Retired Ireland prop Lindsay Peat kicked off Railway Union’s run of three unanswered second-half tries during a 24-5 bonus point victory away to UL Bohemians.
Railway began their Energia All-Ireland League Women’s Division title defence with a tough assignment, but Peat, who is now also the club’s scrum coach, steered them in the right direction.
The Dubliners drew first blood through flanker Molly Boyne, but UL manufactured a tremendous 20-metre maul try, driving prop Geena Behan over to make it five points apiece at the break.
Emerson Allen’s lineout steal, and a charging run by Lisa Callan, paved the way for Peat to restore Railway’s lead, yet it was not until the closing stages that John Cronin’s charges made certain of the result.
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Ireland Sevens international Anna McGann showed her speed to finish off an excellent 80-minute breakaway effort, before number 8 Deirdre Roberts converted some late pressure for try number four.
Meanwhile, Ellen Connolly’s late try was converted by captain Nicole Fowley as Galwegians drew 31-all with Suttonians to maintain their unbeaten start to the season.
‘Wegians already had a game under their belts and showed the benefit of it at the Station Road venue. They surged into a 24-7 half-time lead thanks to tries from Sinead O’Brien, Lea Turner, Dearbhla Canty and outhalf Fowley, who finished with 11 points.
Australian recruit Annie Buntine and her new centre partner, Sutts skipper Catherine Martin, got among the tries as Stephen Costelloe’s talented side recaptured the form which saw them win last season’s Conference crown.
Nonetheless, there was still enough time for tight head prop Connolly to cross right at the death and Fowley, just inside the 22 and to the left of the posts, held her nerve to land the levelling conversion.
Ballincollig suffered a second heavy defeat, going down 85-10 at home to Old Belvedere. Ireland starlet Dannah O’Brien kicked 10 conversions, while Clare Gorman (4) and skipper Deirbhile Nic a Bhaird (3) led the ‘Belvo try-scoring.
Ireland’s Enya Breen made her Blackrock College debut during the second half of their 40-7 triumph over Cooke. A fifth-minute try from captain Michelle Claffey set ‘Rock on their way to a 21-0 interval advantage.
Replacement Dolores Hughes got Cooke on the board, but two yellow cards failed to stop Blackrock from bagging the bonus point. They scored six tries in the end, winger Anna Doyle completing her brace with a searing intercept effort from 65 metres out.
BALLINCOLLIG 10 OLD BELVEDERE 85, Tanner Park
Scorers
Ballincollig: Tries: Gillian Coombes, Sarah O’Donovan
Old Belvedere: Tries: Clare Gorman 4, Elise O’Byrne-White, Minonna Nunstedt 2, Jemma Farrell, Deirbhile Nic a Bhaird 3, Emma Tilly 2; Cons: Dannah O’Brien 10
HT: Ballincollig 5 Old Belvedere 31
BALLINCOLLIG: Heather Kennedy; Sinéad O’Reilly, Jayne Pennefather, Meaghan Kenny, Sarah Cronin; Kelly Griffin, Michelle Stafford; Roisin Ormond, Clodagh Walsh (capt), Aoife Flynn, Gillian Coombes, Eimear Perryman, Katelyn Fleming, Kira Fitzgerald, Tiare Siguenza.
Replacements: Annie Laffan, Orla Rea, Clare Coombes, Sarah O’Donovan, Mona Fehily, Laurileigh Baker, Olivia Hay Mulvihill, Valerie Heffernan.
OLD BELVEDERE: Áine Donnelly; Elise O’Byrne-White, Minonna Nunstedt, Emma Kelly, Clare Gorman; Dannah O’Brien, Jemma Farrell; Niamh Dowd, Rachel Murphy, Áine Rutley, Elaine Anthony, Clodagh Dunne, Fiona Tuite, Jenny Finlay, Deirbhile Nic a Bhaird (Capt).
Replacements: Melissa Hayden, Jan Carroll, Jenny Murphy, 19. Katie Whelan, 20. Emma Tilley, 21. Katelyn Faust, 22. Éadaoin Murtagh.
