RUGBY: Munster took another giant step towards their first AIB-sponsored Interprovincial championship in nine years when they beat Ulster 7½ to 3½ in difficult conditions of wind and rain, while Connacht and Leinster shared the points at 5½ each at Mount Wolseley yesterday.
They were inspired by provincial champion Claire Coughlan, who for the second day running marched to victory in the top match, this time against another international, Emma Dickson.
In conditions of gusting wind and constant rain, all 32 players must be commended for the high standard of golf produced. However, despite the conditions the Mount Wolseley course stood the test with not one green holding water or the ball picking up dirt from the fairways.
After Munster won the morning foursomes 2-1, Coughlan set her stall out early in the singles and after a half at the first won the second, third and fourth to take command of the match.
Dickson, however, hit back to take the fifth with a 15-foot putt and was conceded the seventh after Coughlan was in trouble all the way. But Coughlan was back to two up after nine where she pitched to five feet for a winning par.
Dickson won the par five 10th with a birdie to cut the margin to one again, but the Cork woman increased the advantage with a winning par on 13, only for Dickson to birdie the 14th.
Coughlan held her game together in the driving rain and a winning par on the 17th was enough to take the match.
Gemma Hegarty and Naoimh Quigg won Ulster's only points in the afternoon singles, while Helen Jones halved with Tricia Mangan.
Hegarty turned four up and held off a late challenge from Mary Sheehy to win on the 17th, while Quigg, with a two-hole advantage after nine, beat Marian Riordan two up. Jones, one down playing the last, made a vital par for a share of the points.
Munster were always in control in the bottom three matches where Sheila Galvin turned three up on her way to a 2 and 1 win over Caroline Smyth, Gillian O'Leary was four up on Brenda McLarnon after nine before winning on the 16th, while Bridget Gleeson Healy also turned four up on Nikki Moore and won on the 17th.
Connacht, after a great half with Ulster, repeated the feat yesterday against Leinster. They meet Munster today needing to win by more than three points to lift the title.
Connacht took the foursomes 2-1, with Darragh McGowan and Ruth Lennon teaming up to beat Maria Dunne and Martina Gillen in the top match.
McGowan repeated the win in the singles when she beat Gillen on the 18th.
Leinster champion Maria Dunne came from four down to square her match with a winning par on the last against Susanne Corcoran while Maura Morrin beat Ruth Lennon one up.
Sue Phillips, Mary Dowling and Sinéad Keane took three more points for Leinster but the western province were not to be denied a famous half when Michelle Holmes beat Deirdre Smith on the last and Deirdre Judge beat Jenny Gannon 2 and 1.
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