Ireland 36 Australia 10
The Ireland women’s team warmed up in ideal circumstances for their foray into the world’s elite at WXV 1 later this month with an emphatic win over the Wallaroos in a fitting way to start the IRFU’s 150th anniversary.
Given Australia are ranked fifth in the world, this must rank as Ireland’s best performance in years. As the amalgam of a new coaching ticket at the beginning of their second season and the return of five Olympians had an increasing influence and confidence grew palpably, Ireland pulled clear convincingly.
Several key contributors remained of course, none more effective than the hard-carrying, double try scorer flanker Aoife Wafer, as she was when Ireland beat Scotland last April at the same Belfast venue.
There was also a try for the returning mother Eimear Considine, which was fair reward for the well honed outside in defence where the 7s wingers Aimee-Lee Murphy Crowe and Vicky Elmes Kinlan excelled.
Before the game, Scott Bemand had spoken of the massive opportunity to bring real firepower off the bench and the introduction of six replacements before the hour mark _ including another trio of Olympians in Emily Lane, Eve Higgins and Stacy Flood had Bomb Squad-like impact.
Sevens is temporary, but class is permanent.
This game’s novelty was highlighted by it being only a fifth Test match between the countries, the first ever outside a World Cup and the first since Australia won here in 2017. Both camps had spoken of the value in playing opposition from the other hemisphere, and the Wallaroos were ideal preparation for Ireland ahead of their forthcoming venture into WXV 1 and games against New Zealand, Canada and the USA.
The Wallaroos had highlighted the contrast in styles between themselves and Ireland, specifically in how much more northern hemisphere sides kick the ball out of hand. But Ireland also played with plenty of ambition and width, and but for handling errors might well have won before.
Bemand will highlight room for further growth but most also have been delighted with his players’ fitness levels so early in their season against opponents beyond the middle of theirs.
The contest was of an altogether different standard from the Six Nations finale against Scotland last April as two like-minded sides set about exploring the full width of the pristine 4G pitch despite the blustery conditions.
The rain having given way to sunshine at the outset, there was a flurry of three tries in a nine-minute spell early on. With the wind behind them, Ireland were more inclined to put boot to ball from their own half, and one punt by Dannah O’Brien was rewarded when Murphy Crowe’s sharpness over the ball when the Wallaroos full-back Lori Cramer countered earned Ireland an attacking penalty.
A second prolonged assault on the Wallaroos line followed from a second lineout after McMahon bravely and critically retrieving the overthrow on the deck. It seemed like this attack had also been repelled until Considine picked up a loose ball and ran hard, and a few phases later Aoife Dalton broke a couple of tackles to finish strongly. O’Brien converted.
Back came the visitors, to score with what seemed ominous ease after they went to the corner from a kickable scrum penalty. Following a few controlled phases, the ball was worked wide to the right where Murphy Crowe could not prevent Cecilia Smith shifting the ball on to Maya Stewart in space and she stepped inside Considine to score.
But Lori Cramer missed the conversion and within four minutes Ireland responded tellingly. From another sustained attack deep inside the opposition 22 off another lineout drive, McMahon again drove over the gain line, O’Brien switched back to the left and with three options chose the most effective, a short flat pass for Wafer to break through the tackle and score.
The contest ebbed and flowed in much the same way without troubling the scoreboard, as Ireland’s policy of shooting up from the outside in largely prevented Australia from reaching the edges. Murphy Crowe augmented those good reads by sharply turning to gather a wasteful grubber by Georgina Friedrichs when it looked like the Wallabies were threatening to score again.
Instead, in the final and telling play of the first-half, a loose pass off the base of a ruck by the Wallaroos scrumhalf Natalie Wright went between two team-mates. Pushing up on the outside, Considine hacked upfield from 40 metres out before calmly gathering to score untouched in the corner.
The team’s elder stateswoman had been mocked for her status as the oldest in the squad at all of 32 and she was mobbed by replacements and team-mates alike.
The Wallaroos were first back on the pitch and quicker out of the blocks but by now Ireland’s confidence, not least in defence, had grown. Then, after weathering Australia’s running game quite comfortably – Elmes Kinlan emulating Murphy Crowe by winning a penalty in the jackal – Ireland were given a huge shot in the arm by the clearly preordained introduction of six players.
This included a trio of Olympians in their backline as Emily Lane came on at scrumhalf, Eve Higgins was brought on in midfield, with Enya Breen shifting effectively to outhalf and Stacy Flood returned at full-back rather than centre.
The scrum was also solidified by the introduction of Christy Haney and Linda Djougang moving to loose-head, and after Wafer again charged off the base of a rare Irish put-in, the debutant Erin King made a huge carry through several tackles along the right touchline.
This set up another siege on the Wallaroos’ line and Breen took Lane’s pass to run hard at the line before transferring for Higgins to crash over, Breen also converting.
Djougang’s powerful close-range finish was chalked off after a review showed a slight knock-on at the base of a scrum at the outset of the attack, but it didn’t delay the next Irish try unduly – and it was the pick of the day’s eight as well.
Flood made a superb take on the touchline while keeping the ball in play and shaped to counter infield before switching back to the touchline where she beat one tackle and held off another to offload one-handed to Murphy Crowe. The busy winger broke free before executing a perfect switch with the supporting Wafer for the flanker to score from 20 metres out.
Breen converted and a second try by Stewart which was almost a replica of her first and further reward for the slick passing of the Wallaroos backs.
Ireland had another try harshly ruled out after a catch and counter by Murphy Crowe, Dalton adroitly keeping the ball in play before Flood and Lane combined for Higgins to finish, but the pass from the hard-working debutant Ruth Campbell was harshly adjudged forward on review.
Even so, the pack combined for Clíodhna Molony to score from a powerful catch-and-drive. That sealed the deal.
IRELAND: Eimear Considine; Vicky Elmes Kinlan, Aoife Dalton, Enya Breen, Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe; Dannah O’Brien, Molly Scuffil-McCabe; Niamh O’Dowd, Neve Jones, Linda Djougang; Dorothy Wall, Ruth Campbell; Aoife Wafer, Edel McMahon (capt), Brittany Hogan
Replacements: Christy Haney for O’Dowd (48 mins), Clíodhna Moloney for Jones, Fiona Tuite for Wall, Erin King for McMahon, Emily Lane for Scuffil-McCabe, Eve Higgins for O’Brien, Stacey Flood for Elmes Kinlan (all 52 mins), Siobhán McCarthy for Haney (68 mins).
AUSTRALIA: Lori Cramer; Maya Stewart, Georgina Friedrichs, Cecilia Smith, Desiree Miller; Faitala Moleka, Natalie Wright; Bridie O’Gorman, Ashley Marsters, Eva Karpani, Kaitlan Leaney, Michaela Leonard, Siokapesi Palu (capt.), Leilani Nathan, Tabua Tuinakauvadra.
Replacements: Alapeta Ngauamo for O’Gorman, Layne Morgan for Wright, Arabella McKenzie for Smith (all 52 mins), Tiarna Molloy for Marsters, Lucy Dinnen for Nathan (both 57 mins), Lydia Kavoa for Karpani, Tiarah Minns for Leonard (both 70 mins), Biola Dawa for Stewart (73 mins).
Referee: Clara Munarini (Italy).
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