Ladies in waiting….

Ireland’s Women didn’t disappoint on the pitch last Saturday, but what about the fans off it? asks Conor Cronin…

I was so impressed with the set up in the Aviva on Saturday. Fireworks, a full house, people mostly in their seats by the time the anthems were starting, giant posters of BOD, a fantastic game with a great result and a fitting tribute to our departing hero.

And that tribute was watched by the same full house who had cheered and shouted during the match. We stayed and watch Brian talk about how it was to play in green, and take his daughter out onto the pitch with him. It was lovely. And we had no problem staying for that.

But then, of the 43000 or so that were there, about 42000 of them left.

It was fine and easy to stay watch BOD talk, and even though we were getting a second match thrown in to the price of the first people just left. Leaving about 1000, maybe 1500, to stay and cheer on Irish rugby players working hard.

The women put in an absolutely mighty performance. They won their game by the same margin as the men won theirs, with the added bonus that, unlike the men, they didn't concede anything.

I know that for whatever reason, women's sport just doesn't get the same support as men. But when you consider how hard these girls work, I would've thought they'd get more on such a special day.

They've got day jobs. A few live in England and have to come here for training. They won a grand slam last year. And in spite of even that amazing achievement, people still left because a pint with the lads was more important. 

I know there are people who, because of family commitments etc, had to go home, or had to get the kids from the grandparents, or get the train or bus home, or even had to go to work in the case of one guy I know was there. But for all the people who went out for the beer and hung out with their friends, is that all it was?

Did you know that our anthems, sung in the afternoon, sounded amazing. I actually recorded them. it was brilliant! compare that to the sound the girls got... it was like the difference between the two teams, huge!

Most people also probably don't realise that BOD isn't the only centre who played a last home game at the weekend. Try scorer Lynne Cantwell, who is Irelands most capped international at 78, is also retiring. No mention in the stadium, no big floating poster.

The IRFU are culpable in all of this as well. There is a lack of funding for 15s (they're concentrating on women's 7s) and a failure to sufficiently encourage the fans to stay. If they had included a team sheet in the programme from the men's game it may have encouraged more people who maybe didn't realise the women were on to stay. People might have seen it and said "sure why not, lets keep cheering on the green jersey".

I have such admiration for what I saw the women do on Saturday. They don't get paid to put their bodies on the line, they do it for pride. They do it to say they did it. I watched Ashleigh Baxter get hit hard and roll over on her neck, get up and shake it off. And all because she wants to do herself, her team mates and her country proud. And what better incentive for it than that. What I'm getting at is that we the fans should have been there to encourage her in much stronger numbers. Because they deserve it.

Look at the words of Ireland's Call. I know we don't all agree with it being used or anything, but the words are what matters here. "Come the day and come the hour... we have come to answer our countries call... shoulder to shoulder". That shoulder to shoulder should be including the women who train as hard as the men, who play the same amount of time, who take big hits and give them, who ruck hard and drive over try lines and score 39 points more than their opposition. Just like the men.

And then, they go home to their lives and back to their 9-5 jobs, whether it's here in Ireland, or over in England. 

If you stayed and cheered on the girls in green, brilliant! I'm delighted you took pride in the Jersey to support it regardless of who's wearing it, just like I did. For those who didn't, and don't have real reasons to not, what would have been so terrible about cheering on OUR team as they played and won? 

Conor Cronin (@ccbooms) is a Leinster fan cursed with a Munster loving father. You'll regularly find him screaming in the north stand in the RDS.

Support the Girls in Green!

A look ahead to the Irish Womens’ Grand Slam defence by Sarah Lennon…

The Irish women’s rugby team take on Scotland on Friday in a defence of their Grand Slam Crown. Ashbourne is the setting as Ireland takes on their Scottish counterparts under lights. Of course there may not have been a title to defend had things gone differently in the summer. Plans to create a two tier tournament seriously threatened to undermine the women’s game. Thankfully in April an agreement was reached and a commitment given by all unions to the tournament.

Regarding this year’s tournament, it will be no easy feat for Ireland to defend their crown. Fiona Coghlan again captains the team and Philip Doyle remains as head coach. Three home games are helpful including the historic occasion of Ireland V Italy at Aviva stadium. Two very tough away fixtures in England in Twickenham and France will be key. The women return to Pau on the final day and hopefully the travel arrangements go smoother than the last trip.

First up is Scotland. It is tempting to predict an easy win for Ireland as the defending champions taking on last year’s wooden spoon holders, but that would be a disservice to Scotland who gave Ireland a huge test on their way to last season’s maiden 6 Nations victory with the 30-3 scoreline belying a very tough first hour. Ireland will be favourites, of course, but it can be a very difficult ask for the senior women’s team. Unlike their male equivalent, there are no summer tours or November series, the 6 Nations is the be all and end all. This team hasn’t played together since securing the title in Italy last year. Hitting the ground running is key and a good win in a non-test match versus Italy last weekend will have shaken loose a few of the cobwebs.

Mirroring the men’s tournament, the women have another home game the following Friday, again in Ashbourne against Wales. The girls in green will be hoping for some momentum going into a difficult trip to Twickenham. England have a stronger look and feel this year after last season’s focus on the 7s, and in particular the return of Maggie Alphonsi will give an enormous boost to the English side.

The first two home matches in this year’s 6 Nations will be held in Ashbourne and the last vs Italy in the Aviva. The women’s match is free for those in attendance for the men’s match, and a tenner for anyone wishing to attend the women’s match only.

Old Belvedere Ladies are running a supporters bus to and from Ashbourne  and there is an IRFU scheme for supporters buses to the Aviva for Ireland V Italy http://www.irishrugby.ie/news/30487.php

Get out and support the girls in green!!

Sarah Lennon (@sarahlennon08) is passionate about all things rugby. A Leinster Season Ticket holder since the Donnybrook days, a supporter of the Irish teams home and abroad and can regularly be seen cheering on Junior Rugby at Stillorgan RFC (a labour of love). As well as spectating, she dabbles in playing a bit and is a member of Old Belvedere RFC and fully paid up member of the front row union.

Leinster Women’s League finals

A summary of last Saturday’s finals at Edenderry Rugby Club by Sarah Lennon…

The Leinster Women’s League finals took place in Edenderry on Saturday in the culmination of the league season in Divisions 1-4. Teams from all across the province were in attendance with Dublin, Wicklow, Wexford, Westmeath and Carlow all represented. There was a great atmosphere in the Edenderry Rugby Club, despite the weather and copious amounts of mud on display and all four games were played in great competitive spirit.

The Division 4 final was between Old Belvedere J2 and CYM. Both of these teams were in their very first league campaign and they had topped their groups en route to the semi-finals. The teams had won convincingly in their respective semi-finals so a close affair was predicted. The day commenced with this final and ultimately it was CYM who prevailed 12-0 with two early tries proving crucial.

In Division 3, Arklow took on Gorey in a local derby. Arklow were favourites having topped the group but the two previous encounters had been decided by a single score on each occasion and Gorey were out to win the one that mattered. It was the experienced Amazons that won on the day howeve,r completing a hattrick of wins over Gorey for the season.

The Division 2 final saw Mullingar take on Tullow. Both of these teams were very experienced and Mullingar went into the game as favourites having won all 9 of their league matches. Tullow knew that if they wanted to win they would have to do something that they hadn’t managed in the two league games between the teams and score! However, in an extraordinary match, the score was tied 0-0 after 100 minutes of rugby and as there were no cards to break the tie it was a penalty shootout. Tullow held their nerve and were successful with one of their three allocated kicks. It was enough to seal the title for the Carlow ladies.

The last match to kick off was the Leinster Division 1 match between Old Belvedere J1 and Clondalkin. Like the other finals, the teams appeared to be closely matched. In their two previous matches, Belvo had one narrow win and the other match was drawn. A large crowd gathered to enjoy the highlight match of the day and the two teams set off in very competitive fashion right from the outset. A tight affair unfolded, as predicted but it was Belvo’ who took a slender 5-0 lead into half time. Despite dominating possession and territory, Belvo’ couldn’t capitalise in the second half and their lead remained vulnerable. With the clock ticking on towards the 80 minute mark, great work from the forwards saw the Belvo ladies crash over for a second try. MVP Hannah Tyrell couldn’t add the extras from out wide, but it mattered not as it was the final act of the match and Old Belvedere were crowned Division 1 Champions.

