Ugwueru scores hat-trick as Munster power past Connacht 

HAT TRICK: Munster’s Chisom Ugwueru and Eabha Nic Dhonnacha of Connacht

Vodafone Women's Interprovincial Championship: Munster 44 Connacht 5

Munster had too much pace and power for a young Connacht team in Cork, as Chisom Ugwueru helped herself to a hat-trick of tries in a runaway 44-5 victory.

With Matt Brown back as head coach for the first time since 2021, and Maeve Óg O’Leary taking on the captaincy, Munster comfortably won their only home game in this season’s Vodafone Women’s Interprovincial Championship.

Ava Ryder’s 29th-minute try was the sole score for a gallant Connacht, who trailed 22-5 at half-time after Munster debutant Gráinne Burke, Ugwueru (2), and Aoife Corey had all touched down.

Ugwueru, the Ennis flyer, took care of the bonus point with a brilliant effort from inside her own half. Vodafone Player of the Match Caitríona Finn pulled the strings at out-half, having a hand in most of Munster’s best moments.

Connacht, who host Ulster next Saturday, lost Poppy Garvey to a 52nd-minute sin-binning, and Ugwueru and replacement Kate Flannery both scored while she was off. Stephanie Nunan and Brianna Heylmann bookended the second half with well-taken tries.

Munster immediately got on the front foot, and it was Chloe Pearse, their ever-influential No. 8, who went close early on to opening the scoring. She was held up under the Connacht posts, with Garvey and Clara Barrett receiving the defensive plaudits.

Ailish Quinn, fresh from her Ireland debut at the same venue last week, was sent on early by Connacht for the injured Lesley Ring. Munster threatened to make the breakthrough off a lineout maul, but were pinged for crossing.

The hosts got the points that their fast start deserved when young prop Burke drove over in the 10th minute, rewarding a strong series of carries sparked by Eilís Cahill’s lineout steal, and a midfield surge from the lively O’Leary.

Ireland U20 international Finn missed the conversion, hitting the right hand post, but it was her well-judged kick out of hand that created a quick-fire second try for Munster.

The Tipperary youngster found grass near Connacht’s 10-metre line, and a favourable bounce saw Ugwueru burst onto the ball, beating two defenders and staying clear of the chasing Siofra Hession to cruise in behind the posts. Finn’s left boot made it 12-0.

Connacht’s back-line finally got a chance to stretch their legs on the 20-minute mark, with the roaming Ryder sweeping across to the left side of the pitch. Munster forced a subsequent error, though, and Finn brought play back towards halfway.

There was further frustration for Emer O’Dowd’s youngsters, who followed up a scrum penalty with a knock-on from Quinn. Likewise, Munster’s execution was slightly off at times, and a mistake by full-back Corey when retrieving a kick gave Connacht an inviting scrum platform.

Despite a Burke turnover, Munster could not find touch and they were made to pay. Debutant out-half Hession did really well to spin out of a tackle and float a pass out to Ryder who stepped inside Corey for a textbook finish.

Brown’s side wrestled back control nearing the interval, upping the intensity and pace of their attack. Finn slipped Corey over from a few metres out, rewarding the big dent her forwards had put in the Connacht defence.

Ugwueru, who had been denied by a try-saving tackle from Barrett, was in unstoppable form just two minutes later. The 22-year-old took off down the left touchline from 70 metres out, via Finn’s dangled pass, and evaded two tackles for an excellent unconverted score.

Connacht’s hopes of responding early on the resumption were ruined by a sacked maul. Their defence soon came under further pressure, yet Orla Dixon, the westerners’ Player of the Year for 2024/25, lifted them by keeping Finn out in the right corner.

Munster kept probing and try number five fell to centre Nunan in the 49th minute. Some lovely interplay between props Cahill and Burke sent their onrushing UL Bohemian club-mate darting over to the right of the posts. Finn converted for a 29-5 scoreline.

It got worse for Connacht when Finn deftly collected her own kick and put boot to ball again, drawing a penalty which O’Leary took quickly. Garvey was caught offside and saw yellow, and after a couple of phases, Finn’s arcing pass had Ugwueru dotting down out wide.

Dixon tried to inspire Connacht once more, yet they were unable to make much headway against a well-organised Munster defence. When the home side came hunting on the hour mark, Orna Moynihan’s stop-start run and well-timed pass played in Flannery for the penultimate score.

Even though two scrum penalties offered Connacht encouragement, Munster were creating all the opportunities. Ennis starlet Lyndsay Clarke needed a kinder bounce when trying to ground a Flannery kick, and the ball also evaded Moynihan’s grasp on the opposite wing.

Last year’s beaten finalists, who are Dublin bound to face defending champions Leinster in the second round, signed off with a barnstorming seventh score in the 78th minute.

Dovetailing well with replacement Flannery, Finn sent Heylmann haring through a gap from over 40 metres out, and the busy flanker outmuscled Barrett and held off Ryder to deservedly get on the scoresheet.

MUNSTER: Aoife Corey (UL Bohemian RFC); Lyndsay Clarke (Ennis RFC), Alana McInerney (UL Bohemian RFC), Stephanie Nunan (UL Bohemian RFC), Chisom Ugwueru (UL Bohemian RFC); Caitríona Finn (UL Bohemian RFC), Abbie Salter-Townshend (UL Bohemian RFC); Gráinne Burke (UL Bohemian RFC), Saoirse Crowe (Shannon RFC), Eilís Cahill (UL Bohemian RFC), Aoibhe O’Flynn (UL Bohemian RFC), Claire Bennett (UL Bohemian RFC), Brianna Heylmann (UL Bohemian RFC), Maeve Óg O’Leary (Blackrock College RFC) (capt), Chloe Pearse (UL Bohemian RFC).

Replacements: Aoife Fleming (Ballincollig RFC), Ciara McLoughlin (UL Bohemian RFC), Lily Morris (Ballincollig RFC), Jane Clohessy (UL Bohemian RFC), Annakate Cournane (Shannon RFC), Eve Prendergast (Ballincollig RFC), Kate Flannery (UL Bohemian RFC), Orna Moynihan (Ennis RFC).

CONNACHT: Clara Barrett (UL Bohemian RFC); Emily Foley (Galwegians RFC), Orla Dixon (Galwegians RFC), Éabha Nic Dhonnacha (UL Bohemian RFC) (capt), Ava Ryder (Blackrock College RFC); Siofra Hession (Creggs RFC), Gráinne Moran (Galwegians RFC); Ella Burns (Tuam/Oughterard RFC/Galwegians RFC), Lily Brady (Westport RFC/UL Bohemian RFC), Megan Collis (Railway Union RFC), Poppy Garvey (Railway Union RFC), Grace Browne Moran (Galwegians RFC), Beibhinn Gleeson (Tuam/Oughterard RFC), Lesley Ring (Old Belvedere RFC), Jemima Adams Verling (Creggs RFC).

Replacements: Stacy Hanley (Galwegians RFC), Hannah Coen (Creggs RFC), Roisin Maher (Galwegians RFC), Ailish Quinn (Galwegians RFC), Caoilfhionn Conway Morrissey (Ennis RFC), Karly Tierney (Tuam/Oughterard RFC), Sinead O’Brien (Galwegians RFC), Fódhla Ní Bhraonáin (Tuam/Oughterard RFC).

Referee: Euan O’Riordan (IRFU)