AMONG THE MANY thousands of fans who made their way to the Aviva Stadium for this historic occasion were a group wearing sparkling crowns.
The headgear was specifically a tribute to Ireland captain Erin King, but this was certainly a coronation day for Irish women’s rugby.
They’re not rugby royalty on the level they aspire to yet, but Ireland showed sheer ruthlessness on their home patch against Scotland, spurred on by a remarkable crowd who created a memorable atmosphere on a largely sunny Dublin afternoon.
Ireland gave those fans lots to cheer about, but the energy from the stands was more than a little spine-tingling.
An event of this scale in Dublin and a performance as dominant as this one were scarcely imaginable only a few years ago. Let us not dwell in memories of the doldrums Ireland found themselves in when they failed to qualify for the World Cup in 2022.
But from those lows, Ireland have made exciting progress. They have yet to break into the top two of the Six Nations, as they so firmly desire, but this eight-try hammering of Scotland on a wonderful occasion at the Aviva Stadium showed that they are clearly the best of the rest.
Aoife Wafer scores for Ireland. Ben Brady / INPHO
Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO
The attendance of 31,294more than trebled the previous record for a home Ireland Women’s game, but Scott Bemand’s side are hopeful that this first-ever standalone international at the Aviva is only the beginning of their big days here.
Those who were here today will surely be coming back for more, with Ireland starting at top speed as they fed off the energy and emotion. Just 23 minutes in, with their team already 26-0 ahead, the Irish fans were enjoying a Mexican wave.
And Scott Bemand’s team didn’t let up from there as they made it three wins from three home games to secure third place in the Six Nations. The disappointment of losing away to England and France will be bottled, but this was a beautiful way to end the campaign.
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They had the Scots under almost relentless pressure in the opening half, scoring seven unanswered tries as number eight Aoife Wafer – player of the match yet again – grabbed a brace.
The Irish set-piece was dominant, their ball-carrying was explosive, and the handling by backs and forwards alike was crisp and accurate. On top of all of that, they showed a clinical edge when they got within striking distance of the Scottish line.
The second half was less comprehensive, but back row Hogan also secured her second try as Bemand’s side scored one more to seal the deal.
With Dannah O’Brien in accurate form off the tee, kicking sevenfrom eightattempts, and with captain King leading the way by example, this was a very happy day for Irish women’s rugby.
Ireland started with tone-setting ferocity. A dominant scrum against the head helped lay the platform for their fifth-minute opener, a maul try scored by hooker Cliodhna Moloney-MacDonald.
A clever O’Brien kick soon pinned Scotland into their 22 and they couldn’t get out. A blockdown by Linda Djougang was regathered by King before the ball was swept wide left for wing Robyn O’Connor to scorch over gleefully.
Ireland were already rampant, and blindside flanker Hogan was next to dot down, hammering over from close range as the Scots wilted in the face of Ireland’s suffocating power and accuracy.
King had Ireland’s bonus-point score in the 19th minute, the culmination of a potent Béibhinn Parsons surge down the right just before another threatening maul.
Moloney-MacDonald had a try chalked off on TMO review but in the very next play, she reeled in a Scottish lineout overthrow and smashed her way to within a metre of the tryline, from where number eight Wafer finished.
Yet another close-range lineout was the launch pad for Ireland’s sixth try, with the ball spun wide by out-half O’Brien this time for fullback Stacey Flood to dance deftly past two tackle attempts to score.
Robyn O'Connor runs in Ireland's opener. Ben Brady / INPHO
Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO
Wafer bagged her second before the break, with left wing O’Connor scything through the Scots on kick return before finding the number eight, who dummied a pass and hitched clear to dive under the posts.
O’Brien added her sixth successful conversion and Ireland led 47-0 at half time.
With the thrilled home crowd having toasted the Ireland U18 and U21 squads at the interval, recognising those teams’ recent successes, the rain briefly came down at the start of the second half, yet there was no spoiling this party.
Ireland took some time to get the momentum flowing again but with the Irish bench beginning to make an impact as the sun returned, Hogan battered over for her second with a quarter of the game remaining.
The biggest-ever Irish win, a 73-3 dismantling of the Scots back in 2015, was in sight at this stage, although there wasn’t to be another new record in that regard, as Ireland spent the closing stages doggedly defending their own tryline, with sub lock Ruth Campbell shown a yellow card before Aicha Sutcliffe grabbed a consolation try for the Scots.
Nonetheless, Ireland and their legion of supporters went home happy after an historic day in Dublin.
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Eight-try Ireland dismantle Scotland on historic day in Dublin
Ireland 54
Scotland 5
AMONG THE MANY thousands of fans who made their way to the Aviva Stadium for this historic occasion were a group wearing sparkling crowns.
The headgear was specifically a tribute to Ireland captain Erin King, but this was certainly a coronation day for Irish women’s rugby.
They’re not rugby royalty on the level they aspire to yet, but Ireland showed sheer ruthlessness on their home patch against Scotland, spurred on by a remarkable crowd who created a memorable atmosphere on a largely sunny Dublin afternoon.
Ireland gave those fans lots to cheer about, but the energy from the stands was more than a little spine-tingling.
An event of this scale in Dublin and a performance as dominant as this one were scarcely imaginable only a few years ago. Let us not dwell in memories of the doldrums Ireland found themselves in when they failed to qualify for the World Cup in 2022.
