Only one game this weekend what with the weather etc. but that still involved nine hours on the road in a 550 mile round trip as I traversed the island from Larne to Galway to cover the Ulster Women’s Interpro clash against Connacht.
I was glad that I’d had the FRU mobile re-shod on Friday afternoon as I set of on Saturday morning in wintry conditions. Apart from the continual salt spray and freezing windscreen wash the journey south was fairly uneventful until the outskirts of Dublin. Things got worse on the M50 and it was single lane traffic on the N4/N6 until I got to the new M6 which was remarkably clear and bathed in winter sunshine.
Pulling over to clean the scum of the windows and mirrors I proceeded on to Galway without further incident doing the journey in just over 4 hours thanks to the new roads.
Christ it was cold – the Sportsground was never the warmest at the best of times but I think this was the coldest I’ve been for covering a match. Fortunately things heated up quite nicely on the pitch as the lead changed hands several times and the match ended a bit of a nail biter.
Ulster were definitely unlucky not to get the result and a bit more experience and composure under pressure would have seen them over the line.
One player not lacking either was our Weekend Warrior for this week, none other than Grace Davitt who, not only, scored all of Ulster’s points against Connacht, and has performed at a consistently high standard throughout this series, but has also worked hard with the younger players to pass on her experience of the game at the highest levels.
With 37 Ireland Caps to her name Grace, who joined from Leinster this season, has been an invaluable asset to this young developing Ulster team and I just hope they reward her commitment by pulling out a win this weekend when they face Connacht again in the 3rd place play off at Donnybrook.
Grace makes it the third ladies player in a row to be nominated for Weekend Warrior.
Corrections, comments or questions?