Congratulations were due to all who took part, organised, refereed and ‘spectated’ on a day where all seasons were truly on display. Congratulations to all the winners @cymrugby, @arklowrfc, @tullowrfc and @oldbelvoladies

Sarah Lennon (@sarahlennon08) is passionate about all things rugby. A Leinster Season Ticket holder since the Donnybrook days, a supporter of the Irish teams home and abroad and can regularly be seen cheering on Junior Rugby at Stillorgan RFC (a labour of love). As well as spectating, she dabbles in playing a bit and is a member of Old Belvedere RFC and fully paid up member of the front row union.

Another 2013 trophy for Leinster

Belvo & Rock played major roles in Leinster Women’s Interpro success, writes Sarah Lennon…

The schedulers had organised it correctly and Munster took on Leinster in Thomond Park in a winner takes all finale to this season’s Interprovincial series.

In the lead up to this match Leinster had secured a 36-0 win over Connacht and a 41-7 win over Ulster with thirteen tries scored for the concession of just the one. Likewise, Munster had two victories coming into the match with a 31-7 win over Connacht and a close fought match against Ulster winning 15-7.

On the face of it there was little to choose between the teams. Munster are the reigning interprovincial champions and were looking to defend that title on their home patch. Leinster’s first two matches in the series had been very convincing and when they secured the Interpro title 2 season’s ago it was on Munster soil.

One hint as to the form of the teams was to be found in the AIL Division 1 table. The league stage had suggested that a shift away from the traditional Munster team’s stronghold has begun. UL Bohemian from Limerick have traditionally been the ladies team par excellence but an unprecedented hattrick of defeats saw them finish the league stage in fourth. Highfield in Cork do retain their seemingly perennial runners up position but it is the results of Old Belvedere who contributed 12 players to the Leinster panel and the resurgence of Blackrock ladies saw nine representatives in the squad that have caught the eye.

The team to face Munster had an entire Old Belvo & Blackrock backline and 5 of the 8 in the pack were from Old Belvedere. Munster on the other hand had representatives from 7 different clubs. When Munster were dominating this series they relied heavily on UL Bohs for players and it was the familiarity and cohesion that made them as strong as they were. Leinster were hoping that the club form translated into the Provincial team.

As would have been expected, the match was a very close affair in the first half, with the weather playing its part. Both teams were cheered on by a sizeable crowd and Leinster have attracted a dedicated away following this season as they had two matches on the road. The reliable boot of Ger Rea of Highfield had struck two penalties to capitalise on Munster’s territorial dominance but the Belvo’ pair of Maz Reilly with a try and Nora Stapleton with a conversion secured a 7-6 lead for the ladies in blue.

As has been the trend in the series so far, Leinster went for the jugular in the 2^nd half and Paula Fitzpatrick and Nora Stapleton crossed the white line for two converted tries and an insurmountable 21-6 lead. Maz Reilly, the Leinster captain for the second season in succession lifted aloft the Interprovincial trophy.

Leinster have blended an exciting combination of fresh, new players this season with the more experienced heads and we will be looking forward to seeing a number of these ladies in green come the 6 Nations.

Click here for match highlights from Munster v Leinster

Sarah Lennon (@sarahlennon08) is passionate about all things rugby. A Leinster Season Ticket holder since the Donnybrook days, a supporter of the Irish teams home and abroad and can regularly be seen cheering on Junior Rugby at Stillorgan RFC (a labour of love). As well as spectating, she dabbles in playing a bit and is a member of Old Belvedere RFC and fully paid up member of the front row union.

Won’t make it to Northampton?

Fi Coghlan, Leinster, is tackled by Grace Davitt, Ulster. Women's Interprovincial, Ulster v Leinster, Ravenhill Park, Belfast, Co. Antrim.

Picture credit: Oliver McVeigh / SPORTSFILE ©SPORTSFILE

Whether we go to every Leinster match home and away or just make it to the odd match in the RDS or even cheer from abroad, we’re all fans who want to see Leinster rugby doing well.

And even if you can’t make it over to Franklin’s Gardens this weekend, I’m sure you’ll be planning to catch every second of the action if possible.

I put it to you that you can still see some top-quality live action on Irish shores this Saturday before the match kicks off on Sky.

WOMEN’S INTERPROVINCIAL : LEINSTER V CONNACHT

The Leinster women got their interprovincial campaign off to a storming start last weekend as they crushed their Ulster counterparts by 41 points to 7 up in Ravenhill.

This weekend sees their only home fixture of the championship so it will be a great chance to get out and support the girls as they take on Connacht to hopefully set up a decisive finale with Munster in Thomond Park the following week.

Why not head out to Ashbourne RFC for the 4pm kickoff (just off the N2, not half as far as it sounds to some people!) to sample the unique atmosphere where Ireland defeated both England and France on the way to their historic Grand Slam last season? 

Then you can retire to  take in the Heineken Cup action in the warmth of the club bar.

BRITISH & IRISH CUP : LEINSTER “A” V CROSS KEYS RFC

Cross Keys RFC are in the Dragons region over in Wales and are no strangers to success both domestically and abroad.

The currently lie 4th in the Welsh Premiership with 7 wins out of 9 so far and like Leinster defeated both Ealing Trailfinders and Moseley in their opening Pool 1 encounters in this season’s British & Irish Cup, a competition where they have reached the final before in the past.

They come to Donnybrook this Saturday in the first of a crucial back-to-back tussle which should ultimately determine the winners of the pool.  Kick-off is at 2:30pm and entry is free for Leinster Rugby season ticket holders.

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So as I say if you’re not travelling to England for your live rugby this weekend, maybe you can make it to one of the above matches…the province could really do with your support.  JLP

Ireland’s first meeting with Black Ferns

In this week’s Women’s Rugby slot, Sarah Lennon returns to look at Ireland’s World Cup chances after the pool draw

When the Irish women completed their Grand Slam winning season last year, they also secured a place in the 2014 World Cup to be held in France.

This is no mean feat as the likes of Scotland and Italy missed out completely as only 12 teams compete in the Women’s World Cup. Instead of the established 6 Nations teams of Scotland and Italy, Spain who had been controversially removed from the women’s 6 Nations in 2007 qualified placing highest in the qualifying tournament.

The draw for the group stages took place in Paris on Thursday and Ireland were drawn in Pool 2.

In order to have a chance at winning the tournament, Ireland must top their group or be the best runner up from the three pools. Otherwise they will play for ranking 5-8 or 9-12. Ireland’s best return to date is 7^th place and they would be very confident on an improvement on that position.

Ireland had a very similar group in 2010 with both the USA and Kazakhstan in their pool alongside England. Ireland secured two comfortable wins against The USA and Kazakhstan on those occasions but a comprehensive defeat to England saw them lose out to Australia on points difference for the semi final places. In the following round the ‘Girls in Green’ lost to the USA who gained a modicum of revenge.

On the form of the 2010 tournament, 2 comfortable wins will not be enough, 2 comprehensive wins will be required. This tournament sees New Zealand as the top seeds in Ireland’s pool and they are seasoned champions. The tournament has never been held in the Southern hemisphere but that doesn’t seem to be a disadvantage to New Zealand who have won the last 4 tournaments in a row.

Much will depend on the order of the matches. If a win against New Zealand is being targeted as a realistic prospect then is it best to play them first up and try to catch them cold or play them when they’ve notched up two wins and have secured a playoff spot already? All things considered, I think it would suit Ireland to have the USA up first, followed by Kazakhstan and then hopefully set up a pool decider with New Zealand.

Can Ireland beat the Black Ferns? Well the teams have never met before, so no history to guide us. The New Zealand team lost a series to England 3-0 in the autumn of 2012 and Ireland beat England in last year’s 6 Nations so the formbook would suggest that Ireland could have a cut at New Zealand. Logic will tell us though that New Zealand will target this competition without any annual tournament of their own.