But from those lows, Ireland have made exciting progress. They have yet to break into the top two of the Six Nations, as they so firmly desire, but this eight-try hammering of Scotland on a wonderful occasion at the Aviva Stadium showed that they are clearly the best of the rest.
The attendance of 31,294 more than trebled the previous record for a home Ireland Women’s game, but Scott Bemand’s side are hopeful that this first-ever standalone international at the Aviva is only the beginning of their big days here.
Those who were here today will surely be coming back for more, with Ireland starting at top speed as they fed off the energy and emotion. Just 23 minutes in, with their team already 26-0 ahead, the Irish fans were enjoying a Mexican wave.
And Scott Bemand’s team didn’t let up from there as they made it three wins from three home games to secure third place in the Six Nations. The disappointment of losing away to England and France will be bottled, but this was a beautiful way to end the campaign.
They had the Scots under almost relentless pressure in the opening half, scoring seven unanswered tries as number eight Aoife Wafer – player of the match yet again – grabbed a brace.
The Irish set-piece was dominant, their ball-carrying was explosive, and the handling by backs and forwards alike was crisp and accurate. On top of all of that, they showed a clinical edge when they got within striking distance of the Scottish line.
The second half was less comprehensive, but back row Hogan also secured her second try as Bemand’s side scored one more to seal the deal.
With Dannah O’Brien in accurate form off the tee, kicking seven from eight attempts, and with captain King leading the way by example, this was a very happy day for Irish women’s rugby.
Ireland started with tone-setting ferocity. A dominant scrum against the head helped lay the platform for their fifth-minute opener, a maul try scored by hooker Cliodhna Moloney-MacDonald.
A clever O’Brien kick soon pinned Scotland into their 22 and they couldn’t get out. A blockdown by Linda Djougang was regathered by King before the ball was swept wide left for wing Robyn O’Connor to scorch over gleefully.
Ireland were already rampant, and blindside flanker Hogan was next to dot down, hammering over from close range as the Scots wilted in the face of Ireland’s suffocating power and accuracy.
King had Ireland’s bonus-point score in the 19th minute, the culmination of a potent Béibhinn Parsons surge down the right just before another threatening maul.
Moloney-MacDonald had a try chalked off on TMO review but in the very next play, she reeled in a Scottish lineout overthrow and smashed her way to within a metre of the tryline, from where number eight Wafer finished.
Yet another close-range lineout was the launch pad for Ireland’s sixth try, with the ball spun wide by out-half O’Brien this time for fullback Stacey Flood to dance deftly past two tackle attempts to score.
Wafer bagged her second before the break, with left wing O’Connor scything through the Scots on kick return before finding the number eight, who dummied a pass and hitched clear to dive under the posts.
O’Brien added her sixth successful conversion and Ireland led 47-0 at half time.
With the thrilled home crowd having toasted the Ireland U18 and U21 squads at the interval, recognising those teams’ recent successes, the rain briefly came down at the start of the second half, yet there was no spoiling this party.
Ireland took some time to get the momentum flowing again but with the Irish bench beginning to make an impact as the sun returned, Hogan battered over for her second with a quarter of the game remaining.
The biggest-ever Irish win, a 73-3 dismantling of the Scots back in 2015, was in sight at this stage, although there wasn’t to be another new record in that regard, as Ireland spent the closing stages doggedly defending their own tryline, with sub lock Ruth Campbell shown a yellow card before Aicha Sutcliffe grabbed a consolation try for the Scots.
Nonetheless, Ireland and their legion of supporters went home happy after an historic day in Dublin.
Ireland scorers:
Tries: Cliodhna Moloney-MacDonald, Robyn O’Connor, Brittany Hogan [2], Erin King, Aoife Wafer [2], Stacey Flood
Conversions: Dannah O’Brien [7 from 8]
Scotland scorers:
Try: Aicha Sutcliffe
Conversion: Helen Nelson [0 from 1]
IRELAND: Stacey Flood; Béibhinn Parsons (Niamh Gallagher ’61), Aoife Dalton, Eve Higgins, Robyn O’Connor (Vicky Elmes Kinlan ’50); Dannah O’Brien, Emily Lane (Katie Whelan ’61); Ellena Perry (Sadhbh McGrath ’50), Cliodhna Moloney-MacDonald (Neve Jones ’50), Linda Djougang (Eilís Cahill ’50); Sam Monaghan (Dorothy Wall ’50), Fiona Tuite (Ruth Campbell ’50 (yellow card ’84)); Brittany Hogan, Erin King (captain), Aoife Wafer.
SCOTLAND: Chloe Rollie (Coreen Grant ’55); Rhona Lloyd, Rachel Philipps, Meryl Smith (Lucia Scott ’5), Shona Campbell (Molly Poolman ’74); Helen Nelson (captain), Leia Brebner-Holden (Rhea Clarke ’64); Leah Bartlett (Demi Swann ’55), Elis Martin (Aicha Sutcliffe ’55), Elliann Clarke; Emma Wassell, Louise McMillan (Hollie Cunningham ’67); Becky Boyd (Holland Bogan ’51), Eva Donaldson, Emily Coubrough.
Referee: Aurélie Groizeleau [FFR].
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