Munster players fighting for final jerseys in Connacht clash

Munster will have six of their nine IRFU centrally contracted players on show at Dexcom Stadium on Saturday while hosts Connacht will have four of their six

Munster's Caitriona Finn gets her first start of the campaign at out-half. Pic: ©INPHO/Andrew Conan

Munster’s players will be told they are playing for their places in the final of the women’s interprovincial series when they face Connacht at the Dexcom Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

Matt Brown’s side is safely through to that decider, also in Galway, thanks to big opening wins over Leinster and Ulster on home soil, but the message is that there should be no letting up in this last round of group games.

Assistant coach Niamh Briggs has signalled as much.

“We really want to carry on the momentum and keep getting better. But Connacht are a really good side, dug out a really difficult win against Ulster, up in Ulster, and I thought they were really unlucky not to get more scores or even possibly win that game versus Leinster last weekend.

“And they've got star power across their team as well. So we've just got to be making sure that we're doing our job right, [that] we're getting better. And whoever plays in terms of selection points, you're fighting for a spot, fighting for a jersey for the final week.

“So that's something that we press on them a lot, around those young players that are coming into the group, whether it's starting or off the bench, that they continue that momentum, have a real good understanding and confidence in themselves to be able to go and play.” 

Momentum is clearly paramount in the minds of the brains trust as just two changes have been made to the XV.

Alisha Flynn will make a first start for the seniors at tighthead where she replaces Eilis Cahill while Caitriona Finn’s first start of the campaign at out-half sees Enya Breen slipping sideways to inside-centre.

Katie Corrigan drops to the bench with Lucia Linn partnering Breen at centre and Chisom Ugwueru and Alana McInerney occupying the wings. There is still no place for captain Maeve Óg O’Leary due to injury.

The changes are, in fact, the first made to the XV in these interpros, but Brown has looked beyond the final by opting to name three rookies - Ballincollig’s Ella Buckley and Niamh O’Mahony, and Clonakilty’s Caoimhe Murphy - on the bench.

Munster are well placed to build on recent weeks, and on last year’s unbeaten quartet of games that saw them crowned champions for the first time since 2023, but Connacht pose dangers as they play their first tie of the year on home turf.

Connacht will have four of their six IRFU centrally contracted players on show, Munster six of their nine, and Briggs is happy to see that number rising from a point in recent times where they had only three or four wearing the national kit.

A statement of intent, she calls it.

“Some really, really good young kids that are coming through, which is brilliant.

“We'll continue to keep pushing that bar, but we can only control what we can control down here in Munster. We continue to try and build good habits as rugby players, as people, and it's up to the IRFU, really, in terms of where they see the next generation coming through.

“I'm really proud of that nine, but also really excited for what's coming behind them because I'm sure that that number will increase over the next year or two.” 

Munster are still heavily-reliant on players from UL Bohs. Thirteen of the 25 players used in the first two games come from the AIL champions. Only three of the others were attached to another Munster side.

The cohesiveness that the UL Bohs cohort brings is obvious but Briggs has been on the scene long enough to understand progress when she sees it, and she sees evidence of that in pathways and in the presence of clubs like Ennis and Ballincollig in the AIL.

“To be fair, there's a real good cohort of young girls coming through now from Cork. That's been brilliant to see. Clonakilty have won a lot underage and schools cups. Ballincollig’s U18-and-a-half team had three Irish U18s last year, so they're in a really good space.

“So, look, here's the thing. We've been dependent on one club for a very long time. We're starting to see fruits of very hard work, hard labour from a lot of people in Munster to try and build out the game across the province.

“Some excellent players in Ennis, and the underage structure is really starting to come through and come to fruition in terms of what we're trying to build. So, look, it's great.

“UL Bohs have been a standard bearer in the country for a very long time, and rightly so. They've put a lot into what they're doing, but it's great to see other clubs and other players coming through.” 

Connacht: C Barrett; C Gorman, A McGann, L Clarke, E Foley; M Deely, A Reilly; E Burns, E Eilian, L Morris; F Oviawe, P Garvey; E Kelly, A Quinn, J Adams Verling.

Munster: A Corey; A McInerney, L Linn, E Breen, C Ugwueru; C Finn, E Lane; S McCarthy, B Buttimer, A Flynn; A O’Flynn, J Clohessy, C O’Halloran; S Kelly, G Moore.