It’s hard to see beyond New Zealand and England for the final, certainly England should qualify from a very comfortable group. Ireland will be quietly confident however and a solid 6 Nations will cement that confidence. This Irish team have never been more professional and organised, there is serious competition for places and a good blend of experience and emerging talent.

Roll on the summer of 2014.

Sarah Lennon (@sarahlennon08) is passionate about all things rugby. A Leinster Season Ticket holder since the Donnybrook days, a supporter of the Irish teams home and abroad and can regularly be seen cheering on Junior Rugby at Stillorgan RFC (a labour of love). As well as spectating, she dabbles in playing a bit and is a member of Old Belvedere RFC and fully paid up member of the front row union.

Women’s AIL Div 1 - round 6 preview

It’s Belvo’s title to lose as the Women’s AIL reaches its business end

We all remember the Irish women won the Slam last season, right?   Grand.

Amid all the column inches and speculation about the new coaching setup in the men’s ranks it’s a fact worth repeating that Phillip Doyle & co are gearing up for the defence of their crown in the spring.

And also, amid all the palaver about the structure of the men’s competitions, it is also worth noting that when it comes to the girls, although there may not be an equivalent of the Heineken Cup just yet to muck things up, the format of their season shows the boys how it’s done when it comes to making sense.

The season kicks off with the club game and the All-Ireland league, which has two rounds left to play.  Then we have the best players from around the country coming together for the interprovincials, and from here Doyle can get an idea of his best matchday squad for both the Six Nations AND the 2014 World Cup, where he learned this morning that his girls will face New Zealand, USA and Kazakhstan in their pool.

When it comes to the club scene, there’s no doubt who the form side is…Old Belvedere.  In the photo above you see them celebrating their Paul Flood triumph at the end of last season and this time around they have kicked off their AIL campaign with 5 wins out of 5.

And since two of those victories came against both of the teams nearest to them on the table (Highfield and Blackrock, who still must play each other), everything would seem to point to their becoming the first team other than UL Bohemian to win the national title.  They must first overcome St Marys and Tralee over the next two weekends.

[UPDATE - many thanks to @NoraStapleton on twitter for informing us that this season there is a “top four” playoff in the Women’s AIL, all of us here at HoR Manor apologize.  Turns out Highfield, Rock and even champions UL Bohs are still right up there in the mix!  Luckily for you readers, our regular women’s rugby columnist Sarah Lennon will be back soon with all the right info!]

Belvo’s success has been rewarded with as many of 11 of their players being named in Leinster’s interprovincial squad, including lock & Grand Slam hero Mary Louise Reilly who has been installed as captain “Leo Cullen style” ahead of Fiona Coughlan.

All of the league’s games kickoff at 1pm this coming Sunday…check the IRFU site for more details and follow this twitter list for score updates on the day.  JLP

Only The Beginning

Grand Slam job done, now the Irish Women must plan for Rio, writes Sarah Lennon…

Grand Slam. Has a nice ring to it doesn't it? The Irish women secured a tense and hard fought victory against Italy and with it the Grand Slam to add to the 6 Nations Championship that was secured last weekend.

There were some similarities to the men's senior team's Grand Slam in 2009, firstly the rarity of the achievement ,for the men it was the 2^nd in 60 years, for the women it was the first ever, secondly both titles were secured on hostile, away soil that had been made to feel like home through sensational away support and finally, although both teams had assuredly already secured the title, the Grand Slam was so finely poised as to be at risk of being snatched away at the death.

The conditions in Parabiago, Milan left a lot to be desired and the match itself wasn't a classic, perhaps a pity as it was the first televised match on Irish television. Ordinarily the Irish women play excellent rugby, but a combination of the conditions and the sheer commitment of the excellent Italian team meant that there was very little space for the Irish to get their usual running game going. Instead the Irish women adopted a kicking game, but in the conditions the ball was not running to touch and the Italian women fielded and countered excellently. The leniency of the referee at the breakdown was also a factor as Italy were penalised for multiple infringements and no yellow card shown until one second-half infringement too many!

So, although far from a classic, nobody can deny that the match was laden with tension. I remember thinking that I was more nervous watching this match than I was in 2009. The Irish women themselves seemed nervous too at the outset as they took the pitch following an emotionally delivered 'Ireland's Call', no doubt the enormity of the occasion was on their minds and although they dominated territory for most of the match, the narrowest of three point leads through two Niamh Briggs penalties was all that separated the team in the final stages. The lack of a match clock was of little assistance to the television audience as the clock went past 80 until the referee uttered two of the sweetest words in the English language (when you're winning) - 'last play'. Even then, collective breaths were held until the ball was securely in touch.

Lets make no bones about it, this was an amazing achievement for the Irish women. Naysayers will point to the understrength English team as they preferred to prepare for upcoming 7s tournaments. England are the perennial champions of this tournament and it is not good for any competition to have a team with such dominance over so many years. The English team may not have been made up of first choice through this tournament, but they still needed defeating, and to secure a Grand Slam with three away games constitutes a fantastic achievement.

One side-effect of the success, perhaps coupled with the abysmal showing from the men's team in the corresponding tournament is the visibility and coverage of the women's game is at an all time high. RTE covering the match was a massive occurrence and this should be acknowledged, however they have yet to cover a home 6 Nations game on TV and here's hoping that the home games next season are scheduled onto live television at at the outset of the tournament.

Speaking at their homecoming, Niamh Briggs said it was beyond 'their wildest dreams' but the Irish women dared to dream, and that Grand Slam dream became a reality. It doesn't end here however, women's rugby is a sport on the up.

The women's team is on the Road to Rio 2016 and a 7s squad, expected to contain a number of the Grand Slam team, heads to Hong Kong and Guangzhou with qualification for the Olympic Games the aim. The IRFU announced a million Euro investment package on the occasion of the 'Girls in Green' homecoming in what is a sign that the sport is finally being taken seriously. Success breeds success and on this evidence, the only way is up!

Sarah Lennon (@sarahlennon08) is passionate about all things rugby. A Leinster Season Ticket holder since the Donnybrook days, a supporter of the Irish teams home and abroad and can regularly be seen cheering on Junior Rugby at Stillorgan RFC (a labour of love). As well as spectating, she dabbles in playing a bit and is a member of Old Belvedere RFC and fully paid up member of the front row union.

2013 : A marvellous odyssey

A new dawn in Irish women’s rugby has coincided with a new arrival for Sarah Lennon…

Firstly, an apology. This column has been on ice recently following the arrival of my new son and all that entails. His arrival corresponded with a time in the season that many believe represents the pinnacle of rugby, the 6 Nations!

In my preview of the Women's 6 Nations, I spoke of Ireland targeting a win against France and 2^nd place in the table... well, I was half right. Ireland will not finish 2^nd in the table, because they have gone one better in securing a maiden 6 Nations title.

It has been a marvellous odyssey for the Irish women, with fantastic wins so far against Wales, England, Scotland and France and victory on Sunday in Milan against Italy would secure a remarkable Grand Slam.

Ireland began their season with a win against Wales, no mean feat as they haven't achieved this for 8 years. It was a very close match with a late Gill Bourke try needed to pip Wales 12-10. The following weekend, England were in town, well Ashbourne. The Irish women had fallen short in Esher last season after a magnificent first half display, but this season there was to be no let up. Ireland didn't just win, they won with 4 tries and kept England scoreless in the process. A magnificent Ali Miller hat trick was among the scores. You could certainly point to the many changes that England made to this team with the 7's World Cup and Olympics in mind and that is a factor. England had scored more than 70 unanswered points in round one though and this was by no means a team of mugs and you can be certain that England will be as disappointed as Ireland will be delighted.

Rightfully, this result ensured that the media sat up and paid attention to this team. Perhaps the abject performance by the men's team against the same opposition helped. Playing for a triple crown, the Irish women's team were exposed to unprecedented but fully deserved media coverage, albeit belatedly.

Onto Scotland, and a triple crown at stake, it is perhaps not unexpected that with an historical achievement on the line, this was a tense affair. Scotland took the lead before Ali Miller struck again to give Ireland a narrow 8-3 halftime lead. The second half followed a similar pattern as a dogged Scottish team threatened to spoil the party, but Irish quality and fitness shone through and the floodgates finally opened and Ireland secured a 30-3 win, with it the dual prize of the Triple Crown and World Cup qualification.

