Munster remain unbeaten as they run riot against Leinster to clinch Interprovinical title

CHAMPIONS: Munster captain Maeve Óg O'Leary, centre, celebrates with team-mates. Pic: Tyler Miller/Sportsfile

Vodafone Women's Interprovincial Championship final: Munster 50 Leinster 15

Munster lifted the Vodafone Women's Interprovincial Championship trophy for the first time since January 2023, delivering a dominant performance to beat Leinster 50-15 at Energia Park.

It was a disappointingly one-sided final, but that should not take away from Munster's sizzling seven-try display as they cruised past the three-in-a-row hopefuls Leinster, even without injured top try scorer Chisom Ugwueru and vice-captain Stephanie Nunan.

A barnstorming first-half performance from Matt Brown's side had them leading 31-0 at the break, with Chloe Pearse, in her final appearance in red, Deirbhile Nic a Bháird (2), and Aoife Corey sharing out the tries.

Centre Caitríona Finn, the player-of-the-match for the third time in the Championship, tallied up 20 points in all, really stamping her mark on the game after only making her first senior start for Munster three weeks ago.

Tries from Munster captain Maeve Óg O'Leary, Finn, and Eilís Cahill made it 50 unanswered points, before Leinster, whose new head coach Ben Martin handed out 20 debuts across the four-match series, gained some late consolation.

Harder hit by their Rugby World Cup representation, and perhaps also by last week's tough encounter with Connacht, the defending champions rallied with tries from replacement Katie Whelan (63 and 73 minutes), and Vicky Elmes Kinlan (80).

Munster, who had already won 33-22 in Donnybrook in round 2, lost both O'Leary and Gráinne Burke to the sin bin during the final quarter, but their efforts over the opening hour had made certain of a clean sweep of victories, and their 16th Interprovincial crown overall.

The title winners' tight nucleus of senior players, led by inspirational back rower O'Leary, who had a fantastic return to the Interprovincial stage after two knee surgeries, combined very effectively with their emerging young talent this summer.

Second place finishers in the table, Leinster were unable to build on Clíodhna Ní Chonchobhair's early lineout steal, and despite Kelly Burke collecting a subsequent overthrow, Munster seized the lead through an eighth-minute penalty from Finn.

The Reds had laid down a marker with their scrummaging, and a spritely break from centre Lucia Linn. Having absorbed some pressure outside their 22, a fine 50:22 kick from Kate Flannery had the table toppers on the move again.

Linn went close after Nic a Bháird's short lineout move, and Munster duly extended their lead to 10 points on the quarter hour mark. Vice-captain Pearse slid in behind the posts after Clodagh O'Halloran, Cahill, and Nic a Bháird had connected neatly from a tap penalty.

Ballincollig's Eve Prendergast, a former Leinster U18 player, provided a swift service on her first start at scrum half. Her sniping break and offload to Pearse had Munster knocking on the door of a second try in quick succession.

That likely score arrived just two phases later, Cahill carrying hard before Nic a Bháird burrowed in under the posts. Finn's conversion left Leinster trailing by 17 points, and Pearse and Nic a Bháird soon increased their influence with a choke tackle for turnover ball.

Things were just not going right for Leinster, whose captain Molly Boyne was frustratingly close to a turnover before Munster claimed their third try. Alana McInerney was set loose by a Finn kick, and popped the ball up out of a tackle for Corey to finish from eight metres out.

Leinster had to turn to their bench earlier than expected, and youngster Heidi Lyons, on for Nikki Caughey at out-half, unfortunately kicked out on the full. A Flannery kick came off Lyndsay Clarke's fingertips as Munster continued to threaten.

Prop Katie Layde saw yellow for bringing down a maul illegally, and although Boyne did wonders to hold up the subsequent drive, Munster were not to be denied. Nic a Bháird used quick ruck ball to slip over down the short side, and Finn swept over an excellent conversion.

