Women’s Interpros: Leinster start campaign with comfortable win over Connacht

Jenny Murphy to the fore with two tries after hosts recover from sluggish start

Daire Walsh

Leinster 38 Connacht 10

Two-time Six Nations winner Jenny Murphy grabbed a brace of tries at Energia Park on Saturday afternoon as Leinster defeated Connacht in the first round of the Women’s Interprovincial Championship.

Despite struggling to break down their diligent opponents for large stretches, Leinster opened the scoring in the 33rd-minute when outstanding build-up play by international star Dannah O’Brien paved the way for fullback Ella Roberts to touch down in clinical fashion.

O’Brien added the bonuses on top of this five-pointer and did likewise in the wake of a superb solo finish from Anna Doyle with three minutes of the first half remaining. A penalty from former Ireland outhalf Nicole Fowley reduced Connacht’s deficit to 11 points (14-3) in time for the interval, only for Leinster to reinforce their authority on the resumption with a try from replacement Elise O’Byrne-Whyte.

Leinster were starting to play with supreme confidence and a typically ruthless finish from Murphy towards the end of the third-quarter created further daylight between the teams.

Their defence was eventually breached in the 68th-minute as Orla Dixon dotted down off Fowley’s crossfield kick, but the hosts had the final say with late tries from debutant Katie Whelan and Murphy.

LEINSTER: E Roberts; C Gorman, A Dalton, J Murphy, A Doyle; D O’Brien, A Hughes; N O’Dowd, J Keating, C Haney (co-capt); A McDermott, E Corri; A Coleman, M Boyne, H O’Connor (co-capt).

Replacements: A Moore for Coleman (15 mins), E O’Byrne-Whyte for Gorman, M Scuffil-McCabe for Hughes (both 47 mins), E Anthony for Corri, L Mullen for O’Brien (both 61 mins), M Collis for Keating, L Callan for Haney (both 68 mins), K Whelan for Roberts (75 mins).

CONNACHT: M Coyne; A Ryder, O Dixon, S Touhey, L McGonagle; N Fowley, M Healy; G O’Loughlin, E McNicholas, L Feely; F Scally, E McCormack; G Browne Moran, E Fabby, LM Murphy.

Replacements: L Brady for McNicholas, N O’Grady for O’Loughlin (both 49 mins), C Barrett for McGonagle, S McDermott for McCormack (both 55 mins), E Nic Dhonnacha for Coyne, O Fenton for Murphy, H Coen for Feely (all 61 mins), O Haverty for Healy (64 mins).

Referee: K Davison (IRFU).