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Munster claimed their second consecutive Vodafone Women's Interprovincial Championship crown with a hard-fought 14-5 win over Leinster in Galway, as hooker Beth Buttimer scored two tries to finish as the tournament's top scorer with eight.
Munster secured consecutive Vodafone Women's Interprovincial Championship titles with a 14-5 victory over Leinster at Dexcom Stadium on Saturday. Beth Buttimer starred for the winners, crossing the try line twice to seal back-to-back crowns and deliver Munster their 17th Championship title overall.
The irrepressible hooker, named player of the match, touched down from a 70th-minute maul to put the result beyond doubt in a fiercely contested decider played in front of a large crowd in Galway. Under the guidance of head coach Matt Brown, Munster completed a four-match clean sweep of the round-robin series for the second successive season, reinforcing their status as the dominant force in Irish women's club rugby.
August has been a month to remember for Buttimer, who turned 21 in recent days and warmed up for the upcoming WXV Global Series, and a likely first senior cap for Ireland, as the Interpros' top scorer with eight tries across the campaign. Her second score capped a relentless defensive display from Munster, who simply proved more clinical than their arch rivals when opportunities arose inside the opposition 22.
Early setbacks failed to derail the champions, as they overcame the sin-binning of influential centre Enya Breen midway through the first half to take control of the contest. Buttimer broke the deadlock after 21 minutes, powering over to give Munster a lead they would never relinquish despite heavy Leinster pressure before the interval.
Leinster, under Sana Govender, rallied impressively after a slow start and sent Kathy Baker over in the corner just before the break to cut the deficit to 7-5 at half-time. The eastern province had earlier failed to capitalise on multiple visits to the Munster 22, and that wastefulness proved costly as conditions deteriorated in the second half.
An engrossing, defence-dominated period followed, with both sides exchanging blows in a hugely physical encounter that featured 19 members of the Ireland training squad for the forthcoming international series. Leinster had chances to seize the lead in the wet Galway weather, but Munster boxed clever and ultimately prevailed to spark wild celebrations among the travelling support.
The only concern for the winners was an injury-enforced departure for Ruth Campbell, whose fitness will be closely monitored by Ireland head coach Scott Bemand ahead of the WXV fixtures
Munster Leinster Vodafone Women's Interprovincial Championship Beth Buttimer Ireland Women's Rugby
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