Having secured the Triple Crown, you would forgive a team for allowing themselves a moment of congratulations, but Ireland knew this historical achievement was not enough. A victory against France would almost certainly be enough to secure a championship with England having lost two games and France's opening day defeat of Italy.

Ireland lost agonisingly to France last season by a single point, and they were determined not to suffer the same fate again. A fantastic crowd of over 3,000 people gathered in Ashbourne and the game was streamed on RTE's website. One of these days the national broadcaster may show this senior team on the actual television but this occurrence does indeed represent progress. Those in attendance or watching online will attest that the quality on display was superb, with Ireland playing an expansive running game. Niamh Briggs scored a superb try following a fantastic team move involving forwards and backs. France took the lead to halftime however, courtesy of a mauled try and penalty. Ireland emerged determinedly in the 2^nd half though and took to the forwards themselves for a try with an excellent maul from a lineout leading to Ailis Egan's first international try. A narrow 2 point lead was a nerve-wracking margin as the Irish knew that a drop goal or penalty could see their hopes dashed, but when Ireland were awarded a late penalty, Niamh Briggs made no mistake and struck the three to give Ireland a much needed buffer and delirium greeted the final whistle.

England defeated Italy on the following Sunday meaning that even defeat in Milan will mean Ireland captain Fiona Coghlan will lift aloft the 6 Nations trophy. A Grand Slam however, is historic, after all the Irish men have only achieved two in over a century of rugby and this women's team will want to achieve history on St Patrick's day in Milan.

Sarah Lennon (@sarahlennon08) is passionate about all things rugby. A Leinster Season Ticket holder since the Donnybrook days, a supporter of the Irish teams home and abroad and can regularly be seen cheering on Junior Rugby at Stillorgan RFC (a labour of love). As well as spectating, she dabbles in playing a bit and is a member of Old Belvedere RFC and fully paid up member of the front row union.

Edenderry take Leinster Women’s title

It was a busy day down at Athy RFC as the Leinster Women’s leagues were down for decision, writes Sarah Lennon…

Athy rugby club was the setting for this season's Leinster women's league finals. The teams finishing top of Division 1-4 all qualified automatically and the remaining final places were decided as teams 2&3 contested a semi final.

In all there were 5 matches held in a busy afternoon in Athy, with the 4 division finals and a charity game for the Lynsey Cribben trust. Adding to the female theme was the fact that all matches were referred by women refs, a fantastic achievement and an indicator of the progress that women are making as referees.

The conditions were difficult in Athy, with intermittent rain and cold temperatures making handling difficult and the extremely soft surfaces making scrummaging difficult, even if it did mean a softer landing!

In the Division 4, Newbridge were hot favourites over the host side Athy, who had finished third in their first season as a team. It was Athy however that made home advantage count, sealing the narrowest of victories with a 5-0 win.

The Division 3 final wasn't as close, with Railway Union sealing a 42-0 win over Clondalkin. Railway (see above pic) have been a class apart this season in Division 3 with 8 bonus point wins. They will make a step up to Division 2 next season and provided they can keep the squad together they will fancy their chances in that league next season.

The Division 2 title was another close affair. The Carlow Coyotes had dominated the division with ten wins out of ten and the took on Old Belvedere J1 team. The last meeting between these teams had gone Carlow's way by a solitary point and it was to prove the same again. Carlow struck 2 penalties, one either side of a stunning try by Hayley White, but this was enough to secure a 6-5 win. These teams will be looking forward to renewing the contest in Division 1 next season.

In the Division 1 final Edenderry took on Rathdrum. Edenderry have a tradition of being the bridesmaids in finals and were looking to put that straight. Again, the conditions ensured that a tryfest was not on the cards and the teams exchanged a try a piece in the teeming rain. An Edenderry penalty gave them an 8-5 lead going into the final minutes and they must have feared the worst as Rathdrum lay siege to their try line. A crucial turnover followed by a relieving kick lifted the siege and Edenderry held on to win the Division 1 title by 3 points.

Some fantastic, tense rugby on display in mucky conditions on the day and Athy, Railway Union, Carlow and Edenderry were victorious in their respective divisions. The teams have no time to rest on their laurels however as this weekend sees the beginning of the Leinster Cup & Shield competitions. Special mention and good luck to two new teams in the Leinster shield with Gorey women entering as well as Old Belvedere who become the first woman's team to establish a J2 team.

Good luck to all for the cup season!

Sarah Lennon (@sarahlennon08) is passionate about all things rugby. A Leinster Season Ticket holder since the Donnybrook days, a supporter of the Irish teams home and abroad and can regularly be seen cheering on Junior Rugby at Stillorgan RFC (a labour of love). As well as spectating, she dabbles in playing a bit and is a member of Old Belvedere RFC and fully paid up member of the front row union.

Click here for news on the Irish women’s team selected to face Wales

Women’s Six Nations 2013 preview

There’s much at stake for Ireland’s Women in this year’s Six Nations and they’ll need all the support they can get, writes Sarah Lennon

A visit to the RBS 6 Nations website will let you into an oft-forgotten secret, there is more than one 6 Nations tournament. In fact there are 3 tournaments this season, as well as the senior men and the under 20-s, the senior women will contest for Europe’s biggest rugby prize.

I say that it’s oft-forgotten because when RTE et al secure the television rights for the 6 Nations, they also secure the rights to the women’s games. They don’t show them though, and whereas they will often show the U20-s on the box or online you won’t find the women’s game on the TV.

Which is a pity as it happens, because anyone who ventures out to Ashbourne RFC will attest that the quality of rugby on display is often better and more entertaining than the fare served up by the men, and significantly better value for money into the bargain.

Having said all of that, last year was a watershed for the women’s game in terms of publicity. The French farce wasn’t limited to the Stade de France debacle and there was ample newspaper coverage of the travel arrangements that the women endured in fulfilling their fixture.

On a more positive note, Sky Sports broadcast a 6 Nations match for the first time in showing England V France (on the red button, but still..) and the RFU, followed by the IRFU, streamed live coverage of three more games. Genuine progress then, was made in the visibility of and access to the sport and hopefully that will be sustained in this season’s tournament.

The 6 Nations tournament also poses another significance for the women; their positioning in the table over last season and this, determines whether a team automatically qualifies for the Rugby World Cup in 2014 or is required to play qualifiers. By virtue of a third place finish last season, Ireland should qualify automatically provided they maintain that position this season.

So, what of this year’s tournament? Well, the fixtures mirror the men’s tournament with Ireland hosting England and France and travelling to Port Talbot in Wales, Lasswade in Scotland and Parabagiao in Italy. Hardly household names, but as the match in Pau versus France last season proved, these venues can often attract bumper crowds. Ireland’s home games will both be played the day before the men’s games, so as to attract hopefully a decent crowd of home and away supporters.

England will go into the tournament as favourites and have emerged as the best women’s team in the world recently with a 3-0 series win over New Zealand women. Last season, Ireland took on the English women in Esher for a Triple Crown, and after a close first half tied at 6-6, the English women’s experience and fitness told and they secured a comfortable win by 23-6. This secured a Grand Slam for England and a seventh consecutive title.

Ireland warmed up for this season’s tournament by taking on Spain in Ashbourne over the weekend and managed to turn in a comprehensive 39-7 victory in difficult, wintery conditions. The squad itself is a very strong one with the bulk of last season’s squad returning and captained by Fiona Coghlan, augmented with a number of Exiles who have been identified and boosted by a return to action after injury of outhalf Nora Stapleton.

It is very difficult to see Ireland, or anyone for that matter, overcoming England this season; their autumn tests against the All Blacks confirming their position as the best in the world currently, but if Ireland can emulate the first half in Esher they will give themselves a chance. In truth, you suspect that Ireland are playing for 2^nd place. Key to that will be securing a home win against France who are traditionally the bridesmaids in this tournament. Last season, even after that 17 hour travelling fiasco, Ireland only lost by a single point, 8-7. The memory of that will burn bright for the Irish women who will know that they can confidently predict an equally close match and with home comforts to enjoy, they must be marginal favourites to win. Beating France would represent a significant achievement for this Irish team, as would finishing 2^nd in the league table and both of these goals are real, achievable targets for this talented squad when they begin their 6 Nation’s campaign in Wales on Sunday week.

