Women 43 – St Marys 17

Galwegians Women came off an All-Ireland Cup victory at St Mary’s (against Highfield) two weeks ago and returned to Tempelogue on Sunday for the winter’s penultimate league fixture against Mary’s.

The mathematically-impressive 43-17 scoreline went Wegians way, but stood at 43-nil with 12minutes left to play.

Galwegians put the result beyond doubt a quarter hour in racking up their third try but the opening stages were far from pretty. A static backline carting the ball from left to right posed no threat to a wary St Mary’s, but with space out wide (and lacklustre defence) wingers Sarah Healy and Lisa McDonagh managed scores, McDonagh’s tally finished at three.

Former internationals Nuala ni Chadhain (one) and Carol Staunton (two) both dotted down as well.

While St Mary’s defence beyond the 15m lines was nearly non-existent, their ball-retention was very much a strength.

Where they fell down was in picking the wrong defenders to run against, O’Reilly and Staunton made optimistic ball-carriers rue their choice of direction, shoving solitary carriers back two or three metres. When they hit together, the after-effects were near cataclysmic. On three occasions, players were snowballed several metres back in a whirlwind of scrumcapped aggression and on landing inevitably surrendered possession or conceded a penalty. Substitute flanker Sabina Egan followed suit with 30 minutes to go and joined the Staunton/O’Reilly barrage brigade punishing anyone with designs off the St Mary’s ruck fringe.

Scrumhalf Anne O’Callaghan fed well throughout be it outhalf Sorcha ni Chadhain or any one of several forward volunteers, and ni Chadhain at 10 had the luxury of feeding superbacks rather than resorting to the boot, even deep with the Wegians half.

This winter’s All-Ireland Cup champions and last year’s Paul Flood (Leinster Cup) winners have one game remaining, a final league fixture against a struggling Navan.

The AIL’s First Division split before Christmas into a top-four/bottom-four table, and Wegians’ win on the weekend cemented their destiny atop the secondary tier as Div 1B league champions.

The Navan game is scheduled for this Sunday, away.