U-18s make it two out of two with sweet win over Munster
THE Connacht Under-18 girls produced a brilliant performance on Sunday to defeat Munster 26-10 and make it two wins from two in the Under-18 Girls Interprovincial Series. With the girls boosted from a late but deserved win over Ulster on the opening weekend, the side were again able to find an additional gear in the closing stages when needed, this time overcoming a late Munster fightback The opening quarter saw Munster dominate much of the possession and territory, and the pressure eventually told when a quick tap penalty saw them touch down. That sparked a resurgence in the Connacht camp, and they got a crucial score just before half-time when Beibhinn Parsons got her first of three tries, showing her lightning pace to set-up an easy conversion for Meabh Deely which made it 7-5 to Connacht at the break. The second half saw Connacht produce some magnificent rugby, and Parsons’ second try made it 14-5 entering the closing 10 minutes. A second Munster try reduced the gap, but Connacht held firm thereafter. Two late tries sparked jubilant scenes at the Sportsground. While Parsons grabbed the headlines, the performances of Niamh Kenny, Lily Brady, Grace Browne-Moran and skipper Aoibheann Reilly also stood out. Unbeaten Connacht meet Leinster in Barnhall RFC tomorrow to determine the 2018 top spot, while Munster and Ulster battle for third place in a finals day setting. Sunday’s win was again the highlight of an otherwise mixed set of interprovincial results for the province. Following the U18 girls game was the Senior Womens meeting of Connacht and Leinster, with Leinster too strong in a 47-0 win. Meanwhile, the U19s headed to Bangor last weekend for their second interpro game, but it was Ulster who came away with a 33-17 win. The women will be aiming to finish their campaign on a high when they welcome Ulster to the Sportsground tomorrow (3.30pm), while the U19s are in Thomond Park tomorrow for a 1.30pm kickoff against Munster.