Women’s Six Nations: Wales 14 Ireland 40
While not quite returning from the brink on Easter Sunday, Ireland did have to come from behind but were ultimately far too good for Wales in a dominant, six-try victory. The result leaves them in a good position heading into next weekend’s championship finale against Scotland, Ireland comfortable in the knowledge that a bonus point of any kind will see them finish third in this year’s Six Nations.
Aoife Wafer was named player of the match, no doubt thanks to another impressive carrying, plenty of Welsh defenders coming out on the wrong side of collisions. Stacey Flood did her beast to challenge her team-mate, her counter-attacking display dragging Ireland into a winning position in a first half where Wales were punished time and again for kicking loosely.
After a stuttering start, Ireland embraced a chaotic first half, utilising their back-three threats to regularly cut Wales open. Three Irish scores in the opening 40 came after Wales took the lead, Amee-Lee Costigan making a mess of cleaning up a kick in behind. Carys Cox gratefully accepted the free seven-pointer.
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The opportunistic opener came against the run of play, Stacey Flood and Anna McGann regularly causing problems down the right flank. The latter was often too cautious, opting to cut back inside and towards the scrambling red jerseys, instead of taking them on close to the touchline.
In the opening quarter, after those half-breaks from the back three, more often than not Ireland stalled. A handful of loose passes from scrumhalf Molly Scuffil-McCabe combined with some good Welsh breakdown work ended a series of attacks.
Trailing on the scoreboard and lacking a killer edge, Ireland could easily have gone into their shells. Tighten up, rely on a solid lineout. Go to the power game. To their credit, they stuck to their attacking guns. Dannah O’Brien’s cross-kick to Costigan should have led to a score. Aoife Dalton spilled an unsympathetic offload and Wales cleared, but only as far as Flood.
Ireland’s fullback on the counter-attack was a sight to behold. One defender beaten. Two. Offload. Aoife Wafer pinned the ears back, Ireland this time showing bravery to take on the wide defenders. Wales held her up just short. Now their ball retention improved. Calm heads inside the 22 prevailed. Linda Djougang walked through a weak rearguard to get Ireland on the board.
Ten minutes later, Aoife Wafer followed suit. Again, Flood was influential, punishing Wales for kicking to her. Another line break, another offload inside the 22. Costigan was supporting this time, her final pass just behind Enya Breen. Ireland recovered, again, allowing the forwards hammer away at the line. Wafer eventually did the honours.
The upwards trajectory continued, but not without a blip. O’Brien clumsily hit Alex Callender high, a yellow card her punishment. Off the next set-piece, Wales cut through Ireland’s understaffed midfield, Aoife Dalton scrambling well to win a much-needed breakdown penalty.
From there, Ireland managed the card well. Breen kicked a penalty into the 22. The forwards again showed their superiority in contact. Dorothy Wall ended the half with another score from close range, Breen converting brilliantly from the touchline.
Half-time brought little respite for Wales. Ireland sent an early penalty to the corner, the lineout again coming up trumps. Wall added a second on the back of a strong maul, ensuring O’Brien’s sinbin stint ended 0-12 in favour of the visitors.
Back to their full complement, Ireland initially found themselves forced into a rare defensive shift. Jasmine Joyce’s beautiful wide ball send Cox into the 22. Wales had Ireland scrambling, only for a crunching double hit from Wafer and Wall to force a relieving spill.
Ireland’s fifth almost came from another lineout, the screw well and truly turning as they realised their set-piece dominance. Another maul was held up but from the resulting restart, play progressed back into the 22. The Welsh defence rushed up on one Irish runner. Scuffil-McCabe red it well, flinging it wide of the red jerseys into the hands of an onrushing Djougang. For the second time today, she was untouched diving over the line.
Wales did hit back. Replacement Hannah Bluck crashed over with her first touch of the ball after Ireland botched a lineout. Scott Bemand responded to the score with six replacements at once, Ireland all but emptying their bench. Another maul try, this one from Wafer, followed less than five minutes later.
Wafer was ultimately named player of the match, recognition of Ireland’s forward power killing the game off in the second half. The award could easily have gone to Flood, such was her fleet-footed brilliance in a first half which saw her gain over 100 metres on the counter.
Ireland did not add to their 40-point haul in the final 10 minutes, the gearbox firmly in neutral by this stage. Job done. On to Scotland next weekend.
SCORING SEQUENCE – 7 mins: Cox try, Bevan con 7-0; 20: Djougang try, O’Brien con 7-7; 30: Wafer try, O’Brien con 7-14; 40: Wall try, Breen con 7-21. Half-time: 7-21. 44: Wall try 7-26; 54: Djougang try, O’Brien con 7-33; 59: Bluck try, Bevan con 14-33; 63: Wafer try, Breen con 14-40.
Wales: Jasmine Joyce; Lisa Neumann, Hannah Jones (captain), Courtney Keight, Carys Cox; Kayleigh Powell, Keira Bevan; Gwenllian Pyrs, Kelsey Jones, Jenni Scoble; Abbie Fleming, Georgia Evans; Kate Williams, Bethan Lewis, Alex Callender.
Replacements: Donna rose for Scoble (49 mins), Carys Phillips for K Jones, Natalia John for Callender (both 58) Hannah Bluck for Keight (59), Catherine Richards for Joyce (65), Maisie Davies for G Pyrs (68), Sian Jones for Bevan (69), Alaw Pyrs for Williams (71).
Ireland: Stacey Flood; Anna McGann, Aoife Dalton, Enya Breen, Amee-Lee Costigan; Dannah O’Brien, Molly Scuffil-McCabe; Siobhán McCarthy, Neve Jones, Linda Djougang; Ruth Campbell, Dorothy Wall; Brittany Hogan, Edel McMahon (capt), Aoife Wafer.
Replacements: Claire Boles for McMahon (55 mins), Cliodhna Moloney for Jones, Sadhbh McGrath for McCarthy, Christy Haney for Djougang, Emily Lane for Scuffil-McCabe, Eve Higgins for O’Brien, Vicky Elmes Kinlan for McGann (all 60), Fiona Tuite for Hogan (64).
Yellow card: O’Brien
Referee: Lauren Jenner (Italy)
