ENERGIA ALL-IRELAND LEAGUE WOMEN’S DIVISION – ROUND 9:
Saturday, December 13
Kick-off 1pm unless stated –
BALLINCOLLIG (8th) v UL BOHEMIAN (1st), Tanner Park
Energia All-Ireland League Season’s Form: Ballincollig: LLWLLLWL; UL Bohemian: WWWWWWWW
Energia All-Ireland League Top Scorers – Ballincollig: Points: Emma Connolly 31; Tries: Aoife Madigan, Eve Prendergast, Grace Kingston, Brighid Twohig 3 each; UL Bohemian: Points: Caitríona Finn 70; Tries: Alana McInerney 11
Preview: High-flying UL Bohemian end the first half of the regular season with their second Munster derby. Sarah Quin’s side won 77-0 at Ennis in October, and will fancy their chances of making it nine straight wins against Ballincollig who are positioned just below Ennis and Wicklow in the table.
Ballincollig will be proudly represented by Eve Prendergast, Lily Morris, and Aoibheann McGrath in the Celtic Challenge, with all three players making the Clovers squad and also starting tomorrow. Scrum-half Prendergast, who only just turned 20, made her Munster debut in August, and has scored three tries for ‘Collig so far this season.
UL Bohs were on fire against the Cork outfit in 2024/25, racking up 121 points and 21 tries in their two clashes with them. Their squad depth will be tested again during the Celtic Challenge campaign, as five of their backs – including playmakers Caitríona Finn and Kate Flannery – have been selected for the Clovers, along with five of their forwards.
Recent League Meetings – Saturday, November 9, 2024: UL Bohemian 55 Ballincollig 8, UL 4G pitch: Saturday, February 15, 2025: Ballincollig 0 UL Bohemian 66, Tanner Park
IrishRugby.ie Prediction: UL Bohemian to win
ENNIS (7th) v OLD BELVEDERE (3rd), Drumbiggle Road
Energia All-Ireland League Season’s Form: Ennis: WWLLLWLL; Old Belvedere: WLLWWWWW
Energia All-Ireland League Top Scorers – Ennis: Points: Aoibhín Donnelly, Caoilfhionn Conway Morrissey 20 each; Tries: Aoibhín Donnelly, Caoilfhionn Conway Morrissey 4 each; Old Belvedere: Points: Robyn O’Connor 40; Tries: Robyn O’Connor 8
Preview: Despite suffering back-to-back defeats, Ennis will have learned a lot from their recent outings against higher-ranked opposition. Gareth O’Hanlon’s young charges will continue on that learning curve against third-placed Old Belvedere, who come hunting for their sixth victory in a row.
Teenager Sally Kelly’s impressive form with Ennis has seen her break into the Clovers squad. She is a notable absentee for tomorrow, but the Clare side’s joint-top try scorer, Aoibhín Donnelly, returns on the left wing, and Aisling Heapes, Ciara Coughlan, and Emma Daly are handed starts up front.
Old Belvedere head coach Fiona Hayes has made five personnel changes, including a start in the second row for Ashbourne RFC product Naoise Smyth, who has earned a call-up to the Wolfhounds squad. Laura Carty will fill the full-back berth, and Hannah Rapley, Alisha Flynn, and Éadaoin Murtagh also come in.
Recent League Meetings – N/A
IrishRugby.ie Prediction: Old Belvedere to win
RAILWAY UNION (5th) v GALWEGIANS (4th), Park Avenue
Energia All-Ireland League Season’s Form: Railway Union: LLLWWWWW; Galwegians: WWWWWLLL
Energia All-Ireland League Top Scorers – Railway Union: Points: Heidi Lyons 58; Tries: Heidi Lyons 10; Railway Union: Points: Niamh Murphy, Emily Foley 40 each; Tries: Niamh Murphy, Emily Foley 8 each
Preview: Galwegians have already surpassed their points tally from last season, but this the sort of crunch clash that will tell a lot about their top four ambitions. They will be doing their utmost to stave off Railway Union’s bid to leapfrog them in the table, with just two points the difference.
