From the whistle Connacht made their intention clear with intense early pressure, pinning Ulster within their own 22 for the first five minutes. Connacht's persistence paid off in the 6th minute when their captain, Siofra Hession made a huge carry deep into Ulster’s territory, delivering an offload to fullback Roisin O’Sullivan, who scored the opening try. The try was converted by the captain, giving Connacht a 7-0 lead.
Ulster responded well after the restart, pushing into Connacht's half for the first time in the match. However, despite moving the ball end to end, they struggled to break down Connacht's solid defence. Mistakes from Ulster were capitalised by the Connacht side, with Ulster spending the majority of the half defending. Ulster’s Grace Simati was instrumental in making big tackles, with Ulster wing Sinead Bowers making a try-saving effort that prevented Connacht wing Katie Gallagher from extending their lead early on.
Connacht’s pace continued to trouble Ulster, but the home side’s defence held firm under relentless pressure, holding up two tries from the visiting side, with fly-half Amy McConkey making key hits against a strong Connacht backline. Following a series of back-and-forth scrums and penalties, Ulster managed to regain some territory, but Connacht clearly remained in control. Another relentless Connacht attack on the try-line saw Ulster defence put under pressure, but strong tackles and defensive efforts, particularly from Elise McDermott and Grace Simati, prevented any further scores, with another held up try.
In the 38th minute, Connacht finally breached the Ulster defence with a slick pass from the captain Siofra Hession to her flanker, Ruby Jennings, resulting in a well-taken try. The conversion was missed, leaving the score at 12-0 at halftime.
HT: Ulster 0-12 Connacht
The second half saw Connacht continue the trajectory of the first, as fly-half Carla Palasz intercepted a pass following a wheeling Ulster scrum, running in for an easy score. The lead was extended to 19-0 after the extras were again added by Siofra Hession in the 43rd minute.
Following a number of penalties against Ulster, the visitors managed to back the home side into their 22 - however Ulster’s impressive defence held strong against a persistent Connacht attack, with two more tries being held up by the home side. Ulster’s defensive efforts were finally rewarded in the 56th minute; a mishandled pass by Connacht on Ulster's 5-metre line saw a quick change through the hands of Ulster, reaching outside centre and co-captain, Erin McConalogue. A fend in the 22m led to her breakaway run down the length of the pitch, scoring under the posts. The conversion was added by Elise McDermott, making the score 7-19 to the away side.
Connacht quickly regained possession after a penalty on the halfway line, and a strong lineout set-piece allowed flanker Anna McDermott to dive in for a try in the 67th minute, extending the Connacht lead to 24-7.
Despite the increasing margin, Ulster showed a resilient spirit with strong carries from their forwards; second-row Olivia McKinley broke through the Connacht defence and following successive quick offloads and an impressive carry by replacement Abi Carson, Ireland U18 international Cara McLean crossed the whitewash for a try in the 70th minute. The conversion was missed, bringing the Ulster score to 12-24.
However, despite the upward swing of momentum in Ulster’s favour, a number of penalties led to a Connacht line-out in Ulster’s 22, where Connacht replacement Louise Seoighe made a dominant carry straight up the middle to score beneath the posts, with five minutes to go. Siofra Hession’s confident boot once again added the extras to extend their scoreline to 31-12. The final blow came in the 80th minute when a ripped ball in Ulster's half saw Connacht’s wing Aoife Heaney blaze down the sideline, scoring the final try of the match. Captain Siofra Hession added the extras once more, sealing a convincing 38-12 win for Connacht.
Connacht’s attacking prowess and ability to capitalise on Ulster’s mistakes were the defining features of the match. Despite Ulster's valiant defensive efforts and moments of brilliance, seeing no less than five tries being held up, Connacht’s speed of play and attack proved to be the deciding factor in an exciting game.