Ulster come from behind to share the spoils with Connacht
Shake The After Game picture: ©inpho/laszlo Hands Second Teams Half Geczo Eback: both
India Daley and replacement Vicky Irwin inspired a late two-try fightback from Ulster, as they erased a 14-point deficit to draw with Connacht at Kingspan Stadium.
Emer O’Dowd’s young Connacht team took home three points, with Méabh Deely scoring two of their four tries, but their first Vodafone Women’s Interprovincial Championship win fell out of their grasp.
Ulster, who had a statement victory over the westerners last year, rallied during the final quarter with player-of-the-match Brittany Hogan to the fore. Daley (73 minutes) and Stacey Sloan (78), with Irwin adding both conversions for a share of the spoils.
Faith Oviawe’s third try of the tournament, adding to a Hannah Clarke-inspired score finished off by Deely, saw Connacht cancel out two Abby Moyles penalties to lead 10-6 at half-time.
The Donegal-born Laoise McGonagle touched down against her native province, but Ulster fired back swiftly thanks to an impressive individual effort from Lucy Thompson who was making her first senior start.
Despite Deely crossing and tagging on a penalty to increase her contribution to 15 points, Connacht’s 25-11 advantage was not enough in the end as Murray Houston’s resilient side closed out this thrilling seven-try contest on their terms.
Ulster now have four points and will head into next Saturday’s home match against Leinster still in contention to reach the August 31 final. Connacht will need a big performance against Munster at Dexcom Stadium if they are to squeeze through to the decider.
The Connacht back row was prominent early on in defence, with Shannon Touhey muscling in for two turnovers, and Béibhinn Gleeson forcing a knock-on. A missed touchfinder from Moyles also saw Ulster miss out on a maul opportunity.
Maebh Clenaghan’s well-won turnover penalty got the home side moving in the right direction again. Their captain Kathryn Dane missed out on a try when McGonagle hauled her down short, following a clever initial break and pass from Sophie Barrett.
Making her first appearance of the season, out-half Moyles made sure they got some points on the board, landing a low-slung 11th-minute penalty from the edge of the Connacht 22.
However, the Trim native soon missed a second penalty to touch, and a barnstorming Oviawe break from deep visibly lifted her team-mates. Defences continued to be on top, though, with scrappy lineout ball spoiling Connacht’s first visit to the opposition 22.
Some terrific interplay between McGonagle, Touhey, and Oviawe saw the green shirts flood forward again, and Deely’s quick burst had them threatening a try. Nicole Fowley turned down a kickable penalty, and a handling error then allowed Ulster to kick clear.
Ireland Under-20 international Clarke did the damage for the game’s opening try, 23 minutes in. It was a cracking team score that saw the Ulster defence unlocked out wide.
Hit hard by Peita McAlister, McGonagle did really well to release her fellow winger, who nimbly sidestepped inside Lauren Farrell McCabe and offloaded out of a tackle from Moyles for the supporting Deely to race over in the right corner.
The try scorer’s well-struck conversion attempt fell short, and Ulster wasted little time in responding, setting up Moyles to kick them back in front from close range by the half hour mark.
Benefitting from Gráinne Moran’s slick service from ruck to ruck, and Orla Dixon’s quick feet in midfield, Connacht continued to carry more threat with ball in hand. Their willingness to move the ball wide was rewarded with a second unconverted try.
McGonagle’s improvised pass was tidied up by Karly Tierney who invited Oviawe to have a cut from halfway. There was no stopping the long-striding flanker, who brilliantly shrugged off Moyles and outpaced her chasers to crash over on the left.
The visitors were knitting their attacks together very nicely, which would have pleased their new skills coach Gavin Duffy and backs coach Alison Miller. Clarke came in late for her senior debut but looked right at home on the right wing.
Connacht started the second half in ideal fashion, with replacement prop Roisín Maher sucking in defenders from a tap penalty. Ulster clawed back some metres, but well-timed passes from Fowley and Dixon saw McGonagle go over untouched in the left corner.