Railway Union will field a freshened up back-three comprised of Leah Tarpey, Aimee Clarke, and Sarah O’Donnell. French recruit Chloé Ponthus switches to scrum half, and the pack has been strengthened by the presence of Claire Boles, Aoife McDermott, Emily Gavin, and Siobhán McCarthy.
Following a lively cameo off the bench against Blackrock College last week, Saoirse Lawley slots in on the left wing for Galwegians, who are chasing their first win in four rounds. Beibhinn Gleeson will pack down at number 8, meaning a move to the second row for Grace Browne Moran.
Recent League Meetings – Saturday, November 16, 2024: Galwegians 0 Railway Union 56, Creggs RFC; Saturday, February 8, 2025: Railway Union 28 Galwegians 0, Park Avenue (Railway Union awarded 28-0 result and five league points; Galwegians deducted five points for conceding match)
IrishRugby.ie Prediction: Railway Union to win
COOKE (9th) v BLACKROCK COLLEGE (2nd), Shaw’s Bridge, 2.30pm
Energia All-Ireland League Season’s Form: Cooke: LWLLLLLL; Blackrock College: LWWWWWWW
Energia All-Ireland League Top Scorers – Cooke: Points: Shola Iluyemi 15; Tries: Shola Iluyemi 3; Blackrock College: Points: Maggie Boylan 60; Tries: Maggie Boylan 12
Preview: There was much to admire about Cooke’s three-try performance at Old Belvedere, where schoolgirl prop Shola Iluyemi snapped up her third try at this level. Blackrock College arrive in Belfast sitting second in the standings, and with whizzing winger Maggie Boylan top of the try-scoring charts.
Blackrock will have two of their Celtic Challenge representatives, Wolfhounds duo Maeve Óg O’Leary and Kate Jordan, starting in the pack tomorrow. Jill O’Toole, Sophie Balay-Chawke, and Catherine Martin return behind the scrum, with the latter partnering Cara Martin, a try scorer away to Galwegians, in the centre.
Cooke’s Ulster-capped prop Sophie Barrett, who is part of the Wolfhounds squad, commented: “We’re trying to get players in, it’s not easy, but for the next couple of games ahead, I suppose it will just be needing to play with what they have, and they can put up a good game, like the ‘Belvo game there last weekend.”
Recent League Meetings – Saturday, November 9, 2024: Blackrock College 51 Cooke 0, Stradbrook; Saturday, February 15, 2025: Cooke 10 Blackrock College 26, Shaw’s Bridge
IrishRugby.ie Prediction: Blackrock College to win
TULLOW (10th) v WICKLOW (6th), Blackgates, 5pm
Energia All-Ireland League Season’s Form: Tullow:LLLLLLLL; Wicklow: WLWLLWLW
Energia All-Ireland League Top Scorers – Tullow: Points: Chloe Farrell 22; Tries: Chloe Farrell 3; Wicklow: Points: Beth Roberts 33; Tries: Vicky Elmes Kinlan 5
Preview: A Leinster derby to see out the calendar year for these teams, with Wicklow making the trip to Rathoe Road. Chloe Farrell’s third try of the campaign was Tullow’s main highlight against UL Bohs, while Wicklow crossed seven times when getting back to winning ways against Ballincollig.
Wicklow boss Jason Moreton will give youth its fling in Carlow with two members of last season’s Ireland Under-18 squad, Róisín Ridge and Usha Daly O’Toole, starting in the back row. The visitors’ back-three has also been changed with Laura Griffin included on the right wing, and Faye O’Neill shifting to full-back.
The first half of the season has been a tough slog at times for Tullow, but they have fought valiantly through injuries and setbacks. Chloe Farrell, who now has 22 points and three tries to her name, has performed strongly, as have captain Grace Kelly and industrious flanker Leah Browne.
Recent League Meetings – Saturday, September 28, 2024: Tullow 14 Wicklow 34, Blackgates; Saturday, March 29, 2025: Wicklow 69 Tullow 12, Ashtown Lane
IrishRugby.ie Prediction: Wicklow to win
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