 mins), Niamh O’Dowd (Old Belvedere RFC) for Haney (34), Dannah O’Brien (Tullow RFC/Old Belvedere RFC) for Caughey (46), Neill for Corri (57), Ailsa Hughes (Tullamore RFC/Railway Union RFC) for Gaffney, Jemma Farrell (Old Belvedere RFC) for O’Brien, Aoife Moore (Carrick-on-Suir RFC/Blackrock College RFC) for Wafer, Anna Doyle (Tullow RFC/Blackrock College RFC) for Tilly (all 75), Kelly Burke (Mullingar RFC) for Delaney, Haney for Molloy (both 77).

Referee: Keane Davison (IRFU)