Leinster and Munster, last year’s champions, made solid home victories against Connacht and Ulster, as the new Vodafone Women’s Interprovincial Championship took off under the friendly Irish skies. Leinster, who successfully held the trophy last season, was defeated by Connacht in the first match of the last championship, but they averted a similar setback this time. Guided by Tania Rosser, they showcased captivating offensive tactics to win by a score of 38-19, with a crowd of 2,462 attending the match at Energia Park.
Having struck first with a try from Ella Roberts in the 10th minute, Leinster increased their lead with further tallies, courtesy of Katie Whelan and Aoife Dalton. Connacht was able to respond with a try from substitute Faith Oviawe after 31 minutes, albeit Emma Tilly added a final flourish to the first half, ensuring Leinster led 26-7 at halftime.
Come the second half, Caoimhe Molloy teamed up with fellow Wexford-native Whelan on the scoreboard. When Nikki Caughey made her fourth conversion of the game, it cemented Leinster’s lead at 26 points. Katie Whelan added another try before the end, while Connacht managed to salvage some respectability with additional tries on either side of this action.
Meanwhile, a 29-22 victory was handed to Munster against Ulster at Virgin Media Park in Cork, largely thanks to Alana McInerney’s hat-trick of tries in the first half. McInerney’s first score came from seizing a loosed ball in the 7th minute, and she added her second shortly before the first quarter ended. The team’s lead was further secured when skipper Chloe Pearse powerfully touched down.
In the end, Ulster commenced their scoring with Tara O’Neill capitalising on exemplary groundwork by Ireland’s Brittany Hogan to score in her inaugural senior game for Ulster. However, despite having to leave the pitch injured before the end of the first half, McInerney managed to secure a third try at 34 minutes in, boosting the hosts to a 22-5 advantage at half-time.
Ulster, featuring Kathryn Dane in her initial competitive match since her brain haemorrhage in November 2022, managed to make some headway, as hooker India Daley secured a converted try only five minutes into the second half.
Although Munster reaffirmed their dominance via a brilliant solo try by Chisom Ugwueru at the 53rd-minute mark, Ulster showed their grit once more when Lucy Thompson secured a fiver towards the last quarter.
A final, remarkable try by the stellar Hogan brought hopes of a dramatic Ulster victory within reach, but in conclusion, it was Munster who resisted and secured the victory.