Connacht U18s get the better of North American touring side Celtic Barbarians

01 July 2022

Connacht U18s get the better of North American touring side Celtic Barbarians
Creggs Sarah Purcell put in an excellent performance as Connacht u18s scored an 11-try to one victory over North American touring side Celtic Barbarians. 

Outhalf Purcell controlled the game well in blustery but dry Sligo conditions. Tuam-Oughterard combo Beibhinn Gleeson and Laura Hastings each scored twice, and US-bound Giselle Gallagher (Sligo) added three conversions.

Sligo local Eva White opened the ledger from the wing six minutes in, the tourists beaten for numbers wide out left. Stand-in captain Karly Tierney (Tuam-Oughterard) bumped the board over again at 14min for a 10-nil lead before Gleeson's first three minutes later. Hastings and Purcell both scored for the hosts, before the Barbarians capitalised on a Connacht clearance error and missed tackle in the danger zone to close a 31point deficit right on half-time, the score then 31-5 at the break.

Where the Connacht Under18s did all of their first-half damage into a stiff breeze, a tail-wind at Connacht's back in the second did not bode well for the visitors and Tierney's crew piled on six more, with prop Roisín Maher (Creggs) and another U16 flyer Emily Foley (fullback) joining Gleeson, Purcell and Hastings with tries of their own.

Flanker Ailish Quinn made life difficult for the Barbarians on both sides of the ball, carrying strongly throughout, and hooker Nadine Fitzmaurice was busy on attack and defence, distributing well in close quarters to keep the ball alive. Locks Rhona O'Dea and Hastings showed great mobility as fourth and fifth loose forwards putting their hands up for selection come interpro crunchtime in August.

Connacht assistant coach Luke O'Donnell commended the tourists on their athleticism and determination post-match, and stressed that while the Connacht U18 squad was without four of its Irish hopefuls, there was greater cohesion and familiarity among the girls in green than the Barbarians who drew from various spots over Canada and the US.

"We have very high hopes for this Connacht squad," he said, "so it's a big ask for a touring side to land in without any matches under their belt and take on the province's most promising youngsters. That said, there was no shortage of obvious individual talent among the Baa-baas, but we're very happy to have chalked up a win and seen a few of ours put in good shifts too whom we hadn't seen much of to date".

 

Connacht U18 Training Squad 61 (Eva White, Karly Tierney, Beibhinn Gleeson (2), Laura Hastings (2), Sarah Purcell (3), Roisín Maher, Emily Foley tries; Giselle Gallagher conv (3); beat Celtic Barbarians Tour 2022, 5 (one try). HT: 31-5.