City of Derry Ladies 26
Malahide Ladies 0

Playing against the elements in the first half Derry started well and had Malahide on the back foot. Following a scrum on the Derry 22 the ball was moved to Harriet Gibson on the wing who took play to the Malahide 10 metre line.
From the following scrum a hook against the head by Grainne Crabtree gave Derry possession. Good driving play from the forwards, who were keeping the ball tight in the wet conditions, led to a ruck 35 metres from the Malahide line. No 8 Di Nixon picked up, broke through the defence, handed off two would-be tacklers before side-stepped the full back and sprinting in to touch down beside the posts to give Derry a 5-nil lead. Out half Rachael Lennox added the points to leave the score at 7-0.
After 15 minutes Noreen Nethercott made a superb break from the base of a scrum, beating three players but was tackled, landed badly and had to leave the pitch with a shoulder injury and took no further part in the game.
Down to 14 players, Derry's defence for the remainder of the half was superb but, just on half time, things got worse for the Derry girls when winger Karen Canavan suffered a shoulder injury.
Derry started the second half back with a full compliment of players when Deirdre Crabtree & Judith Orr added their experience to the team.
The driving play of the Derry forwards led by Lizzie Ballentine, Grainne Crabtree, Elena Martin Pinero and Di Nixon kept Malahide on the defensive and eventually lead to a scrum 15 m from the malahide line.
The rock solid Derry scrum was a perfect platform for No 8 Di Nixon who picked up at the base of the scrum and powered over for her second try, which was converted by out-half Lennox to give Derry a 14-0 lead 12 minutes into the second half.
The Derry forwards were in control at this stage and following further pressure on the Malahide line replacement scrum half Louise Clarke picked and dived over for an unconverted try to put Derry 19-0 in front.
Good kicking by out half Lennox kept Malahide pinned inside their 22 and indeed Derry should have put the game beyond doubt but a couple of clear chances were squandered.
With 10 minutes remaining Derry were further hampered when Mexican full back Suzie Tinney had to leave the field with a hamstring injury.
Keen to obtain the bonus point, the Derry forwards pressed again to provide good possession to the backs who moved the ball well in the wet conditions to winger Harriet Gibson. Harriet showed her undoubted speed to sprint in from 30 metre, beating three players to score Derry's fourth try of the match. Out half Lennox converted to leave the final score 26-0 to Derry.
In the inclement conditions it was a day for nine woman rugby and the Derry forwards excelled at retaining possession and making good driving runs.
Coaches James Doherty and Sean O'Kane were particularly pleased that the Derry line had not been breached, demonstrating the level of commitment the Derry team possessed.
It would be unfair to single anyone out on a day when every player involved lifted her game and gave 100 per cent. The pack, led by captain Diane Nixon, were superb setting the platform for a superb victory.