This weekend will see a big day of rugby at Athy RFC, as the women’s Leinster finals take place. There are 4 league titles to be decided in this all-day rugby event with the Division 1 title to be decided between Edenderry and Rathdrum,
The Division 2 title between Carlow and Old Belvedere J1, the Division 3 title between Railway Union and Clondalkin and the Division 4 title between Newbridge and Athy. A great day of rugby is promised, so try to get along and the best of luck to all the teams battling it out for the league titles.

Ireland’s 2013 6 Nations Fixtures

Sunday 03/02/13 - Wales V Ireland, Aberavon RFC, Port Talbot, 1:30pm

Saturday 09/02/13 – Ireland V England, Ashbourne RFC, 2pm

Saturday 23/02/13 – Scotland V Ireland, Lasswade, 2pm

Friday 08/03/13 – Ireland V France, Ashbourne RFC, 7:30pm

Sunday 17/03/13 – Italy V Ireland, Parabiago, Milan, 1:30pm

Sarah Lennon (@sarahlennon08) is passionate about all things rugby. A Leinster Season Ticket holder since the Donnybrook days, a supporter of the Irish teams home and abroad and can regularly be seen cheering on Junior Rugby at Stillorgan RFC (a labour of love). As well as spectating, she dabbles in playing a bit and is a member of Old Belvedere RFC and fully paid up member of the front row union.

The Paul Flood Cup

With the Six Nations around the corner, Leinster Women’s Rugby turns its attention to the Paul Flood Cup, writes Sarah Lennon…

Whilst I never knew or met Paul Flood, I have heard any number of very fond stories about the St Mary’s Man. Paul Flood died in 2008 and at the time of his death he was the coach of the St Mary’s women’s team. Those who speak so fondly of him say that he was an extremely strong advocate from women’s rugby and in particular women’s rugby at St Mary’s RFC.

In 2010 the decision was made to establish the Paul Flood Memorial Cup for the senior women’s teams in Leinster. Teams from across the AIL leagues compete for the trophy in what has become the meat in the AIL league and Cup sandwich.

The first title was competed for in 2010 and fittingly the final was held in Templeville Road and perhaps more fittingly it was St Mary’s themselves who won the title that year with the narrowest of 5-0 wins over Old Belvedere. The second season saw Galwegians, who are included in the Leinster cup as they are AIL’s only Connacht representative, win the title with a comprehensive win in Stradbrook over Old Belvedere, runners up for the second season in a row. Last season saw Old Belvedere finally get the monkey off the back as they took the title with a 12-0 victor over Blackrock at Stradbrook (pic).

Old Belvo will fancy their chances again this season after finishing 2^nd in the AIL league and having a large representation in the Leinster set up. However one of the interesting aspects of the Paul Flood Cup is that International players are not eligible due to being in Irish camp and the women’s 6 nations championship running during the competition. The absence of the big guns can prove a leveller and it remains to be seen who will prevail.

Another aspect of the cup is that although it is a ‘cup’ it has a round robin format. 7 teams compete with Blackrock, Galwegians, Navan, New Ross, Old Belvedere, Portlaoise and St Mary’s all playing each other once. The team on top after 7 rounds goes directly into the final with teams 2&3 playing a semi to make up the other final place.

The opening round took place over the weekend and the opening games saw 2010 champions Galwegians put down a marker with a 40-5 win over Blackrock. Portlaoise prevailed over Navan and Old Belvedere overcame local rivals St Mary’s by 7-3.

With the opening in the bag and games through until the final on April 21st, the cup represents a long campaign with each team guaranteed 6 matches and with the AIL cup to follow there’s plenty of rugby left to be played this season and after a relatively short league season this will be welcomed by many of the team and players.

Sarah Lennon (@sarahlennon08) is passionate about all things rugby. A Leinster Season Ticket holder since the Donnybrook days, a supporter of the Irish teams home and abroad and can regularly be seen cheering on Junior Rugby at Stillorgan RFC (a labour of love). As well as spectating, she dabbles in playing a bit and is a member of Old Belvedere RFC and fully paid up member of the front row union.

Munster Women reclaim their crown in thrilling decider

The women’s Interprovincial title went right down to the wire, writes Sarah Lennon

The IRFU women’s Interpro series came to an end on Saturday after a brief three week run. Following the previous 2 weeks matches there was a winner takes all match at Ashbourne between Leinster and Munster and a 3^rd place decider between Connacht and Ulster at the Sportsground.

Ulster had been narrowly pipped by Leinster the week before and went into the game with Connacht at the Sportsground as favourites. Connacht had struggled with points in the opening two games securing only one penalty in the two matches, but they did get off the mark with a try scored through Jacqui Mulligan. Ulster proved to be far too strong on the day however with three unconverted tries through Imogen Porter, Stacey-Lea Kennedy, Nikki Caughey, with Caughey also adding a penalty. The Women from Ulster secured 3^rd place in the table with a 18-5 win in Galway.

The title decider took place in Ashbourne and promised to be an exciting and close match. Muster were keen to avenge the previous season’s defeat to Leinster in Cork and regain the Interprovincial title that they have dominated in recent seasons. The AIL matches between the top two teams in Munster, UL Bohemian and Highfield and the top team in Leinster, Old Belvedere had all been settled by a single score so a close match was expected. The first 25 minutes were close with neither team able to break the deadlock, but it was Munster who broke through first with a try manufactured by the backs with Niamh Kavanagh going over in the corner. Niamh Briggs wasn’t able to add to the 5 pointer and Munster’s slender lead was chalked off after 32 minutes when Leinster captain Maz Reilly crashed over for a try following good work from the Leinster pack. With Nora Stapleton injured, the Ashbourne crowd were treated to the slightly unusual sight of 2^nd Row Reilly converting her own try. Leinster held the slenderest of leads going into the halftime break in what was a predictably close encounter.

Munster came out of the blocks the sharpest in the 2^nd period with Ashling Hutchings finishing a good Munster team move, the try was again unconverted but was enough to give Munster a 10-7 lead. Leinster again fought back quickly and scored their second try, this time unconverted, through Aoife Ryan who darted home from close range to give Leinster a 12-10 advantage. The narrow 2 point lead was not enough for Leinster and they looked to add to their tally but to no avail, with time running out Munster secured a penalty in the Leinster half and following a good break from Hutchings, Gillian Bourke forced her way over for Munster’s third try of the match. Again the try went unconverted, but it mattered not as Muster were able to resist the frantic efforts of Leinster in the remaining minutes to hold on to their narrow 3 point lead.

An extraordinarily close match, with the two teams separated by the odd try in 5 and Muster had regained their Interpro title with a hard fought 18-15 win over Leinster.

The curtain has come down on an exciting year in women’s rugby. The women take a few weeks off over Christmas, and so do I, but will return in what promises to be an exciting year with resumption of the provincial leagues and cups, the All Ireland Cup, the women’s 6 nations and the Irish women continue their 7s odyssey with participation in the Guangzhou 7s in March in preparation for the 2013 7s World cup.

Sarah Lennon (@sarahlennon08) is passionate about all things rugby. A Leinster Season Ticket holder since the Donnybrook days, a supporter of the Irish teams home and abroad and can regularly be seen cheering on Junior Rugby at Stillorgan RFC (a labour of love). As well as spectating, she dabbles in playing a bit and is a member of Old Belvedere RFC and fully paid up member of the front row union.

Women’s Interpro series to be settled in Ashbourne

Ulster came close to an upset but this year’s Women’s Interpros will once again be decided by Leinster v Munster, writes Sarah Lennon…

The Women’s Interpro season is not a long one. Unlike the men’s game, the highest level of rugby below International level comprises of just 3 competitive matches per season with the occasional friendly thrown in. All of which means that there is little room for manoeuvre or mistake and after two weeks of competition, this weekend sees the final round of matches.

