James Grennan live from the Dexcom
It was a thoroughly disappointing afternoon for Connacht at the Dexcom Stadium as they fell to a heavy 10-29 defeat against an inspired Ulster side. Entering the 3rd/4th place play-off of the Vodafone Women’s Interprovincial Championship, we were hoping to finish our campaign on a high, but it was the visitors who completely turned the tables on us. It was a historic, landmark afternoon for the northern province, marking Ulster’s very first win against us since 2005. There is no shielding from the truth—they fully deserved the win today.
Photo credit to Raymond Commins Photography
Connacht were caught us off guard right from the opening whistle, asserting massive physical dominance in the pack and cutting through their defensive lines. What truly killed Connacht, though, was Ulster’s masterful kicking game. They managed the territory much better than we did all afternoon, pinning Connacht deep into their own half and starving them of attacking opportunities. The tactical highlight of their spatial dominance came when they executed a flawless 50/22 kick, turning a deep clearance into an immediate attacking platform that put Connachts defensive line under immense pressure.
While Connacht showed glimpses of a fighting spirit with second-half tries from Aoife Heaney and Méabh Deely, handling errors and persistent unforced mistakes continually halted Connachts momentum. Every time Connacht looked to build an attack, Ulster’s relentless defense choked out the play. The loss consigns Connacht to a fourth-place finish in this year’s championship. It is a bitter pill to swallow on their home turf, but Connacht have to take this tough lesson on the chin and focus on rebuilding for the next campaign.