Leinster needed to score fast on the resumption, but again it was their opponents who seized the initiative. A dominant scrum won the ball against the head, and a penalty to take play towards the right corner.

Despite Munster's lineout issues persisting, O'Leary turned scrappy ball into a seven-pointer, expertly spinning out of a tackle, with support from Jane Clohessy, to drive in low and reach out for the line. Finn converted to make it 38-0 after 46 minutes.

Whelan lifted Leinster by scampering through into the Munster 22, only for her pack to lose the next scrum against the head. Munster's lineout clicked a couple of minutes later, and Finn impressively shrugged off two defenders to charge over from the edge of the 22.

Such is Tipperary native Finn's poise and ability on the ball, it is easy to forget she only turned 19 in June. Tighthead Cahill took Munster to the half-century mark, muscling over in the 55th minute following a O'Leary break and Nic a Bháird's straightening up of the attack.

Adding to Leinster's disappointment, they lost Ireland Sevens international Kathy Baker to a bad injury. In her absence, Martin's charges forced a series of penalties to advance downfield, and Whelan made her way through two attempted tackles to touch down to the right of the posts.

The number of penalties caught up with Munster, with O'Leary sin-binned for jumping across a 72nd-minute lineout. With industrious hooker Kelly Burke impressing with her lineout work and strong carrying, Whelan duly managed to double her tally with another smart finish.

Munster replacement Meghan Crilly briefly threatened when chasing a Finn kick, before Leinster scored in the final play. With Gráinne Burke sent to the bin for a trip on Whelan, the ball was moved wide for Elmes Kinlan to beat Flannery on the outside for her third try of the competition.

MUNSTER: Aoife Corey (UL Bohemian RFC); Alana McInerney (UL Bohemian RFC), Lucia Linn (UL Bohemian RFC), Caitríona Finn (UL Bohemian RFC), Lyndsay Clarke (Ennis RFC); Kate Flannery (UL Bohemian RFC), Eve Prendergast (Ballincollig RFC); Ciara McLoughlin (UL Bohemian RFC), Deirbhile Nic a Bháird (Old Belvedere RFC), Eilís Cahill (UL Bohemian RFC), Clodagh O’Halloran (UL Bohemian RFC), Claire Bennett (UL Bohemian RFC), Jane Clohessy (UL Bohemian RFC), Maeve Óg O’Leary (Blackrock College RFC) (capt), Chloe Pearse (UL Bohemian RFC).

Replacements: Gráinne Burke (UL Bohemian RFC), Emma Dunican (Tralee RFC), Brianna Heylmann (UL Bohemian RFC), Lily Morris (Ballincollig RFC), Sally Kelly (Ennis RFC), Meghan Crilly (Loughborough University), Abbie Salter-Townshend (UL Bohemian RFC), Annakate Cournane (Shannon RFC).

LEINSTER: Emma Brogan (MU Barnhall RFC); Vicky Elmes Kinlan (Wicklow RFC), Kathy Baker (Blackrock College RFC), Cara Martin (Blackrock College RFC), Maggie Boylan (Blackrock College RFC); Nikki Caughey (Railway Union RFC), Jade Gaffney (Old Belvedere RFC); Aoife Moore (Blackrock College RFC), Kelly Burke (MU Barnhall RFC), Katie Layde (Old Belvedere RFC), Clíodhna Ní Chonchobhair (Blackrock College RFC), Ciara Short (Wicklow RFC), Katelynn Doran (MU Barnhall RFC), Molly Boyne (Railway Union RFC) (capt), Rosie Searle (Navan RFC).

Replacements: Kara Mulcahy (Old Belvedere RFC), Hannah Wilson (Old Belvedere RFC), Clodagh Dunne (Old Belvedere RFC), Méabh Keegan (Railway Union RFC), Katie Whelan (Old Belvedere), Heidi Lyons (Naas RFC), Clara Dunne (Wicklow RFC), Katie Corrigan (Old Belvedere RFC).

Referee: Daniel Carson (IRFU)