Women’s AIL Division 1A Round-up First Round
- Old Belvedere 26 v 7 Highfield, Anglesea Road
- UL Bohemian 6 v 3 Railway Union RFC, Annacotty
- Queens University 0 v 89 Blackrock, Dub Lane
- St Mary’s College 20 v 12 Galwegians, Templeville Road
AS THE WOMEN’S All Ireland League kicked off, some of Ireland’s best known women’s players such as Niamh Briggs, Sophie Spence, Ailis Egan, Nora Stapleton and Tania Rosser shone to help take their respective club sides to victory, while also interprovincial representatives and up and coming talent made their mark.
Defending league champions Old Belvedere got off to a flying start against a dogged Highfield as Leinster’s Janice Daly Morrissey, playing at fullback dotted down in the corner after some great play from out half Stapleton, who then nailed the difficult conversion.
Despite some impressive tackling efforts from Highfield props Niamh English and Amy Desmond, Old Belvedere’s scrum driven by international tight head Egan dominated and created attacking opportunities. Their second try came courtesy of lock Roisin O’Donnell on the 27th minute and again Stapleton added the extras.
Highfield applied pressure in the closing 10 minutes of the first half and early in the second stanza but failed to make this count on the scoreboard as the hosts showed great composure in defence. Strong ball carrying from O’Donnell and Spence set up Egan to power over the whitewash for a try on 50 minutes.
The deadlock was finally broken for Highfield at 66 minutes as wing Laura Sheehan scored. Impressive young Munster scrum half Ellen Murphy converted. Old Belvedere via current World Rugby Women’s player of the year nominee Spence replied four minutes later with her side’s fourth try of the afternoon.
Niamh Briggs, a 2014 nominee for World Rugby Women’s player of the year, playing out half for UL Bohemian played a pivotal role in guiding her side to victory over a gutsy injury depleted Railway Union in horrendous conditions as torrential rain fell over Annacotty.
Briggs kicked her side’s only points of the match via two first half penalties. Despite the visitors clawing back three points via the boot of fullback Claire Ryan; Bohs’ hung on for a hard fought victory.
Blackrock ran riot scoring 13 tries against Queens, who had only been able to field a team of 14 players in Belfast’s Dub Lane. Seven of these tries came courtesy of fullback Aoife Tyrrell. While number eight Carmela Morey and outside centre Carrie Hanley, scored tries in their first match of competitive rugby since both gave birth to baby girls earlier this year.
Meanwhile, at Templeville Road, it was something of a dogfight between hosts St Mary’s College and Galwegians. St Mary’s came out on top, winning by 20 points to 12.