Dominant Munster on upward curve after trouncing Ulster
Katie Corrigan of Munster is tackled by Niamh Marley of Ulster during the Vodafone Womens Interprovincial Championship Round 2 match between Munster and Ulster at Virgin Media Park in Cork. Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile
Their place in the Vodafone Women’s Interprovincial Championship final may have been confirmed on Saturday but Munster matchday captain Aoife Corey wants the defending champions to make a clean sweep against their rivals with a win at Connacht next weekend.
Having registered a 39-19 opening-round defeat of Leinster seven days earlier, Munster made it two bonus-point victories in a row as they signed off from Cork’s Virgin Media Park with this 10-try blanking of winless Ulster.
Connacht’s failure to earn a losing bonus point in a 36-21 defeat at Leinster later the same day means the westerners can still reach the play-off final at Dexcom Stadium on August 29 with a win over Munster on their home ground this Saturday but they now need Ulster to upset the odds in Belfast against the Leinsterwomen to prevent a repeat of last season’s decider.
Not that Munster will mind who they face given their imperious form so far in this 2026 series. They were dominant physically and technically once more against Ulster as they ran in 10 tries without reply in a one-sided contest on Leeside. Full-back Corey, standing in as captain in the absence of injured skipper Maeve Óg O’Leary, was one of eight different try scorers, with player of the match, flanker Clodagh O’Halloran scoring twice while hooker Beth Buttimer also grabbed two to add to the four she claimed the previous week.
All of Munster’s back three players also got in on the action, Corey having followed starting wings Chisom Ugwuero and Katie Corrigan onto the scoresheet. Alana McInerney, who started at outside centre but switched to cover the withdrawn Ugwuero’s left wing after half-time, and outside back replacement Andrea Murphy marked her debut off the bench with the final try of the game. Fly-half Enya Breen and Caitríona Finn, introduced at 10 for the second half as the starter switched to inside centre, each kicked three conversions.
While it was not as rigorous a test as the one Leinster had posed in the first round the week before, the matchday captain insisted Munster had put in a better performance against Ulster and would aim to improve further for their trip to Galway this Saturday.
“What we wanted to do going into that (Leinster) game, we had it very set out what we needed to do and where we could pick off Leinster or Ulster,” Corey said.
“And a lot of learnings from Leinster as well. We wanted to use our edge more and I think we definitely did that today. So, it was probably a bit harder, but I think we showed a lot of improvements.
“We talk about getting to the next level all the time. So, I think today, yeah, we reached the next level 100 per cent.
“This campaign, it's a sprint, not a jog, but there's always time for learning and there's always time for improvement. There's never such a thing as a perfect team, but we'd love to get close to it.
“We want a clean slate. I think any team in this competition wants a clean slate. We love winning and we do well when we're on top, so, yeah, hopefully we can just keep it going until next week as well.”
Corey added: “I think Connacht will probably be one of our hardest games, especially because it's an away game. This is our first away game of the competition and Connacht are a really, really good side. They're very hardy, so I think physically we're going to have to really front up next week and, yeah, hopefully we'll come out on the other side of it.
“Always room for improvement, absolutely.”
The captain praised her forward pack for the dominance they enjoyed over Ulster, both in contact and at set-piece, the scrum profiting at every engagement in the first half, either through penalties or turnover ball against the head.
“Our forward pack! A lot to say about our forward pack. They were unbelievable today. I think they carried us, they carried really hard. The set piece was unbelievable, especially in the first half.
“Our scrums were so dominant and our lineouts as well. So, yeah, thank God for that forward pack because they were great.”
It marked a memorable debut as captain for the full-back, who said: “A great win and yeah, so special, like such a privilege, such an honour. This jersey means so much to me, to my family and to have all the girls there as well. Yeah, it's really special. And to have a win like that as well, yeah, really, really good.”
A Corey – captain; K Corrigan, A McInerney, L Linn, C Ugwueru (C Finn, h-t); E Breen (A Murphy, 59), E Lane (A Salter-Townshend, 51); S McCarthy (T Ryan, 59), B Buttimer (E Dunican, 51), E Cahill (A Flynn, 59); J Clohessy, A O’Flynn; C O’Halloran (A O’Malley, 59), S Kelly (C O’Halloran, 68), G Moore (A Cournane, 51).
N Marley; K Gilmour, C Crowe (E Durkan, 54), L Thompson (L Irwin, 54), C Fitzsimons; A Moyles, R McIlroy (G Boyce, 54); S McGrath (S Roberts, 32-61), I Daley – captain (M Clenaghan, 76), S Barrett (A Fannin, 32-61); F Tuite-O’Sullivan (S Sloan, 64), R Beacom (O McKinley, 54); M Hill, C Hill, C Boles.
Kenny Coldrick (IRFU).
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
