Your choice: ‘20 training camps since our last international against Italy on 24 October 2020’ or ‘we played last week’. I hope you went for the first option
Ireland blew Wales off the map. If Warren Abrahams sought brave words to explain last week’s effort in France, his hair may be turning grey after this home encounter.
Both sides had suffered badly from the varying tribulations of Covid-19, but Ireland were bursting with confidence in the run-up. It was not misplaced.
It took them two minutes to set the scoreboard ticking over, Eimear Considine completing a fine break by Hannah Tyrrell, who rewarded Adam Grigg’s decision to keep her at No 10 with an outstanding all-round display. Her kicking out of hand and off the tee helped to keep her side on the front foot.
They were ahead of the clock after the first fifteen minutes through two tries for Beibhinn Parsons who is going to worry a good few defences over the next decade or two.
The worries for Wales were far-reaching. The line-out was a shambles, the ball rarely thrown in straight, and the straight ones picked off by hungry Irish hands. The scrum was under constant pressure, and Elinor Snowsill has mislaid her ability to create by hand and foot. The third Irish try came from a charge-down of her clearance kick by Ciara Griffin.
Considine completed her second try as she waltzed through pale tackles. Inside the half-hour Sene Naoupu added the fifth Irish try after Kathryn Dane had threatened round the edge. That was 31 points in 28 minutes.
Abrahams brought on a new front row for the second half. At least now the hosts stemmed the tide. Although Ireland retained most of the ball, determined defence and better organisation kept them at bay till the 71st minute, when Dorothy Wall earned her reward for a heartening display on the flank,
Wales’ plight was starkly indicated by the number of times Siwan Lillicrap was at the centre of the action, in defence and counter-attack, She paid the penalty with a painful injury, but insisted on remaining on the field till five minutes from time. Not even a captain should have to put in such a wholehearted performance when there are fourteen others to share the load.
Tyrrell earned her reward with a final try after a devastating break.
Result: Wales 0 Ireland 45
Player of the Match: Hannah Tyrrell
Afterthoughts
This was a thoroughly worrying result, not merely for the Welsh but for the tournament as a whole. It completed four matches with margins of 42, 53, 64 and 45 points. Next week may prove the exception as Scotland entertain Wales and France fly to Dublin, but we can’t be sure.
Delightful as it was to see Ireland playing so convincingly, it leaves us all wondering when the WRU is going to look in the mirror and decide to support its women’s sector properly. It is a huge irony that Wales have booked their tickets to the World Cup by finishing 7th at the 2017 version. Since then they have achieved very little to justify this strange qualification process.
All of Wales’ starting Fifteen play in England; fourteen of them in clubs sitting sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth in a table of ten. They missed Jasmine Joyce, away with the GB 7s squad; another most unfortunate victim of the Covid-ridden season: England could still offer Helena Rowland and Megan Jones in their line-up.
The idea that one or even two Welsh sides might apply to join the English Premier 15s is gaga. It could only happen at the expense of English clubs already installed there, as the logistics of the season leave no room for increasing the number of participating clubs. Instead, it is up to the WRU to institute a properly funded and organised Welsh league so that the entire team can be locally based. A starting point would be four to six clubs based in the heartlands of the country,
Ireland had a strong pack, able to command the scrum, line-out and ruck, along with backs who have pace and penetration. After this showing they will feel far more confident of taking on the formidable French outfit next week at Donnybrook.
Teams:
Wales:
15 Robyn Wilkins (Worcester Warriors)
14 Lisa Neumann (Sale Sharks)
13 Hannah Jones (Gloucester-Hartpury)
12 Kerin Lake (Gloucester-Hartpury)
11 Courtney Keight (Bristol Bears)
10 Elinor Snowsill (Bristol Bears)
9 Jess Roberts (Sale Sharks)
1 Cara Hope (Gloucester-Hartpury)
2 Kelsey Jones (Gloucester-Hartpury)
3 Cerys Hale (Gloucester-Hartpury)
4 Natalia John (Bristol Bears)
5 Gwen Crabb (Gloucester-Hartpury)
6 Georgia Evans (Saracens)
7 Manon Johnes (Bristol Bears)
8 Siwan Lillicrap (captain, Bristol Bears)
Bench:
16 Molly Kelly (Sale Sharks)
17 Caryl Thomas (Worcester Warriors)
18 Donna Rose (Saracens)
19 Teleri Wyn Davies (Sale Sharks)
20 Bethan Dainton (Harlequins)
21 Megan Davies (Exeter Chiefs)
22 Niamh Terry (Exeter Chiefs)
23 Caitlin Lewis (Cardiff Met)
Ireland:
15. Eimear Considine (UL Bohemian/Munster, 15 caps)
14. Lauren Delany (Sale Sharks/IQ Rugby, 12)
13. Eve Higgins (Railway Union/Leinster)*
12. Sene Naoupu (Old Belvedere/Leinster, 38)
11. Beibhinn Parsons (Ballinasloe/Blackrock College/Connacht, 8)
10. Hannah Tyrrell (Old Belvedere/Leinster, 17)
9. Kathryn Dane (Old Belvedere/Ulster, 10)
1. Lindsay Peat (Railway Union/Leinster, 31)
2. Cliodhna Moloney (Wasps/IQ Rugby, 23)
3. Linda Djougang (Old Belvedere/Leinster, 9)
4. Aoife McDermott (Railway Union/Leinster, 13)
5. Nichola Fryday (Blackrock College/Connacht, 15)
6. Dorothy Wall (Blackrock College/Munster, 4)
7. Claire Molloy (Wasps/IQ Rugby, 70)
8. Ciara Griffin (captain, UL Bohemian/Munster, 33)
Bench:
16. Neve Jones (Malone/Ulster, 1)
17. Katie O’Dwyer (Railway Union/Leinster, 1)
18. Laura Feely (Blackrock College/Connacht 16)
19. Brittany Hogan (DCU/Old Belvedere/Ulster, 1)
20. Hannah O’Connor (Blackrock College/Leinster, 2)
21. Emily Lane (Blackrock College/Munster)*
22. Stacey Flood (Railway Union/Leinster)*
23. Enya Breen (UL Bohemian/Munster, 4).
* Uncapped player
Officials:
Referee: Hollie Davidson (SRU)
ARs: Sara Cox and Maria Pacifico (FIR)
TMO: Marius Mitrea (FIR)
Tables:
Pool A P W L B Pts
England 2 2 0 2 10
Italy 1 0 1 0 0
Scotland 1 0 1 0 0
Pool B
France 1 1 0 1 5
Ireland 1 1 0 1 5
Wales 2 0 2 0 0
