Lisa Mullen’s late try wrapped up a well-judged 17-7 win for Blackrock College in their Dublin derby showdown with Old Belvedere.
The Energia Women’s All-Ireland League splits after next Saturday’s final round into a top-four round robin series - beginning in mid-January - and a Conference competition for the bottom six clubs.
Blackrock’s superior scrum paved the way for number 8 Tess Meade to crash over near the left corner, her try handing ‘Rock a 5-0 half-time lead.
Old Belvedere brought on Ireland star Sene Naoupu who, with a brilliantly-timed offload out of a tackle, sent captain Jenny Murphy powering over. Her try was confidently converted by Jemma Farrell.
However, just six minutes later, Blackrock flanker Meadbh Scally rampaged over from the edge of the ‘Belvo 22, and Meade followed up with the match winner, eight minutes from the end.
With the returning Lindsay Peat grabbing two tries, defending champions Railway Union kept up their unbeaten run with a whopping 72-0 victory over Galwegians at Park Avenue.
UL Bohemians’ 20-year-old winger Alana McInerney weighed in with a hat-trick - taking her season’s haul to five tries - in their 64-5 dismissal of Ballincollig.
Nearing the mid-season split, Suttonians have moved into fifth spot thanks to successive wins. Speedy winger Molly Fitzgerald bagged a brace - her second double in the space of a week - as they edged out Malone 13-12.
Cooke won for the first time in six rounds, prevailing 20-19 against Wicklow at Ashtown Lane. Number 8 Helen McGhee broke through for two of their four tries.
Round Eight Results:
Blackrock College 17 Old Belvedere 7, Stradbrook
Scorers: Blackrock College: Tries: Tess Meade, Meadbh Scally, Lisa Mullen; Con: Lisa Mullen Old Belvedere: Try: Jenny Murphy; Con: Jemma Farrell
HT: Blackrock College 5 Old Belvedere 0
Blackrock College: Maggie Boylan; Mairéad Ní Chathasaigh, Michelle Claffey (capt), Jackie Shiels, Kate Cullen; Lisa Mullen, Niamh Griffin; Laura Feely, Emma Hooban, Christy Haney, Mairead Holohan, Eimear Corri, Caoimhe Molloy, Meadbh Scally, Tess Meade.
Replacements: Niamh Tester, Casey O'Brien, Anna Potterton, Roisin McWey, Valerie Power, Adele Leogue.
Old Belvedere: Laura Carty; Clare Gorman, Elise O'Byrne-White, Jenny Murphy (capt), Vanessa Hullon; Aine Donnelly, Jemma Farrell; Alice O'Dowd, Rachel Murphy, Vic Dabanovich O'Mahony, Elaine Anthony, Clodagh Dunne, Jennie Finlay, Lesley Ring, Ciara O'Dwyer.
Replacements: Melissa Hayden, Jan Carroll, Niamh O'Dowd, Ivanna Dempsey, Hannah Heskin, Katie Layde, Sene Naoupu.
Malone 12 Suttonians 13, Gibson Park
Scorers: Malone: Tries: Peita McAlister, Lauren Maginnes; Con: Ella Durkan
Suttonians: Tries: Molly Fitzgerald 2; Pen: Nicole Carroll
HT: Malone 5 Suttonians 8
Malone: Holly Brannigan; Donna McGovern, Emma Jordan, Ella Durkan, Emma Taylor; Peita McAlister (capt), Anna Stanfield; Sarah Murphy, Neve Jones, Chrissie McKee, Hannah Beattie, Jennifer Collins, Rebecca Smyth, Jo McMorris-Cloughley, Lauren Maginnes.
Replacements: Ashleigh Currie, Jasmine Ward, Erin Jones, Shirelle Wilson.
Suttonians: Sophie Gibney; Molly Fitzgerald, Jessica Kelleher, Catherine Martin, Jools Aungier; Nicole Carroll, Lauren Farrell McCabe (capt); Katie Grant Duggan, Aoife Brennan, Katie Reel, Brenda Barr, Louise Catinot, Lena Kibler, Nicola Bolger, Carrie O'Keeffe.
Replacements: Mary Healy, Ciara Farrell, Catherine Galvin, Shannon Touhey, Shannen Price.