The Interpros are structured in such a way as to have Munster V Leinster as the last fixture. This is based on the assumption that the two teams will be battling it out for the title. This season has proven to be one of the most competitive Interpro series in recent memory.

Leinster are defending champions having beaten Munster in last season’s decider and the women in blue went into their opening game against Galway in the Sportsground with a fresh look to the team and ten debutantes in the squad. The opening exchanges in this one were cat and mouse and it was Leinster captain Maz Reilly who opened the scoring with a stretch for the line on the half hour mark. Nora Stapleton proved her reliability in adding the conversion and two penalties to give Leinster a 13-0 advantage and when Aoife Tyrell ran in a try on her debut, again Stapleton proved dependable with the points. Leinster completed a solid defence of their title with a 20-0 victory in the West.

The other tie of the opening round was up North as Munster took on the Ulster women. Munster were heavy favourites, but it was Ulster who opened the try scoring when Imogen Porter bundled over the line and Grace Davitt unluckily hitting the post with the conversion. Munster soon bounced back with a fluid move finding Niamh Briggs wide on the right, Briggs converting her own try. Munster extended their lead through two Ashling Hutchings tries, the first a defence splitting chip and chase into the corner with Briggs hitting the crossbar with the extras and the second following a clean line break by Briggs who fed the winger, with the extra two points added on this occasion. Munster led 19-5 and Ulster got a crucial score before half time through Jemma Jackson’s powerful run up the right wing. This was as good as it got for Ulster however as Munster used all their experience to dominate the 2^nd half. Further tries through Kavanagh, Caplice and Briggs saw the Munster women extend their lead to 36-10 and seal an opening victory.

Munster returned to home comforts in round two as they took on Connacht in Cork. The opening stages were again cagey with only a Briggs penalty separating the teams until the half hour mark when Munster got on the scoreboard through Caplice, a try scorer for the second time in a week and Briggs adding the extras. Connacht pegged back a penalty before halftime to get on the scoreboard for the first time in this season’s Interpro series. Munster however, ramped it up in the second half and through tries from Heather O’Brien and Briggs they stretched their lead, Briggs keeping her excellent kicking record going with two conversions securing a hard-fought 24-3 win over Connacht.

Leinster and Ulster took to the Ashbourne field and dished out a Christmas cracker. Leinster appeared to be cruising with two early tries, first up Jenny Murphy and Nora Stapleton combining for Murphy to run in and Stapleton converting and then Paula Fitzpatrick, restored to the starting lineup after recent injury, scored Leinster’s second with Stapleton again adding the extras. Leinster seemed to be cruising with a 14-0 halftime lead but Ulster came out of the blocks with a vengeance in the second half with Stacy-Lea Kennedy and Nikki Caughey scoring two tries within ten minutes of the restart. It was two tries all but Leinster retained a 14-10 lead thanks to Stapleon’s kicks. Ulster stunned Leinster with two more tries, the first following a great run by Baxter and the second through a break by former Leinster player Amy Davis who fed Claire McLaughlin for Ulster’s fourth try. Despite leading 4 tries to 2, Ulster had a narrow 6 point lead having failed to convert their tries. Leinster looked to the forwards to re-establish themselves and they crossed the whitewash on 70 minutes through Paula Fitzpatrick. Leinster had a kick to regain the lead but had lost the reliable boot of Stapleton before half time through injury and were not able to add the conversion leaving them with a one point deficit. It was through the pack again that Leinster got what was to be the winning score, Ireland captain Fiona Coughlan bundling over from close range. Again Leinster were unable to add the conversion but it was enough to clinch a tight contest. Although the match finished 4 tries all, it was the two earlier crucial conversions by Stapleton that proved the winning of the match, Leinster will be relieved to have escaped with the points but the women did show good determination and patience to clinch victory in this thrilling encounter.

All has gone to plan, sort of, for the schedulers and next week’s fixtures have it all riding on them. Ulster play Connacht in Galway, while Leinster host Munster in Ashbourne. Ulster and Connacht will battle it out for third place, with both sides keen to get off the mark with a first win. Leinster and Munster will be playing for the big one in a straight shootout. Munster have enjoyed the better of the victories so far and will be particularly keen on reclaiming the Interpro title they lost last season to Leinster. The form from the kicking tee has been of particular importance to both teams this season and Leinster will be sweating on the fitness of Nora Stapleton who left the field injured against Ulster.

Results to date

Ulster 10 – 36 Munster (click here for highlights)

Connacht 0 – 20 Leinster

Leinster 24-20 Ulster

Munster 24-3 Connacht

Sarah Lennon (@sarahlennon08) is passionate about all things rugby. A Leinster Season Ticket holder since the Donnybrook days, a supporter of the Irish teams home and abroad and can regularly be seen cheering on Junior Rugby at Stillorgan RFC (a labour of love). As well as spectating, she dabbles in playing a bit and is a member of Old Belvedere RFC and fully paid up member of the front row union.

Leinster women aim to retain their title

Was an opportunity missed in the scheduling of the 2012 Women’s Interprovincials? asks Sarah Lennon

With domestic league action done and dusted, the top women players in the country turn their thoughts to the IRFU Interprovincial Season. Munster have been the dominant force down the years, unsurprising when you consider the success of UL Bohemian in the woman’s game. However last season, it was the women in the blue of Leinster who secured the title with a comprehensive 25-5 defeat of Munster in Cork (pic). The Interpro series is typically a two horse race, however it would be wrong to write off Connacht and Ulster before the series begins.

In Connacht, the dominant team is Galwegians who won the AIL Cup in 2012 and finishing fourth in this season’s AIL. Many of the Connacht players are likely to come from the Galway side, but at the time of writing I was not able to find a confirmed squad. Connacht will play their games in the Sportsground in Galway.

The Ulster club season hasn’t gone that well, with Cooke relegated and Queen’s University experiencing a heartbreaking defeat in the playoff final for promotion. Nevertheless, there is a very experienced and exciting backbone to the Ulster side with Irish Internationals Stacy-Lea Kennedy who captains, Ashleigh Baxter, Nikki Caughey and the returning Amy Davis. The Ulster side will be delighted to have a player I tipped to watch in October (albeit for Leinster) back in the ranks after a time away. The Blackrock player can play anywhere in the back line and featured at scrumhalf for Leinster and Ireland last season. Her electric pace sees her most effective on the wing however and it may be there that she features for Ulster. Ulster will play their home game at Queen’s University in Belfast.

Munster will be champing at the bit after losing the title in their own back yard last season. Munster have named a 28 woman squad, 14 of whom are from this year’s league winners UL Bohemian. Irish Internationals Niamh Kavanagh, Niamh Briggs, Gill Bourke, Laura Guest and Joy Neville all feature in what is an extremely strong and experienced side. Munster will be looking for a more convincing run out this time, last time out as well as losing comprehensively to Leinster, they squeaked a win against Ulster by 6 points and Connacht by 10. This time around they will be looking for more impressive results, but they do face two of their three games on the road. Munster will play their home match in Musgrave Park, Cork and completed their preparations with a warmup victory against an Exile XV in Thurles last weekend .

What made Leinster’s victories all the more remarkable last season was that two came on the road in Ravenhill and Highfield. The Leinster coaching ticket has changed since last season and there is also a fresh look to the squad. League runners-up Old Belvedere are heavily represented as are Blackrock and curiously, UL Bohemian with three representatives. The Leinster squad is captained by Mary Louise (Maz) Reilly for this season and boasts the Irish captain Fiona Coughlan as well as internationals Ailis Egan, Deirdre O’Brien, Jenny Murphy, Nora Stapleton and Paula Fitzpatrick. Leinster are the only team to play their matches outside of a city as they take their games to Ashbourne RFC, where the Irish women also play. Leinster warmed up for the Interpro series with easy victories against Connacht and an Exile XV.

Although it would be foolish to write off Ulster and Connacht before a ball has been kicked or passed in anger (after all there were no mammoth scorelines last season), it seems likely that the climax of this season will be the game between Munster and Leinster at Ashbourne RFC. It’s bound to be a mouthwatering contest with Munster desperate to seize back their crown.

