U18 Girls claim third place with win over Connacht

September 23, 2019 10:44 am Site Editor

Photo by Eóin Noonan/Sportsfile

Leinster U18 Girls 38 Connacht U18 Girls 5

Leinster Rugby U18 Girls secured third place in the 2019 Interprovincial Series with a 38-5 win over Connacht at Barnhall over the weekend.

It was an evenly matched start to the game as Connacht’s Mary McLaughlin scored after 10 minutes to match Orla Hayes’ try for Leinster. Leinster added further scores from Ciara Faulker and Vicky Elms Kinlan to lead 17-5 at half-time.

Connacht were getting some good defensive stops early in the second half as they fought for parity with the running of Ivana Kiripati helping them onto the front foot.

Leinster’s strike runners were proving hard to handle though with Caoimhe O’Callaghan getting a try and Vicky Elms Kinlan completing a hat-trick with the help of some superb work from Aoife Wafer to charge down a clearing kick. Ava Jenkins continued her excellent kicking return in this championship with 3/3 conversions in the second half.

It brings the curtain down on a hugely positive season for the Leinster team who won four of their five games, finishing as top seed after the round robin phase before suffering a semi-final defeat to eventual winners Munster.

Scorers – Leinster U18 Girls: Vicky Elms Kinlan three tries, Ava Jenkins four cons, Orla Hayes, Ciara Faulkner, Caoimhe O’Callaghan try each;
Connacht U18 Girls: Mary McLaughlin try.

Leinster

15. Laura Carty (Edenderry RFC)
14. Orla Hayes (Ashbourne RFC)
13. Ciara Faulkner (Tullamore RFC)
12. Emma Kelly (Tullamore RFC)
11. Caoimhe O’Callaghan (Dundalk RFC)
10. Ava Jenkins (Mullingar RFC)
9. Beth Roberts (Wicklow RFC)

1. Emily Jo White (North Meath RFC)
2. Emily Slater (Arklow RFC)
3. Eimer Douglas (Wicklow RFC)
4. Holly Leach (Barnhall RFC)
5. Ivanna Dempsey (Naas RFC)
6. Erin King (Naas RFC)
7. Aoife Wafer (Enniscorthy RFC)
8. Ellie Meade (Dundalk RFC) CAPTAIN

Replacements:

Katie Anne O’Neill (Naas RFC), Rachel Murtagh (Naas RFC), Megan Collis (Greystones RFC), Dara Yore (North Meath RFC), Katie Whelan (Enniscorthy RFC), Kathryn Dempsey (New Ross RFC), Vicky Elms Kinlan (Wicklow RFC), Rachel Conroy (Tullamore RFC).