Munster power past Connacht to make final

Munster 46-7 Connacht

Title holders Munster are safely through to next month's Vodafone Women's Interprovincial Championship final after running eight tries past Connacht in a 46-7 win at Musgrave Park.

Niamh Briggs' side faced into the wind in the first half but reeled off four tries to lead 24-7, with the young Connacht team briefly level through Clara Barrett's opportunist 20th-minute effort.

Maeve Óg O'Leary scored the hosts' opening try and had a hand in captain Dorothy Wall's score, and her subsequent sin-binning was sandwiched by five-pointers from influential pair Deirbhile Nic a Bháird and Kate Flannery.

Connacht had to cope with a yellow for hooker Lily Brady and their challenge petered out as the table toppers piled on the points.

Player of the match Nic a Bháird notched a second try and Alana McInerney, Aoife Doyle and Fiona Reidy also crossed the whitewash.

The result means Munster (on 10 points) are guaranteed to finish in the top two and are through to the final with one round still to go. They travel to arch rivals Leinster in next Saturday's third round, with the Blues (6) and Connacht (4) both in contention for a spot in the decider.

Both defences gave little away early on in Cork, with Shannon Touhey twice doing well to retain scrum possession for Connacht despite the pressure coming from the Munster pack.

The visitors emerged scoreless from three lineout opportunities inside the opposition 22. Nic a Bháird forced a relieving penalty at the breakdown and Clodagh O'Halloran also pinched one of Brady's throws.

Karly Tierney did likewise as Nic a Bháird also struggled at times to connect with her jumpers, but once Munster began to get over the gain-line, they opened the scoring in the 13th minute.

First, the