Last-kick agony for Reds as Leinster reclaim title

LEINSTER regained the Women’s Interprovincial Championship after a dramatic 14-14 draw with defending champions Munster at Energia Park.

With the roles reversed from last year, Leinster secured the silverware thanks to their superior scoring difference (64 compared to Munster’s 37).

Munster almost pulled it out of the fire, but the conversion of Rachel Allen-Connolly’s levelling 80th-minute try was agonisingly missed by Niamh Briggs.

Leinster out-half Nikki Caughey led Briggs 9-6 in their kicking duel at halftime, before Briggs levelled matters in the 63rd minute.

Flanker Juliet Short then put Leinster back in front, touching down out wide for her fourth try of the Championship.

Munster laid siege to the Leinster line in the dying minutes and got over when out-half Allen-Connolly capitalised on an overlap – the first try conceded by Leinster in the competition.

Victorious Leinster coach Ben Armstrong said: “Our game is based on defence. Rather than let them in under the posts, we forced them out wide and they did score but it wasn’t an easy conversion by any means.

“A strange one to win it by a draw, but we’ll take it for sure.”

His Munster counterpart Laura Guest said: “As the ball was kicked at the end I thought it looked good so it’s difficult. I’m immensely proud of them.

“There’s a lot of girls that came into their first Interpro campaign and really stood tall. That can only benefit us and Ireland going forward. Hopefully we’ll see some of those red jerseys transform into green jerseys in November and February.”

Connacht secured third place in the final table with a 31-17 win at home to Ulster, with tries from Catherine Martin, Mairead Coyne, Amelie Roux, Ciara O’Connor and Anne-Marie O’Hora.