BLACKROCK COLLEGE 40 COOKE 7, Stradbrook
Scorers
Blackrock College: Tries: Michelle Claffey 2, Maeve Liston, Anna Doyle 2, Méabh Deely; Cons: Méabh Deely 5
Cooke: Try: Dolores Hughes; Con: Dolores Hughes
HT: Blackrock College 21 Cooke 0
BLACKROCK COLLEGE: Méabh Deely; Natasja Behan, Michelle Claffey (capt), Jackie Shiels, Anna Doyle; Ella Durkan, Maeve Liston; Aoife Moore, Niamh Tester, Shannon Heapes, Eimear Corri, Anna Potterton, Mairead Holohan, Emma Hooban, Ali Coleman.
Replacements: Casey O’Brien, Laura Feely, Roisín McWey, Ava Fannin, Enya Breen, Ciara Scanlan, Roisin Crowe.
COOKE: Claire Johnston; Tamzin Boyce, Teah Maguire, Kelly McCormill, Megan Edwards; Amanda Morton, Georgia Boyce; Ilse van Staden, Megan Simpson, Emma Kearney, Gemma McCamley, Aishling O’Connell (capt), Naomi McCord, Katie Hetherington, Helen McGhee.
Replacements: Sadhbh McGrath, Cara O’Kane, Stacey Sloan, Ashleigh Orchard, Christy Hill, Lucy Thompson, Dolores Hughes.
SUTTONIANS 31 GALWEGIANS 31, JJ McDowell Memorial Grounds
Scorers
Suttonians: Tries: Emily McKeown, Sophie Gibney, Annie Buntine, Molly Fitzgerald, Catherine Martin; Cons: Órfhlaith Murray 3
Galwegians: Tries: Sinead O’Brien, Lea Turner, Dearbhla Canty, Nicole Fowley, Ellen Connolly; Cons: Nicole Fowley 3
HT: Suttonians 7 Galwegians 24
SUTTONIANS: Sophie Gibney; Emily McKeown, Annie Buntine, Catherine Martin (capt), Clara Sexton; Órfhlaith Murray, Lena Kibler; Nicola Bolger, Julia O’Connor, Mary Healy, Aislinn Layde, Grainne Tummon, Louse Catinot, Casey White, Brenda Barr.
Replacements: Aoife Brennan, Ailish Carroll, Ciara Spencer, Roisin O’Driscoll, Jools Aungier, Amber Redmond, Molly Fitzgerald.
GALWEGIANS: Maria Gorham; Sinead O’Brien, Ursula Sammon, Orla Dixon, Tanya Farrell; Nicole Fowley (capt), Olivia Haverty; Jessica Loftus, Elizabeth McNicholas, Ellen Connolly, Lea Turner, Dearbhla Canty, Emily Gavin, Jordan Hopkins, Lisa-Marie Murphy.
Replacements: Niamh O’Grady, Rebecca Dunne, Faith Oviawe, Grace Browne Moran, Ciara Mulkern, Aoife Williams, Stephanie Hurl.
UL BOHEMIANS 5 RAILWAY UNION 24, UL Arena
Scorers
UL Bohemians: Try: Geena Behan
Railway Union: Tries: Molly Boyne, Lindsay Peat, Anna McGann, Deirdre Roberts; Cons: Molly Scuffil-McCabe 2
HT: UL Bohemians 5 Railway Union 5
UL BOHEMIANS: Aoife Corey; Aoibhe O’Flynn, Alana McInerney, Stephanie Nunan, Laura O’Mahony; Rachel Allen, Muirne Wall; Geena Behan, Kate Sheehan, Fiona Reidy, Rebecca Reilly, Claire Bennett, Clodagh O’Halloran, Anna Caplice, Chloe Pearse (Capt).
Replacements: Nicola Sweeney, Ciara O’Dwyer, Eilís Cahill, Sarah Garrett, Lily Brady, Abbie Salter-Townshend, Brianna Heylmann.
RAILWAY UNION: Molly Scuffil-McCabe; Aimee Clarke, Niamh Byrne (capt), Anna McGann, Ava Ryder; Nicole Caughey, Ailsa Hughes; Lindsay Peat, Chloe Blackmore, Katie O’Dwyer, Aoife McDermott, Sonia McDermott, Keelin Brady, Molly Boyne, Deirdre Roberts.
Replacements: Lisa Callan, Megan Collis, Emerson Allen, Carmen Rodera, Emma Fabby, Alaïs Diebold, Stephanie Carroll.
