Wales v Ireland – Six Nations, Round Four
Rodney Parade, Newport
Sunshine greeted the teams as Wales sought redemption. Could they possibly hold the soaring Irish in check?
Not at the start. Lisa Neumann lost possession on contact, and the Irish backs were happy to spread the ball to Amee-Leigh Costigan on the wide left. She won a penalty.
Ireland looked really composed, slick passes, good lines of running, and Dannah O’Brien’s kicks put Cymru on the back foot.
Then the magic of rugby. Lleucu George slid a cunning grubber through to the line, the very devil to regather. It slipped from Costigan’s grasp under pressure and Carys Cox fell on this Easter present. 7-0
It was good to see the backs looking creative and expansive. And the forwards too were thwarting the efforts of their opponents to release their dangerous wide backs.
DOB tried another deliberate diagonal to find Costigan; she caught it but couldn’t link with her support runner inside. Ireland soon put that to rights, with one of the most unusual runs you’ll see this season. Stacey Flood collected a deep kick, then set off in second gear, looking for space. On she went, a shift to third gear? Suddenly she accelerated and Wales were in trouble. For the first time in the game Ireland completed a raid, thanks once more to the indefatigable Linda Djougang. 7-7
Three kicks in succession showed DOB’s quality; the first two both descended about a metre from touch; then Lisa Neumann allowed the third to bounce three times on her 22 before she claimed it.
Another Irish attack ended abruptly as Bethan Lewis snaffled the ball. Cox beat three defenders in a square metre and Jenner awarded the hosts a penalty.
On the half-hour Ireland put a move together that avoided the errors they had been making. Costigan went on another dangerous run and Aoife Wafer made the final dive over the line.7-14
We had to wait 36 minutes for Ian Tempest, the TMO, to make his first intervention. DOB was guilty of a high tackle on Alex Callender. She didn’t bend. Decision: yellow plus crossed arms.
Wales reacted with a sharp move; Cox made good ground and off-loaded, but – as so often – the support arrived too late at the breakdown.
As the tea was brewing, Ireland were sniffing at the Welsh line. At a penalty they used a successful deception: Molly Scuffil-McCabe stood over the ball, then left it for the forwards to deal with. Lauren Jenner spotted Dorothy Wall grounding under a pile of bodies. That was a vital moment for Ireland, reduced to 14 as they were. Enya Breen kicked a fine conversion.
Half-time: Wales 7 ireland 21
All the stats were in Ireland’s favour, bar handling errors. But that was because they’d had so much more of the ball.
A sigh of relief: the card remained yellow. DOB had appeared to be tilting backwards on contact.
Still with 14, Ireland reinforced their position with more clinical play. An accurate catch and drive brought a fourth and bonus-winning try for Wall, her second. 7-26
A brief flurry by Wales, started by Jasmine Joyce, was soon snuffed out. It was curious how, every time a Welsh player had the ball on the front foot, the pitch seemed to halve in width. There was little ability to create space for the back three. Twice Cox had to double back infield.
From here Ireland looked the way they did in those golden moments against the Black Ferns (you have two choices!); everything at high pace, the pieces slotting together effortlessly.
Another attack was as close to the English method as is possible. If finished with Djougang dancing around a last tackle to score under the posts. Aoife Dalton once more showed her value at 13, creating space and doubt. 7-33
Wales’ best (wide) back, Cox, made another dangerous break, but once more the touchline zoomed in to catch her out. A nice move, but imperfectly carried out.
Amidst all the changes Wales suddenly came alive again. They moved the ball swiftly for Hannah Bluck to touch down amidst squeals of delight from the crowd. 14-33
The visitors responded promptly by the simplest method they know: Wafer picked at the base of the scrum and waltzed over. Quite easy to do – for a chosen few. 14-40
A flowing movement saw Wall galloping through midfield, then, as Dalton drew the last defender, Flood dropped the pass. But that couldn’t tarnish their overall performance. They are a force to be reckoned with.
Result: Wales 14 Ireland 40
Player of the Match: Aoife Wafer
Referee: Lauren Jenner (FIR)
Teams:
Wales
15. Jasmine Joyce-Butchers 14. Lisa Neumann 13. Hannah Jones (captain), 12. Courtney Keight 11. Carys Cox 10. *Lleucu George 9. Keira Bevan 1. Gwenllian Pyrs 2. Kelsey Jones 3. Jenni Scoble 4. Abbie Fleming 5. Georgia Evans 6. Kate Williams 7. Bethan Lewis 8. Alex Callender 16. Carys Phillips 17. Maisie Davies 18. Donna Rose 19. Natalia John 20. Alaw Pyrs 21. Sian Jones 22. Hannah Bluck 23. Catherine Richards
* Kayleigh Powell a last-minute withdrawal; Bluck at 22
Ireland
15. Stacey Flood 14. Anna McGann 13. Aoife Dalton 12. Enya Breen 11. Amee-Leigh Costigan 10. Dannah O’Brien 9. Molly Scuffil-McCabe 1. Siobhán McCarthy 2. Neve Jones 3. Linda Djougang 4. Ruth Campbell 5. Dorothy Wall 6. Brittany Hogan 7. Edel McMahon (captain) 8. Aoife Wafer
16. Cliodhna Moloney 17. Sadhbh McGrath 18. Christy Haney 19. Fiona Tuite 20. Claire Boles 21. Emily Lane 22. Eve Higgins 23. Vicky Elmes Kinlan
Simplified Table (with one round to play)
W L Pts
England 4 0 20
France 4 0 19
Ireland 2 2 10
Italy 1 3 5
Scotland 1 3 4
Wales 0 4 1
Afterthoughts
The match underlined the almost impossible job Sean Lynn has taken on. He and his staff can work on skills and fitness, but he is more or less stuck with the small band of players currently available. He has introduced the few who made a mark in the Celtic Challenge; beyond them, where are quality reinforcements to come?
Alex Callender’s return was a welcome boost, but placing her at No 8 meant shifting Georgia Evans back to lock. Neither position suits the two players ideally.
It was a relief too seeing Lleucu George’s name reappearing. In the event she had to step in for the injured Kayleigh Powell. She did some good things, but could hardly claim to have outplayed the impressive youngster, Dannah O’Brien.
Another feather in Scott Bemand’s cap is the youth of the side he is developing. The long-term knee injury to Erin King was a huge blow to her and the team, but her absence allowed the club captain, Edel McMahon, to regain a starting position.
Their second Celtic clash against Scotland next week will be fascinating. Hopes for a best-ever World Cup adventure will be put to the test.
The term “The best of the rest” is unpleasantly dismissive, but it does matter to the teams concerned. For now, it’s odds on the Girls in Green. The proof of their advance comes with their fifth place in world rankings. They achieved a second away win after a blank since 2021.