Trailing 15-6, Ulster needed a lift and they got it in the form of Enniskillen youngster’s Thompson second try in the space of a week. She had the strength and speed to beat McGonagle for a 40-metre run-in despite the Connacht winger chasing back.
As Ulster looked to their bench to provide the necessary impact, Connacht cut them open for a slick bonus point score. Fowley’s inviting flat pass saw Deely surge through a gap on a straight line, gleefully going in under the posts. Her conversion made it 22-11.
The Ballinasloe talent, who has 13 Ireland caps to her name, then knocked over a penalty to put 14 points between the sides. Connacht’s forwards had threatened from a maul beforehand, with Lily Brady and Touhey both gaining good ground with their carries.
A textbook turnover penalty won by Hogan got Ulster out of some trouble, after they were caught offside from a Moyles kick. Suddenly, they had the attacking momentum as Connacht leaked successive penalties.
Number 8 Hogan was tackled just short from a quickly-taken penalty, but ever-alert hooker Daley swooped in to score under the posts. Irwin’s conversion closed the gap to seven points, and the home crowd sensed the comeback was on.
With Ulster showing immense character and improvements in their game, Hogan came up with an important lineout steal, and then Irwin broke from deep, launching a kick chase which led to Connacht conceding another penalty.
Once they breached the opposition 22, young prop Barrett made a bustling carry and drew in a number of defenders. Rachael McIlroy, who came on to good effect at scrum half, used the quick ruck ball to feed Daley and she set up Sloan to burrow over.
Irwin’s left boot did the rest, calmly launching the levelling conversion over from a left-sided position. Connacht went after the Ulster scrum past the 80-minute mark, but the hosts retained possession and settled for the draw with Irwin finding touch.
: L Farrell McCabe (Suttonians RFC); L Thompson (Enniskillen RFC), C Martin (Blackrock College RFC), T O’Neill (Cooke RFC), P McAlister (Malone RFC); A Moyles (Blackrock College RFC), K Dane (Old Belvedere RFC) (capt); B Cassidy (Queen’s University Belfast RFC), I Daley (Enniskillen RFC/Blackrock College RFC), S Barrett (Enniskillen RFC/Railway Union RFC), B Barr (Suttonians RFC), C O’Kane (Cooke RFC), M Hill (Enniskillen RFC), M Clenaghan (Queen’s University Belfast RFC), B Hogan (Old Belvedere RFC).
: M Brodie (Blackrock College RFC) for Cassidy (21 mins), A Fannin (Blackrock College RFC) for Barrett (35), S Sloan (Cooke RFC) for M Hill, R McIlroy (Queen’s University Belfast RFC) for Dane, Barrett for Fannin (all 50), V Irwin (Sale Sharks) for O’Neill (57), G McCamley (Cooke RFC) for O’Kane (62), Cassidy for Brodie (66), C Hill (Ballymena RFC) for Clenaghan, P Smyth (Ballynahinch RFC) for Moyles (both 70).
: M Deely (Blackrock College RFC); H Clarke (Tuam/Oughterard RFC/Galwegians RFC), O Dixon (Galwegians RFC), É Nic Dhonnacha (UL Bohemian RFC), L McGonagle (UL Bohemian RFC); N Fowley (Galwegians RFC) (CC), G Moran (Ballina RFC); E Burns (Tuam/Oughterard RFC), Lily Brady (UL Bohemian RFC), M Collis (Railway Union RFC), K Tierney (Tuam/Oughterard RFC), G Browne Moran (Galwegians RFC), F Oviawe (Railway Union RFC), B Gleeson (Tuam/Oughterard RFC), S Touhey (Tullamore RFC) (CC).
: M Goulding (Saracens) for Moran (31 mins), R Maher (Galwegians RFC) for Collis (half-time), R Searle (Navan RFC) for Browne Moran (62), M Boote (Tuam/Oughterard RFC) for McGonagle, J Adams Verling (Creggs RFC) for Gleeson (both 70), S Hanley (Galwegians RFC) for Brady, H Lowney (MU Barnhall RFC) for Burns (both 74).
A Ryder (Railway Union RFC).
Dermot Blake (IRFU)