Munster 32-21 Leinster
Munster scored five tries in a thrilling match as they defeated Vodafone Women's Interprovincial Championship holders Leinster in Cork.
The game was fast and open, and a clinical home side took their chances and came up with a series of big defensive plays to earn their bonus-point victory.
Tania Rosser's defending champions led at the break after tries from Ailsa Hughes and Aoife Dalton, with Beth Buttimer and Claire Bennett responding for Munster.
Chisom Ugwueru, Alana McInerney and a penalty try closed out the result, with Leah Tarpey's score proving just a consolation.
Munster now lead the standings after two wins from two, while Leinster left without even a bonus point.
"A very physical game," player of the match Enya Breen told TG4. "Conditions probably played a bit of factor, strong wind out there.
"Leinster are a very physical team so we just wanted to put the ball behind them and force them to play out of their half.
"Delighted with the result, tough game but happy out."
Ireland U20 out-half Kate Flannery impressed in the early stages and her kick led to the opening try in the 13th minute.
Ugwueru hassled the covering Hughes into touch and from there, Buttimer found Dorothy Wall at the lineout, the Munster pack set quickly and the hooker was on hand to get the touchdown.
But it didn't take the visitors long to respond and when Buttimer overthrew at the lineout on her own 22, Hughes was quickest to react, sprinting to the line and holding off three defenders to score.
Nikki Caughey converted to hand Leinster the lead.
It got better moments later when Flannery's short goal-line drop didn't go five metres and Leinster had a scrum close to the posts.
From there Caoimhe Molloy and Hughes combined to feed Dalton, who brushed off Stephanie Nunan's challenge to score, again the try converted by Caughey.
It was real end-to-end stuff and powerful runs from Ireland centre Breen and Jane Clohessy had Leinster on the back foot with Bennett in support to barge over.
Flannery added the two points off the tee and Munster went in just two points in arrears.
That deficit turned into a three-point lead just eight minutes into the second half.
After Dalton was penalised at a breakdown, Flannery kicked Munster into position and the forwards sucked in the Leinster defence before the ball found its way to Ugwueru, who finished neatly in the corner.
Fiona Hayes' side kept their foot on the pedal and when Emma Tilly was caught by Ugwueru running out of defence, they worked another lineout maul close to the line.
This time, just before Buttimer could get the touchdown, the referee awarded a penalty try as Leinster pulled it down.
Replacement Tarpey saved another certain Munster try minutes later after Clohessy had burst through and tried to find Nunan in support a yard from the line.
Leinster were hanging on but did earn some respite when full-back Aoife Corey was sin-binned for a high tackle on Robyn O'Connor; Caitriona Finn was perhaps lucky to avoid the same fate moments later when she went high on the same Leinster back.
That indiscipline allowed Leinster to work the ball deep into Munster territory and after a well-worked lineout maul, Tarpey bashed her way over for a try converted by Jemma Farrell.
But Leinster failed to deal with the restart and Brianna Heylmann got a hand to the lineout throw before the visitors conceded a penalty under the posts that was converted by Flannery.
Down the other end, the defending champions looked certain to score after Linda Djougang broke the line and had Eimear Corri in support but the lock was held up over the line by Finn.
The momentum swung again when a crunching Wall tackle on Jane Neill preceded Lucia Linn's interception.
Munster stayed patient on the breakout and after a few phases inside the Leinster 22, Flannery floated the ball out to McInerney, who skipped inside two defenders for the clinching score.
Munster scorers - Tries: Beth Buttimer, Claire Bennett, Chisom Ugwueru, penalty try, Alana McInerney
Pens: Kate Flannery
Cons: Kate Flannery
Leinster scorers - Tries: Ailsa Hughes, Aoife Dalton, Leah Tarpey
Cons: Nikki Caughey (2), Jemma Farrell
Munster: Aoife Corey; Chisom Ugwueru, Stephanie Nunan, Enya Breen, Alana McInerney; Kate Flannery, Muirne Wall; Siobhan McCarthy, Beth Buttimer, Éilis Cahill; Dorothy Wall, Claire Bennett; Brianna Heylmann, Jane Clohessy, Chloe Pearse (capt).
Replacements: Emma Dunican, Ciara O'Dwyer, Ciara McLoughlin, Aoibhe O' Flynn, Annakate Cournane, Caitriona Finn, Lucia Linn, Maggie Boylan.
Leinster: Emma Tilly; Aimee Clarke, Aoife Dalton, Cara Martin, Ella Roberts; Nikki Caughey, Ailsa Hughes; Linda Djougang, Sarah Delaney, Christy Haney; Ruth Campbell, Eimear Corri; Hannah O'Connor (capt), Molly Boyne, Caoimhe Molloy.
Replacements: Aoife Moore, Clodagh Dunne, Kelly Burke, Jane Neill, Jemma Farrell, Jade Gaffney, Leah Tarpey, Robyn O'Connor.
Disclaimer: The copyright of this article belongs to the original author. Reposting this article is solely for the purpose of information dissemination and does not constitute any investment advice. If there is any infringement, please contact us immediately. We will make corrections or deletions as necessary. Thank you.