Munster warm up for final meeting with Leinster with big win over Connacht
Connacht’s Uillian Eilian and Sally Kelly of Munster. Pic: ©INPHO/James Crombie
Munster, already safely through to next weekend’s Vodafone women’s inter-pro final, warmed up for that clash with a seven tries to two win over Connacht at Dexcom Stadium.
Matt Brown’s side will return to the Galway venue next weekend to take on Leinster in the final following their emphatic 75-5 win over Ulster in Belfast.
Brown made just two changes from the side which hammered Ulster 62-0 last weekend and the champions will now face their old rivals Leinster who they defeated 50-15 in last year’s decider.
And they will make the short trip back up the motorway to Galway in confidence after seeing off Connacht with another polished display.
Munster led 21-5 at the end of the opening with their pack helping them get on top of a Connacht side who started well and hit the front inside three minutes.
A couple of penalties down the left saw Poppy Garvey take a five-metre lineout and hooker Uillian Eilian crowned her debut with the touchdown after an excellent drive.
Connacht tried to build on that good start with some expansive rugby but suffered a big blow when winger Alanna McInerney intercepted as they tried to run from deep and she raced in to score under the posts.
Munster, despite conceding a lot of penalties, managed to hold Connacht and get on top and they scored after going to the corner. A good lineout take by Clodagh O’Halloran in the right corner was followed by several drives and tighthead Alisha Flynn supplied the finish after working the ball infield.
Outhalf Caitríona Finn added her second conversion and then produced a moment of brilliance, twice dummying as she sprinted from deep to get their third try seven minutes from the break before landing the conversion for a 16-point cushion at the interval.
Connacht, whose hopes of reaching the final were dashed before kick-off when news of Leinster’s big over Ulster came through from Belfast needed to get the first score after the break to have any chance of a comeback.
But it was Munster who struck again, Finn picking out McInerney down the right with a precision crosskick before she then added the extras and push the lead out to 28-5.
Hooker Flynn got her second try off another good drive as the champions turned the screw and McInerney completed her hat-trick down the right with another impressive finish, with Finn’s convert making it 40-5 after 56 minutes.
Connacht pulled back a try when No.8 Jemima Adams Verling scored off the base off a scrum from distance with Munster loosehead Siobhan McCarthy in the bin.
But it was the champions who finished in style as replacement scrumhalf Abbey Salter-Townsend darted over for their seventh try 14 minutes from the end.
Tries: U Eilian, J Adams Verling. Con: S Hession.
Tries: A McInerney (3), A Flynn (2), C Finn, A Salter-Townshend. Cons: Finn (6).
C Barrett; C Gorman, A McGann, L Clarke (S Purcell 36), E Foley; M Deely (S Hession 62), A Reilly (co-capt) (A Heaney 63); E Burns (É O'Mahoney 70), U Eilian (J Keating 43), L Morris (H Coen 32); F Oviawe, P Garvey (E Fabby 38); E Kelly (H Johnston 55), A Quinn (co-capt), J Adams Verling.
A Corey (capt); A McInerney, L Linn, E Breen (K Flannery 60), C Ugwueru (K Corrigan 60); C Finn, E Lane (A Salter-Townshend 60); S McCarthy, B Buttimer (E Dunican 60), A Flynn (A O'Malley 76); A O'Flynn, J Clohessy (N O’Mahony 51); C O'Halloran (C Murphy 59), S Kelly (O’Halloran 76), G Moore (T Ryan 76).
Alana Kerr (Ulster).
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