Under normal circumstances I would encourage as many people as possible to attend, but I’m afraid that the scheduling of this match will make it very difficult for rugby supporters, particularly in Leinster. The clash between Leinster and Munster kicks off at 1:30 in Ashbourne on December 15^th, the same day that the senior men’s team play Clermont Auvergne in Lansdowne Road. The kick offs are 2 hours apart, meaning that attendance at both is essentially impossible and strikes me as a massive opportunity missed to promote women’s rugby . If the matches were to both kick off on Saturday then a Dublin venue for the women’s match could have meant a bumper crowd with the correct marketing. It’s not as if Dublin 4 is short of rugby venues. Alternatively a Sunday kick off, perhaps as a double header with Leinster A in Donnybrook could have made sense and provided another opportunity to market the women’s game.

As things stand, the women will play out what is supposed to be a highlight of the women’s rugby calendar in front of a crowd of people who will support women’s rugby wherever the location and whatever the date.

2012 IRFU Women’s Interprovincial Championship Fixtures

2^nd December

Ulster V Munster @ 13:00 (Queen’s University, Belfast) Free Entry

Connacht V Leinster @ 14:00 (Sportsground, Galway)

8^th December

Munster V Connacht @ 14:30 (Musgrave Park, Cork)

Leinster V Ulster @ 13:30 (Ashbourne RFC, Co. Meath)

15^th December

Leinster V Munster @ 13:30 (Ashbourne RFC, Co. Meath)

Connacht V Ulster @ 14:30 (Sportsground, Galway)

Sarah Lennon (@sarahlennon08) is passionate about all things rugby. A Leinster Season Ticket holder since the Donnybrook days, a supporter of the Irish teams home and abroad and can regularly be seen cheering on Junior Rugby at Stillorgan RFC (a labour of love). As well as spectating, she dabbles in playing a bit and is a member of Old Belvedere RFC and fully paid up member of the front row union.

UL Bohs retain Women’s title in short uneven campaign

Some top women players must wait 10 months for league action but that won’t bother the champions, writes Sarah Lennon

After an extremely short season it was the final week in the women’s AIL. It seems bizarre to be writing about titles and relegation in November after 7 weekends of rugby, but that’s the way this season was designed. When the dust settled on the league at around 3pm on Sunday the players knew that it would be ten months before they played league rugby again. A strange situation and it remains to be seen whether this format continues into next season.

Another quirk of the season was that with eight teams there was an uneven amount of home and away games, with some teams having 4 games at home and others 3. In essence a defeat would leave you out of the running with very little time to make up lost ground. This is exactly how it turned out to be in this mini-season.

I wrote back in September that UL Boh’s were favourites going into this season and it was the women from Limerick who ultimately prevailed, securing the title with a win against Cooke in Belfast. That was hardly an outrageous prediction on my part with Boh’s having dominated this division over the last decade. I also tipped Highfield and Old Belvedere to be in close contention and so it proved. Highfield made all the early running with three crushing wins with the concession of just three points. These wins set an early trend that highlighted the gulf that is appearing between the top teams and the rest of the league.

It was two consecutive games in October that set UL Boh’s on course for another title. First they took on Old Belvedere in Limerick and the closest of matches was decided by a late try and conversion by Niamh Briggs as Boh’s took the points with a 10-9 win. The following week Boh’s prevailed over Highfield in Woodleigh Park. These results all but secured the title for the Robins before Hallowe’en, not the healthiest of situations for the league, but I’m quite sure that won’t bother Boh’s. The remainder of the league was a procession for Boh’s with almost 200 points scored in their remaining 3 matches for the concession of only 5 points.

The remaining contests as such were to decide the bottom team and the runner’s up spot. Tralee may have been early season favourites to struggle in the league but they posted some great results, finishing with one win and two draws and proving their place in the league is merited. The battle for the drop came to a head when Blackrock hosted Cooke in round 6. Both teams had struggled and the return of some of Blackrock’s more experienced players coupled with home advantage saw a narrow ‘Rock win secured. These 4 points proved to be crucial and kept Blackrock off the bottom at the end of the season by a one point margin.

I had said in my season preview that Highfield would be keen to shake off their ‘bridesmaids’ tags and they did that this season, but not in the way they would have hoped. After setting the early season running they came unstuck against Bohs in round 4 and then had a home match with Belvo on the last game of the season to shoot it out for 2^nd place. Belvo who had been on the receiving end of a 1 point defeat in their previous trip to Munster, turned the table with a 1 point victory, sneaking a 6-5 win and securing 2^nd place.

In a way it is a massive shame that there aren’t 7 more rounds of rugby or, as last season, a split between top and bottom for the season remainder. In a league that has seen such large margins of defeat at times there was remarkably little between the top two. Both Boh’s and Belvo shared the largest winning margin of 81-0, both teams had equal try bonus points with 5, points difference of 296 and the match between the two was decided by a single point. Boh’s are worthy champions but must know that the gap between them and the chasing pack is closer than ever, it’s just a shame that we will have to wait ten months for a resumption of the league contest.

The closeness of the match between the top two and their final standings bodes very well for this season’s Interpros as the bulk of the Leinster and Munster squads are made up from these two teams. Although the Munster team prevailed in the league, it is Leinster who will be looking to defend their provincial title and next week I will be previewing the eagerly anticipated Interpro series that kicks off on December 1^st.

Sarah Lennon (@sarahlennon08) is passionate about all things rugby. A Leinster Season Ticket holder since the Donnybrook days, a supporter of the Irish teams home and abroad and can regularly be seen cheering on Junior Rugby at Stillorgan RFC (a labour of love). As well as spectating, she dabbles in playing a bit and is a member of Old Belvedere RFC and fully paid up member of the front row union.

Bonus-point win brings UL Bohs to the brink

With one round to go UL Bohs are close to a perfect record and another title, writes Sarah Lennon.

A big week in women's AIL Division 1 with a lot to be decided at the top and the bottom of the table. Nothing could be decided mathematically this week with one round remaining, but the results this week had the potential to all but decide the league winners and the team relegated to Division 2.

UL Bohemian, Old Belvedere and Highfield were all still in contention for the top spot and it was Highfield who appeared to have the toughest ask on paper travelling to Templeville Road to take on St Mary's. It proved to be a difficult task and Marys led 3-0 at half time. Highfield dominated the second half but found the whitewash difficult to cross, eventually squeezing a try over through Fiona O'Sullivan. Norita Duggen managed the conversion and two further penalties to give Highfield a 13-3 victory, and four points for the Cork outfit. The win minus a bonus point all but ended Highfield's slim hopes of this season's title.

Old Belvedere took to the field knowing that a bonus point win of their own was needed to have any hope of taking the title from the clutches of Bohs. The Anglesea Road outfit took on Galwegians who are always a dangerous opposition.  A common theme of Belvo's season so far has been quick starts and this match was no different with Nora Stapleton scoring an early try – the first of her hat trick on the day. In truth the match was one way traffic and once again a bonus point was secured before halftime, Galwegians only response was 3 points from the boot as Belvo led 29-3 at half time. The second half wasn't any better for the Galway team with 8 more tries from Belvo securing a comfortable 77-3 victory.

Having done all they could do Belvo awaited the result from Anaccotty where UL Bohemian took on Tralee in an all-Munster clash. Tralee have given an excellent account of themselves this season, their debut season in AIL1 and were no pushovers here but UL Boh's used all of their experience and secured a bonus point win, scoring 6 tries in all in a 34-0 win.

This result consolidated Boh's 2 point lead at the top with one game remaining. Next week Boh's take on Cooke away knowing that a win of any kind would see them retain their title. Belvo and Highfield clash in Cork and although mathematically both can still win the AIL title the match is effectively a playoff for 2d position.

There was one more match in AIL1, and it was perhaps the most important of them all this week as Blackrock took on Cooke at Stradbrook. Rock knew that a Cooke win would see them relegated but that a victory of their own would take them off the bottom with one game remaining. Blackrock had some returning players, most notably Irish international Amy Davies and it was she who opened the try scoring, after Cooke had taken an early 3-0 lead. A try each before half time left the score delicately poised at 14-8 Considering the magnitude of the match it was no surprise that the 2^nd half was a tight affair and with Carrie Hanley for Blackrock and Stacey Kennedy for Cooke trading tries. The score finished 19-13 with Blackrock gaining 4 precious points and Coke leaving with one. The gap between the teams stands at one point and with a similarly bad points difference it means that Blackrock have to match Cooke's result next week to stay up. With Cooke hosting a UL Bohs team determinedly chasing a league title, I predict that the result between Galwegians and Rock won't affect the outcome. It is very difficult to see Cooke securing anything and it looks like this match between the two teams has secured Rock's Division 1 status for another year.

