Connacht defeat Ulster, but miss out on final place

Connacht 29-24 Ulster

Vodafone player-of-the-match Ava Ryder ran in two third-quarter tries to ensure Connacht finished off the Women's Interprovincial Championship round robin stage with a 29-24 bonus-point win over Ulster.

Ulster newcomer Bronach Cassidy responded to a Grainne O'Loughlin try to make it a nervy finish for Lyndon Jones' side, but their second victory of the campaign at the Sportsground was not enough to progress to next Saturday's final.

Connacht, who finished third in the table on nine points, miss out as Leinster's 26-19 defeat of Munster saw them join the Reds on 10 points at the top of the table. They will play Ulster again next week in Cork in the third-fourth place play-off.

An entertaining and fiercely-contested first half ended 17-14 in Ulster's favour, with Ella Durkan and inspirational captain Beth Cregan both touching down while Connacht full-back Méabh Deely was in the sin bin.

Forwards Lily Brady and Orla Fenton, whose scores were converted by Connacht skipper Nicole Fowley, had earlier cancelled out Ashling O'Connell's opening try for the underdogs.

However, Connacht reeled off three unanswered tries up to the hour mark with wingers Ryder and Laoise McGonagle in blistering form. Front rowers O'Loughlin and Cassidy closed out the scoring with a resilient Ulster deservedly picking up two bonus points.

Connacht: Méabh Deely; Ava Ryder, Orla Dixon, Shannon Touhey, Clara Barrett; Nicole Fowley (capt), Olivia Haverty; Shannon Heapes, Lily Brady, Dearbhla Canty, Sonia McDermott, Eva McCormack, Orla Fenton, Beibhinn Gleeson, Karly Tierney.

Replacements used: Laoise McGonagle for Dixon (5), Grainne O'Loughlin for Heapes (32), Niamh O'Grady for Canty (35), Kayla Waldron for Gleeson (46), Faith Oviawe for