Armagh 3-9
Meath 1-14
A LATE GOAL from Niamh Coleman saw Armagh pick up an opening day win in the TG4 All-Ireland Senior Championship against Meath at the BOX-IT Athletic Grounds.
Armagh had just lost Blaithin Mackin, who earned her first minutes of 2024, to a yellow card and the game was all square when Coleman found the net.
She reacted quickest to Kelly Mallon’s shot and although Meath grabbed the final two scores, it was Armagh who left with the three points.
Eve Lavery, Armagh’s only left-footed outfield player in the absence of Aimee Mackin and Caroline O’Hanlon, got the game up and running although her effort was cancelled out by a free from Emma Duggan.
Armagh then raised a green flag with a contender for goal of the season. Aoife McCoy captured Anna Carr’s kickout and after a couple of swift handpasses with Niamh Henderson and Lauren McConville, McCoy buried the ball to the net.
Ciara Smyth and Lavery (free) swapped points, while superb scores from Duggan and Megan Thynne made it a one-point game. Kelly Mallon and Duggan both converted frees as Smyth nailed her second to tie things up.
Lavery (free) added her third of the afternoon to nudge the hosts ahead, but Duggan (free) had the final say of the opening half and both sides headed to the tunnel level at 1-4 to 0-7.
Meath got their noses in front through Sarah Wall, although that lead could have been more but for the heroics Armagh keeper Carr. The Orchard Ladies tagged on the next four scores with Mallon (free), Lavery (2) and Blaithin Mackin all splitting the posts.
Meath turned the screw with a quick fire 1-3. Two Duggan points were split by 1-1 from midfielder Aoibhín Cleary, who punched home the Meath goal after Smyth’s shot had dropped short.
Armagh’s response was rapid and again it was McCoy who fired past Meath skipper Monica McGuick, with the aid of the crossbar, after being played through by Mallon, to level things up once again.
Dearbhla Coleman punched over from close range, assisted by sister Niamh, before the older of the two Colemans hit Armagh’s third goal.
Byrne and Duggan scored for Meath in the final few minutes, but it wasn’t enough to get something from the game.
Scorers for Armagh: A McCoy 2-0, E Lavery 0-5 (3f), N Coleman 1-0, K Mallon 0-2 (2f), B Mackin, D Coleman 0-1 each.
Scorers for Meath: E Duggan 0-8 (5f), A Cleary 1-1, C Smyth 0-2, M Byrne, M Thynne, S Wall 0-1 each.
Armagh
A Carr, G Ferguson, C McCambridge, R Mulligan, C Towe, L McConville, D Coleman, N Coleman, B Mackin, E Druse, A McCoy, S Quigley, E Lavery, N Henderson, K Mallon. Subs: N Reel for E Lavery (51 mins) M McCambridge for S Quigley (51 mins), M McCann for E Druse (63 mins).
Meath
M McGuirk, S Wall, M Lynch, N Troy, N Gallogly, K Cole, K Newe, M O’Shaughnessy, A Cleary, M Thynne, S Melia, C Smyth, M Byrne, M Farrelly, E Duggan. Subs: L Young for C Smyth (54 mins), S Lynch for K Cole (59 mins).
Referee: Gus Chapman (Sligo)
I would have joined the prem the time scotland and Wales wouldn’t back us for the world cup. May they never be forgiven.
@James Murphy: Wales said it would vote for whoever was recommended in the world rugby council Evaluation report (created by thier ex chairman). Scotland said they would vote for whoever in that report would generate most income. The report recommanded SA and that France would generate the most income. WRU and SRU voted how they said they would. Why would they vote for Ireland and not the bid they considered best? Cronyism? Is the only reason and I dont want WCs decided on Cronyism, do you? As it appears you hold a grudge that it didn’t. If Ireland wanted the WRU and SRU vote they need the best bid and the most lucrative bid, Ireland had neither, thats not the WRU or SRU fault.
