A late come-back by Connacht makes Munster sweat

Connacht 24, Munster 29

IT was close at the end but Munster Women march on to next week-end’s final game with an unbeaten record in this exciting completition. Munster led 5-22 at half time thanks to tries by Cloe Pearse, Chisom Ugwueru, Alana McInerney and Beth Buttimer  while Connacht got their first score on the board just before the  break when Edel McMahon touched down.

At that stage it looked as if Munster were going to cruise through in the second half and they extended their lead soon after the re-start when Alana McInerney took a pass from Muirne Wall and increased the lead to 29-5, thanks to a conversion by out-half Kate Flannery. That was to be the last score for the visitors with Connacht responding with a try by Orla Dixon, converted by Nicole Fowley to reduce the lead to 12-19 and with the Munster pack in trouble at scrum-time, Edel McMahon touched down to further reduce the lead to 17-29. There was a second try for Orla Dixon with the last play of the match and the conversion by Nicole Fowley of Galwegians from a difficult angle capped an excellent display by the Connacht side.

Connacht: Méabh Deely (Blackrock College RFC); Ava Ryder (Exeter Chiefs), Orla Dixon (Galwegians RFC), Éabha Nic Dhonnacha (UL Bohemian RFC), Laoise McGonagle (UL Bohemian RFC); Nicole Fowley (Galwegians RFC) (co-capt), Gráinne Moran (Ballina RFC); Ella Burns (Tuam/Oughterard RFC), Lily Brady (UL Bohemian RFC), Megan Collis (Railway Union RFC), Karly Tierney (Tuam/Oughterard RFC), Grace Browne Moran (Galwegians RFC), Faith Oviawe (Railway Union RFC), Béibhinn Gleeson (Tuam/Oughterard RFC), Shannon Touhey Tierney (Tullamore RFC) (co-capt).
Replacements: Stacy Hanley (Galwegians RFC), Ellen Connolly (Galwegians RFC), Roisín Maher (Galwegians RFC), Poppy Garvey (Sligo Rugby), Edel McMahon (Exeter Chiefs), May Goulding (Saracens), Sarah Purcell (Creggs RFC), Hannah Clarke (Tuam/Oughterard RFC/Galwegians RFC).

Munster: Aoife Corey (UL Bohemian RFC); Chisom Ugwueru (UL Bohemian RFC), Lucia Linn (Loughborough Lightning), Stephanie Nunan (UL Bohemian RFC), Alana McInerney (UL Bohemian RFC); Kate Flannery (UL Bohemian RFC), Muirne Wall (UL Bohemian RFC); Siobhan McCarthy (Gloucester-Hartpury), Beth Buttimer (UL Bohemian RFC), Éilis Cahill (UL Bohemian RFC); Dorothy Wall (Exeter Chiefs) Claire Bennett (UL Bohemian RFC); Clodagh O’Halloran (UL Bohemian RFC), Jane Clohessy (UL Bohemian RFC), Chloe Pearse (C) (UL Bohemian RFC).
Replacements: Emma Dunican (Tralee RFC), Ciara O’Dwyer (UL Bohemian RFC), Ciara McLoughlin (UL Bohemian RFC), Aoibhe O’ Flynn (UL Bohemian RFC), Annakate Cournane (Shannon RFC), Nicole Cronin (UL Bohemian RFC), Caitriona Finn (UL Bohemian RFC), Eimear Considine (UL Bohemian RFC).

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