Munster began their Vodafone Women’s Interprovincial Championship defence with a commanding 39-19 win over Leinster, while Connacht edged Ulster 15-10 in a tight opening-round contest.
Beth Buttimer was the standout performer at Virgin Media Park, scoring four tries as Munster made an emphatic start to their campaign. In Belfast, Ireland internationals Anna McGann and Méabh Deely proved decisive for Connacht, with McGann scoring twice and Deely landing the crucial late penalty.
At Virgin Media Park, Munster wasted little time asserting themselves against Leinster. Buttimer crossed after just 95 seconds from a well-controlled maul, before Alana McInerney powered over in the 13th minute to give the defending champions early control.
Leinster, under new head coach Sana Govender and with Sarah Delaney captaining the side, responded through a 27th-minute maul try from Delaney. Dannah O’Brien converted to reduce the gap to 10-7, but Munster struck again before the break when Buttimer picked from close range and slipped through for her second try.
That left Munster 15-7 ahead at half-time, and Matt Brown’s side continued to carry the greater threat after the restart.
Eilís Cahill added Munster’s fourth try in the 46th minute, before Buttimer completed her hat-trick during Aoife Corey’s sin-binning. Caitríona Finn converted to stretch Munster’s lead to 27-7.
Leinster did find a response through Erin King, who scored from close range after the visitors lifted the tempo, with O’Brien’s conversion bringing them back within 13 points. But a yellow card for Linda Djougang halted their momentum, and Munster quickly punished them.
Former Leinster winger Katie Corrigan marked her Munster debut with a try in the right corner, before replacement Hannah Wilson crossed for Leinster late on. Buttimer had the final word, burrowing over deep into stoppage time to complete her fourth try and seal a seven-try win for Munster.
The result gives Munster a strong platform ahead of their round two meeting with Ulster in Cork, while Leinster will look to respond when they host Connacht.
At Affidea Stadium, Connacht opened their campaign with a hard-fought 15-10 victory over Ulster.
McGann made an immediate impact on her Connacht debut, scoring in the fourth minute after Deely spotted space and delivered a cross-field kick. McGann gathered expertly and outpaced the cover to finish in the corner.
Ulster grew into the game and levelled while Connacht hooker Kara Mulcahy was in the sin-bin. Stand-in captain Claire Boles drove low to score during a spell of pressure, leaving the sides locked at 5-5 at half-time.
The hosts moved in front in the 53rd minute when Sophie Barrett powered over from 12 metres, raising hopes of a first Ulster Interpro win since September 2023. The conversion was missed, leaving Ulster 10-5 ahead.
Connacht, however, finished stronger. McGann produced a sharp sidestep and burst of acceleration for a 25-metre run-in, bringing the visitors level before Deely converted from the right to put them 12-10 in front.
With 10 minutes remaining, Deely added the decisive score of the game, splitting the posts with a penalty from just outside the Ulster 22. Connacht then managed the closing stages well, keeping Ulster pinned back and preventing one final scoring chance.
It was Connacht’s fourth successive win in this fixture and gave new head coach Craig Hansberry a positive start, with nine new caps included in his matchday squad.
Ulster will take encouragement from strong periods of pressure but were hurt by lineout issues at key moments. They now face a difficult trip to Munster in round two, while Connacht travel to Dublin to face Leinster.
Round 1 Results
Munster 39-19 Leinster
Ulster 10-15 Connacht