@Kingshu: fair enough argument…unfortunately I’m old enough to remember the Scottish and welsh didn’t travel in 72 to Dublin and we were denied a potential grand slam….I think I could be forgiven for wondering did the Scottish and welsh have always a sense of begrudgery against us as evidenced in 1972 home nations and the 2023 world cup selection …I’d like to think I’m wrong but it is a sentiment…both rugby unions have clubs playing in the urc but ignored the financial benefits bestowed on them by this league for their own interests in the 2023 wc selection….I probably am looking back in anger too and maybe wrong…rugby is a game of creating friendship and onwards to closer bonds
@James Murphy: i understand your sentiment and part of me agrees but it might might lower the standard of wales and Scotland who are struggling to keep up with england and ireland in the 6 nations
@Seamus kelly: i know about ’72 and will hold that against the WRU and SRU, and also praise England for travelling in ’73 still. The WRU also broke ranks with the other magners league unions and acceped the English/French deal weakening their bargaining position. I’ll hold that against them too. In the URC/Premiership talks I wouldn’t trust them not to ditch the rest for their own benefit either. But as far as the WC voting went, i haven’t anything against them, they said they they would back their ex chairmans recommendation in the world council report and did that. If the report recommanded Ireland they would have voted Ireland. Plenty of grudges against the WRU, but I can’t add the WC to them.
@Kingshu: obviously cronyism are clubs are in the same league.
The premiership are welcome to the Welsh sides, no returns accepted!
A 12 team URC with home & away fixtures against all opposition sounds good to me.
@Noel Roe: completely agree, welsh sides are not competitive and they don’t have a public. 12 teams and a proper home/away fixture list is the way forward
@Michael Corkery: Welsh teams used to be very good, the Ospreys team around 2010 was better than Leinster then, and should have won a couple HCups, Bowe, Williams Collins was a star studded side. They will increase salary cap next season and hopefully become competitive again.
@Noel Roe: hard to disagree. The Welsh Rugby Union doesn’t believe in the Welsh regions so hard for us to
@Kingshu: their plan is to reduce funding further next year.
Reported elsewhere that, IRFU is open to discussing the possibility of a broadened competition, but only if all of the participating nations are involved.Sound like the Unions have been discussing it but have left the URC (of which they are shareholders) out of the disscusions.
@Kingshu: that is very different than what was being rumored. The IRFU being open to expanding the URC. Is not even close to getting rid of the South African teams and the Italians. The Premiership teams probably want the Irish provinces, more than the Welsh or Scottish teams. I would guess, they would happily take the South African teams too and leave the rest behind. Would make for a much better product.
@Kingshu: somebody should tell them (English) that there is already expanded rugby club competitions and they’re currently called the champions cup and challenge cup. They were previously called after a well known beer brand. The competition they tried to kill (and succeeded to an extent) because the Irish were winning too much or they didn’t control it enough. I don’t understand the logic here, while I think the URC could do with shedding a few teams (welsh?), the competition is getting better and better. Glasgow winning last season proved the competition is very healthy.
@Michael Corkery: People forget that some of the changes they forced the Magners League Unions should have introduced years before being made to. 10 out of 12 teams getting into the HCup, both Scottish and both Italian, no matter where they finished got HCup entry. Provinces just had to finish ahead of (what was then a poorly funded) Connacht to get into HCup. Changes that made the League better, for too long it was just a development league, that started it on the road to being a competative leauge. As above the Welsh havent always been as poor and were once very very good, and with increased salary caps next year should start being more competitive.
Wales & Scotland at it again.
@kieran horgan: we know the welsh are down on their knees asking to be admitted to the English league but I haven’t heard anything like that from the Scot’s. Glasgow in particular must be pretty happy with where they are at this time.
First Brexit and now this haha
Strange one, first reports of an Anglo-Irish merger completion kicking out the Saffas and Italians , now a statement from the URC heads rubbishing all reports …media at its finest I guess.
@Stuart: https://www.sarugbymag.co.za/urc-rubbishes-sa-exit-talk/
@Stuart: Yes I saw that,it’s a fishing expedition by the prem.The prem have been bad for England Rugby,they are shortsighted. Italy are on the rise,Wales club rugby is on its knees and we need to help them not cast them aside,the URC will do this.I saw an article where they just want Ireland and SA,that exclusion mindset is not the ethos of Rugby
@Stuart: CVC are partners in both (with a mandate to increase revenue), and since they bought a share in both, theres been talk of some sort of merger, of winners playing off, or combined playoffs, to increase the revenue. From what I’ve read Anglo-Welsh is not something the Prem are keen on as it doesn’t add much revenue, but the WRU are. British and Irish league is what Prem really wants, but IRFU has said it won’t abandon the SAFU or FIR. Also the goverance models with salary caps, player release etc do make them incompatable. The talk is and I think most likily solution is a straight knock out cup between all the Prem, and URC teams. Prob would mean ending the HCup, but its been dimished for years, URC and Prem/URC cup would go up in standing.
