"Suttonians should win this - but Wicklow could make their home ground a fortress," former Irish international player Hannah Tyrrell remarked in the latest episode of HerSport's Energia AIL Rugby Show.
Maybe it was the lasting echoes from Tyrrell, or the sting of a draw result from the previous week, but Wicklow proved the underdogs last weekend in their first win against Suttonians.
Wicklow RFC are one of the newer teams to the league and after a tough 2021/2022 season, they began this year with a determined foot forward. With a rare draw result in Round 4, Wicklow were left wanting when it came to points, with their first on the board mirrored by Fiona Hayes' Ballincollig.
"I think Wicklow will feel they left this one behind," Tyrrell said, referring to the match against Ballincollig where there were two tries a piece, "they really put it up to UL Bohs...they lost out to to them marginally the last game...I really thought they'd come into this with a lost more confidence".
While the game against the Cork side wasn't to be, Wicklow made sure Round 5 didn't go the same way and a 27-10 win against the visitors ensured a historic win.
Bonus point win in the bag and lots of happy faces! Congratulations to our senior womens team on a fantastic 27-10 win over Suttonians at a blustery Ashtown Lane this evening. 🔴⚪️⚫️ pic.twitter.com/9CxvtCZ1q4
— Wicklow RFC (@WicklowRFC) October 15, 2022
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Second half tries from teenage scrum half Roisin Stone and Linda Dempsey established the home side's win. They scored five tries in all, including a well-taken Sarah Gleeson effort from a Beth Roberts chip through.
Winger Suzanne Tyrrell got the opening try followed shortly by another one off the set piece. Suttonian's Janita Kareta put their first points on the board but Wicklow followed with successive tries, after some well placed efforts from the backline.
A sin-bin decision for Suttonian's full-back Sophie Gibney left Suttonains a player down and Wicklow targeted the try line, with Linda Dempsey getting the last try of the game.
"Suttonians are playing a really nice brand of rugby, that off loading game and that high tempo" according to Tyrrell, but it was Wicklow's brand of rugby - good defence, line speed and plenty of chips from the younger Roberts sister that got the win for Wicklow, a first against Suttonians for the home team and an interesting one for the ever changing AIL leaderboard.
For the full recap on Round 5 of the Energia AIL League, tune into the next episode of HerSport's AIL Show, available on Spotify, YouTube & every podcast platform.
The Her Sport Energia AIL Rugby Show is brought to you in partnership with Energia. Think of the possibilities.