Railway Union 72 Galwegians 0, Park Avenue
Scorers: Railway Union: Tries: Niamh Byrne, Ailsa Hughes, Molly Scuffil-McCabe 2, Amanda McQuade 2, Lindsay Peat 2, Stephanie Carroll, Chloe Blackmore, Keelin Brady, Erin Coll; Cons: Nikki Caughey 6
Galwegians: -
HT: Railway Union 41 Galwegians 0
Railway Union: Molly Scuffil-McCabe; Stephanie Carroll, Niamh Byrne, Nikki Caughey, Emer O'Mahony; Hazel Simmons, Ailsa Hughes; Amanda McQuade, Chloe Blackmore, Katie O'Dwyer, Aoife McDermott, Siobhan McCarthy, Keelin Brady, Kate McCarthy, Lindsay Peat.
Replacements: Aimee Clarke, Megan Collis, Sonia McDermott, Molly Boyne, Erin Coll.
Galwegians: Mairead Coyne; Maria Gorham, Megan Walsh, Orla Dixon, Ursula Sammon; Emma Keane, Saskia Morrissey; Elizabeth McNicholas, Nolwenn Dubois, Jessica Loftus, Niamh O'Grady, Fiona Scally, Kate Feehan, Lisa-Marie Murphy, Dearbhla Canty.
Replacements: Ruby Lynch, Hannah Coen, Kiara Irwin, Lea Turner, Chloe McCrann, Casie O'Connell, Ines Delgado.
UL Bohemians 64 Ballincollig 5, UL Arena
Scorers: UL Bohemians: Tries: Alana McInerney 3, Sarah Quin 2, Aoife Corey, Rachel Allen, Chloe Pearse, Clodagh O'Halloran 2; Cons: Nicole Cronin 5, Rachel Allen 2
Ballincollig: Try: Heather Kennedy
HT: UL Bohemians 17 Ballincollig 0
UL Bohemians: Aoife Corey; Alana McInerney, Stephanie Nunan, Rachel Allen, Aoibhinn O'Loughlin; Nicole Cronin, Louise Costello; Chloe Pearse (capt), Kate Sheehan, Eilis Cahill, Claire Bennett, Sarah Garrett, Clodagh O'Halloran, Lily Brady, Sarah Quin.
Replacements: Fiona Reidy, Michelle Ring, Ciara O'Halloran, Abbie Salter-Townshend, Claire O'Brien.
Ballincollig: Orla Creedon; Michelle Stafford, Heather Kennedy, Mona Fehily, Ellen O'Keeffe; Kelly Griffin, Gemma Lane; Naoise Murray, Clodagh Walsh (co-capt), Roisin Ormond, Sarah O'Donovan, Gillian Coombes (co-capt), Eimear Perryman, Niamh O'Regan, Denise Redmond.
Replacements: Aoife Flynn, Olivia Hay Mulvihill, Roisin Long, Alix Cunneen, Aine Dunniece.
Wicklow 19 Cooke 20, Ashtown Lane
Scorers: Wicklow: Tries: Sue Brady, Lauren Barry, Aoibhin Stone; Cons: Beth Roberts 2
Cooke: Tries: Helen McGhee 2, Teah Maguire, Aishling O'Connell
HT: Wicklow 5 Cooke 15
Wicklow: Meagan Parkinson; Orla O'Neill, Sue Brady, Tammy Breen, Aoife Dunne; Beth Roberts, Erin McConnell (capt); Lauren Barry, Noelle Ward, Kathy Byrne, Shauna Soady, Laura Newsome, Emma Curran, Emily Ryan, Jessica Schmidt.
Replacements: Robyn Mullen, Niamh Ni Dhroma, Nicola Schmidt, Loretta Gilbert, Nicole Humby, Sarah Gleeson, Aoibhin Stone.
Cooke: Dolores Hughes; Georgia Boyce, Lucy Thompson, Coral Lapsley, Tamzin Boyce; Amanda Morton, Teah Maguire; Ilse van Staden, Beth Cregan, Aishling O'Connell (capt), Caolinn McCormack, Naomi McCord, Megan Simpson, Katie Hetherington, Helen McGhee.
Replacements: Eimear McQuillan, Caitlin Fisher, Sorcha Mac Laimhin.