HCup has dimished for years, number of French teams always put out weak teams, to concentrate on Top 14, they just want to qualify for it for the revenue, only a small number take it seriously. English teams have started putting in weaker teams, and even Bulls in the knockouts sent a weakened team. Removing the Hcup would also mean that the French teams would no longer get HCup income, and a URC with the Cup could close the funding gap, meaning more likily to be able to keep top players. Personally think if anything comes of it this is most likely. Would a straight prem/URC knockout cup replace HCup income? Well it only need 2/3rds of it (as will not have to share with FFR) to create same income per team?
@Kingshu: interesting insight, thanks for sharing. Had no idea this has been going on in the background..
@Kingshu: I agree there are too many mismatches in current CC. Too many teams not taking it seriously. I would reduce the qualification for the CC to top 4 with each league =12 and then round it out to 16 by adding teams that finished highest in the previous seasons CC – means a semi basically guarantees you a place and a qtr gives you a decent chance considering most teams in qtr are likely to be T4 in their own championships. Then the 16 play in 4 x 4 groups (home + away) or 2 x 8 (play 6 different as per current format) with top 4 qualifying for semi (1 home v 2 ). I think the quality would be much better and would reward teams that take competition seriously
@Michael Corkery: part of the problem is the distribution of prize money, the majority of it goes to the team that qualify and making later rounds doesnt increase ot by very much (geting a home game and the gates is what generates more in knockout rounds) so trams are happy to qualify and not to fussed on progressing. Change the weight of the money so its worthwile getting to the next round and more teams wil take it serious (though you may get those that figue they have zero chance of making the next round and send a weak team). I think the HCup is on its way out, losing a game week somehow over covid reduced it capacity to generate income as well.
@Kingshu: I think teams like Montpellier, Castres, Stade Français etc. are generally good enough to be in Top8 of T14 but simply cannot combine that with a good CC campaign. Do they have to give priority to the T14. I think having top 8 in each league qualifying dilutes the quality too much. That’s why I’d limit to T4 + rewarding teams who did well in previous season. The idea is to weed out the Castres, Montpellier ‘s, welsh sides, etc. who add nothing to the competition. I agree with you that in current format, interest and therefore revenue is fading. It needs to be revamped to a smaller higher quality comp.
@Michael Corkery: dont forgot though that fewer teams = less games per weekend meaning lower TV revenue. Youd have half the games per weekend, which would equate to TV deal being half what it currently is, same with sponsors etc with only half the exposure. It may be higher quality, but there will be only half the airtime, so will decrease drastically.
@Kingshu: You’d have a 2nd tier competition which would also be higher quality and more competitive than the current challenge cup. It would reduce the games where Toulouse and Leinster are hammering teams who simply can’t compete with them. It would still have fairly decent teams playing in it a bit like Europa cup in football
@Kingshu: so the sun would be slightly less games maybe but far more competitive games and higher quality at the top. Hopefully that will mean bigger audiences for all the games but especially for the top tier.
They can have that trash, i’d prefer an Ireland & SA league so every game is truely elite and we can maybe even field another team or 2. Would be more beneficial for the national team
@Owen ODonoghue: it is no fluke the national teams of SA& IRE have improved in various areas through what each other brings to the party ie physicality, speed, ball handling, styles of play, different conditions, cultures in the URC. So I feel it’s a very positive exiting time in club rugby for both nations in the URC. It’s evident the loss of the SA sides to super rugby has impacted the quality of that product and NZ/AUS rugby which the kiwis have even admitted. But like I say above both the irish and SA national sides have gotten better with this current setup. So yes 100 percent agree with you would not want to lose out on playing the irish sides each week.
@Owen ODonoghue: Unfortunately, as Irish Provincial rugby (and by extension the URC) is chronically lossmaking and subsidised big time by the national team, it is hard to see how this could be financially viable, especially if more teams were added. (Even if money were no object, I also don’t really believe we have the depth to field 5 or 6 ‘provincial’ outfits against the South Africans and be competitive across the board in those matches. Let alone burning out our elite players who are needed to generate the money in the national team).