In the AIL Division 2N, a narrow defeat for Belfast Harlequins to Navan meant that Queen's University are champions with a game to spare. Queen's celebrated with a comprehensive 81-0 victory over Cavan and will go up against the Division 2S champions for the all important playoff for promotion. In Division 2S a Portlaoise win against Ballincollig, couple with a defeat at home for Nenagh sees the Laois outfit secure the title with a game to spare. Portlaoise will take on Queen's University to see who will be playing Division 1 rugby next season.

In the Leinster Leagues, the halfway point is approaching and the leagues are beginning to take shape. In Division 1 Edenderry and Cill Dara are battling it out with only 3 points separating the pair. It continues to be a struggle for Longford who are without a win and are becoming adrift at the foot of the table. Division 2 is a very close affair, the Carlow 'Coyotes' have a decent lead at the top with 4 wins out of 4 and Old Belvedere, Tullow and Kilkenny are in the chasing pack with all 3 separated by only 2 points. In Division 3, UCD's struggles continue, the college team have yet to fulfil a fixture yet. Clondalkin seem to have gotten their act together and have 3 results in a row with the latest being a 50-0 over Wicklow. Railway Union continue to lead the way at the top even though their match this week didn't take place. In the Development League CYM (Terenure) still lead the way with a narrow win over Athy. Newbridge beat Tallaght to go into second place and stay within 3 points off Terenure.

I'd like to conclude the roundup this week by acknowledging Claire Molloy's award at the Rugby Writers Awards, Claire is a star of the Connacht team and captain of the Irish Rugby 7s team bidding for Olympic Qualification. Having been to these awads in the past, the absence of women was always notable. It is about time that the status of the women's sport in Ireland was acknowledged by Irish rugby writers and that Claire joins Lynne Cantwell who won the inaugural award last season.

Sarah Lennon (@sarahlennon08) is passionate about all things rugby. A Leinster Season Ticket holder since the Donnybrook days, a supporter of the Irish teams home and abroad and can regularly be seen cheering on Junior Rugby at Stillorgan RFC (a labour of love). As well as spectating, she dabbles in playing a bit and is a member of Old Belvedere RFC and fully paid up member of the front row union.

UL Bohs smash Rock to stay on course

Keeping us up to date on the women’s game here in Ireland is Sarah Lennon.

Week 5 of the Women's AIL Division 1 took place at the weekend and the seemingly unstoppable procession of UL Bohemian to the title continues. The short league season and the fact that UL Bohs have already beaten both Highfield and Old Belvedere has put the Robins in pole position to retain their All Ireland crown.

It was a top versus bottom clash then when Bohs took on Blackrock in Annacotty and it was unlucky for the Dublin side as they watched 13 tries being run in. Nine different scorers in all crossed the whitewash for Bohs and a notable hattrick for Ashling Hutching. The annus horribilis continues for Rock and yet despite being on the end of more than 200 points and having scored just 6 they will continue to breathe another week. One team is relegated from Division 1 and next week's home clash with Cooke who sit 2 points ahead of Rock should decide matters. The winner should survive into next season.

Bohs next two matches are home to Tralee, who despite a good account of themselves thus far must be considered distant second favourites for the points in that match. And the season ending match versus Cooke who are locked in that relegation battle. Cooke took on Old Belvedere on Sunday and the match mirrored the Bohs game down to the final score. Belvo dished out an 81-0 defeat and the gulf in quality was patently clear when the visitors opened the scoring through Jenny Murphy in the opening minute and the day got worse from there with 7 first half tries in total for Belvo'. The Second half was a scant improvement as Belvo scored another 5 tries, with 12 in total including a hattrick for Murphy.

In the league's other two fixtures, in Galway, Galwegians defeated St Mary's 31-5 with a bonus point for the Galway women. In Cork, Highfield struggled to overcome Tralee who are proving that they merit their place at the top table. Since an opening day hammering by Belvo' the Kerry outfit have scored in every match and picked upsome important points. The gave their illustruous Cork counterparts a serious game but in the end Highfield were able to press home their superiority and use their experience to secure a 25-5 bonus point win. Tralee will face the daunting task of ttaking on Bohs next weekend before eying a home win against St Mary's on the last day and with it a possible 5^th place finish, which would represent a fantastic debut season. All to play for there.

In a league that has experienced some of the most one sided matches ever, it is one of the most closely fiught at the top and the bottom. For the teams chasing UL Bohs at the top, they can only sit back and watch in the vain hope that they somehow drop points in the final two matches. In truth this seems unlikely and it would seem that Boh's victories against Belvo and Highfield will have secured them the title. In truth the short league season haas done the battle for the title no favours. For Belvo in particular, having lost by a single point in Limerick, to not have the opportunity to play again will frustrate. The best that remains for Highfield and Belvo is a battle for second place as they play on the final weekend in Cork. For Highfield this would represent frustration having been the league leaders for much of the opening stages and with their bridesmaids tags firmly in place. For Belvo however, 2^nd place would represent a third season of progress in the league since promotion in 2010.

The battle for the top and bottom positions will go on over the next two weeks right to the final day . Next week's fixtures sees Belvo host Galwegians at Anglesea Road, Blackock play Cooke at Stradbrook, St Mary's play Highfield at Templeville Road and UL Bohs take on Tralee at Annacotty. All kick offs are 1pm on Sunday and are sure to be entertaining fixtures.

In Division 2N there are also two weeks left with a two horse race between two Ulster teams Belfast Harlequins and Queen's University. Quins lead by a point but Queen's have an all important game in hand. Harlequins go to Navan next week and will then watch as Queen's play their last two league games, knowing that wins for Queen's will see them win the league and go into the playoff for AIL1.

AIL2S is playing out in similar fashion with Portlaoise and Nenagh the teams battling it out for top spot and that playoff position. Portlaoise lead by 6 points and Nenagh have a game in hand. A win for Portlaoise in their next game against Ballincollig would leave Nenagh needing two bonus point wins to draw level. A couple of exciting weeks await in this division.

In the Leinster leagues the halfway point is approaching with the league structure including a home and away format. In Division 1 it's Edenderry who lead the way from Cill Dara. Cill Dara have a game in hand over their Offaly rivals however and with the sides to play in Kildare in a few weeks, this league is far from secure for Edenderry. In Division 2 a point seperates first and second with Carlow leading the way from Old Belvedere J1. An impressive bonus point win by Belvo in Kilkenny who were my tip to win this league was the standout result from last week. Carlow have a 100% record however and look strong and their next three fixtures against Trinity, Belvo and Kilkenny will go along way towards deciding this league. Railway Union continue to dominate Division 3 and secured their 5^th bonus point win on the trot with a 70-0 hammering of Mullingar who are themselves an experienced side. There is little doubt that Railway Union will win this division and be promoted to Division 2. Worryingly in this league UCD have conceded for the third occasion and look like they will spend next season in the development division. In the Development league 4 all fixtures were fulfilled for the first time. CYM (Terenure) and Newbridge continue to battle it out at the top with Tallaght starting to put together a good run of late. The Development league seems to have, at last, gotten off the ground.

A full programme of matches next weekend across the AIL and regional divisions, with some crucial match ups. As most fixtures are played on Sunday's at 1pm, why not visit your local club to watch some women's rugby? You're (almost) guaranteed tries!

Sarah Lennon (@sarahlennon08) is passionate about all things rugby. A Leinster Season Ticket holder since the Donnybrook days, a supporter of the Irish teams home and abroad and can regularly be seen cheering on Junior Rugby at Stillorgan RFC (a labour of love). As well as spectating, she dabbles in playing a bit and is a member of Old Belvedere RFC and fully paid up member of the front row union.