The Ulster U18 Girls 7s squad took part in 3 Inter-provincial tournaments in Dublin over the course of the last three weekends.
The first weekend saw all four Provinces making regular changes to enable their squads to adapt their playing style from the default 15-a-side mind set. Ulster seemed to adapt well finishing with their strongest performance of the day against a strong Leinster squad.
Week two was approached slightly differently with fewer changes to the starting teams for each game to enable the players to develop some team cohesion. First up was a solid performance against Leinster with a few errors meaning the result went Leinster’s way. In the second game against Connacht, the referee adjudged an Ulster try to have been knocked on which proved to be the difference between a win and a loss. Last up was Munster who had impressed throughout the day. This was Ulster’s most spirited performance of the day and their guts and determination earned them a superb win.
For the final weekend confidence was high and there was a real belief that Ulster could win 3 out of 3. The first game against Connacht yielded the highest winning margin for any team over the course of the three weekends and was made even better by the fact that the Ulster defence held strong so as not to allow Connacht to cross the line. Having witnessed such a clinical Ulster performance in the first game and seeking revenge for the previous week, Munster came out of the blocks at 100mph and bullied Ulster for the first 5 minutes. With 3 tries conceded in the first half it was always going to be difficult to get back but two second half Ulster tries left the score line much more respectable but Munster fully deserved the victory. The final game of the day, and the series, was against Leinster and a few Ulster injuries meant they had their work cut out. Unfortunately, despite an excellent team performance a few basic errors led to two soft Leinster scores.
Coach, Neal Johnston commented, “Prior to this series I said that results wouldn’t be the determinant of it being successful or otherwise and that for me player development and enjoyment were far more important. I think anyone who was present at the three tournaments would agree that these two ambitions were definitely realised. I was delighted with the progress over the 3 weekends particularly from some of the younger players. There was a lot of chopping and changing over the first two weekends to get the girls used to playing 7s and trying out different combinations. By the last weekend the standard of all the provinces was so evenly matched that any team could have beaten any other on the day. Our performances improved week by week and the players really started to understand the concept of 7s rugby. Yes, we made mistakes but that’s how lessons are learned. I think the standard shown means we are in for an exciting and closely fought 15-a-side Inter-pro series at the start of next season.
“I’d like to thank a few people who have helped make this series possible. Firstly, Clogher Valley RFC for allowing use of their pitches for training and both Portarlington and Westmanstown Rugby Clubs for hosting the tournaments; Aly and Terry Finlay for travelling with the girls and providing their feedback on the first two weekends. Stephen Hetherington for his role as photographer; Charlie Farrell for his help at training and Rachel Baxter for providing physio cover. A huge ‘Thank You’ also to the parents who travelled far and wide to get the girls to training and coming to support the squad each weekend. Finally, a big ‘Thank You’ and ‘Well Done’ to all the players, it really was a full-squad effort and I hope that they all enjoyed the experience and have gained some lasting memories and a few new friends along the way.”
Back Row (l-r): Ruth Gilsenan (Virginia RFC), Amanda McQuade (Virginia RFC), Rachel McGee (Magh Ene College), Ella Garland (Monaghan RFC), Lucy Turkington (Dungannon RFC), Kerri McGloin (Magh Ene College), Ellie Rix (Enniskillen RFC), Lucinda Kinghan (Monaghan RFC),
Front Row (l-r): Lisa Mullen, vice-captain (Virginia RFC), Amber Redmond (Virginia RFC), Bethany McDowell (Malone RFC), Ellie Ingram, captain (Enniskillen RFC), Katie Hetherington (Clogher Valley RFC), Vicki Graham (Clogher Valley RFC).
Missing from photograph: Kelly McCormill (Monaghan RFC), Ciara Byers (Virginia RFC).
The first weekend saw all four Provinces making regular changes to enable their squads to adapt their playing style from the default 15-a-side mind set. Ulster seemed to adapt well finishing with their strongest performance of the day against a strong Leinster squad.
Week two was approached slightly differently with fewer changes to the starting teams for each game to enable the players to develop some team cohesion. First up was a solid performance against Leinster with a few errors meaning the result went Leinster’s way. In the second game against Connacht, the referee adjudged an Ulster try to have been knocked on which proved to be the difference between a win and a loss. Last up was Munster who had impressed throughout the day. This was Ulster’s most spirited performance of the day and their guts and determination earned them a superb win.
For the final weekend confidence was high and there was a real belief that Ulster could win 3 out of 3. The first game against Connacht yielded the highest winning margin for any team over the course of the three weekends and was made even better by the fact that the Ulster defence held strong so as not to allow Connacht to cross the line. Having witnessed such a clinical Ulster performance in the first game and seeking revenge for the previous week, Munster came out of the blocks at 100mph and bullied Ulster for the first 5 minutes. With 3 tries conceded in the first half it was always going to be difficult to get back but two second half Ulster tries left the score line much more respectable but Munster fully deserved the victory. The final game of the day, and the series, was against Leinster and a few Ulster injuries meant they had their work cut out. Unfortunately, despite an excellent team performance a few basic errors led to two soft Leinster scores.
Coach, Neal Johnston commented, “Prior to this series I said that results wouldn’t be the determinant of it being successful or otherwise and that for me player development and enjoyment were far more important. I think anyone who was present at the three tournaments would agree that these two ambitions were definitely realised. I was delighted with the progress over the 3 weekends particularly from some of the younger players. There was a lot of chopping and changing over the first two weekends to get the girls used to playing 7s and trying out different combinations. By the last weekend the standard of all the provinces was so evenly matched that any team could have beaten any other on the day. Our performances improved week by week and the players really started to understand the concept of 7s rugby. Yes, we made mistakes but that’s how lessons are learned. I think the standard shown means we are in for an exciting and closely fought 15-a-side Inter-pro series at the start of next season.
“I’d like to thank a few people who have helped make this series possible. Firstly, Clogher Valley RFC for allowing use of their pitches for training and both Portarlington and Westmanstown Rugby Clubs for hosting the tournaments; Aly and Terry Finlay for travelling with the girls and providing their feedback on the first two weekends. Stephen Hetherington for his role as photographer; Charlie Farrell for his help at training and Rachel Baxter for providing physio cover. A huge ‘Thank You’ also to the parents who travelled far and wide to get the girls to training and coming to support the squad each weekend. Finally, a big ‘Thank You’ and ‘Well Done’ to all the players, it really was a full-squad effort and I hope that they all enjoyed the experience and have gained some lasting memories and a few new friends along the way.”
Back Row (l-r): Ruth Gilsenan (Virginia RFC), Amanda McQuade (Virginia RFC), Rachel McGee (Magh Ene College), Ella Garland (Monaghan RFC), Lucy Turkington (Dungannon RFC), Kerri McGloin (Magh Ene College), Ellie Rix (Enniskillen RFC), Lucinda Kinghan (Monaghan RFC),
Front Row (l-r): Lisa Mullen, vice-captain (Virginia RFC), Amber Redmond (Virginia RFC), Bethany McDowell (Malone RFC), Ellie Ingram, captain (Enniskillen RFC), Katie Hetherington (Clogher Valley RFC), Vicki Graham (Clogher Valley RFC).
Missing from photograph: Kelly McCormill (Monaghan RFC), Ciara Byers (Virginia RFC).