Spain 24

Ireland XV 61

IRELAND XV earned a convincing 61-24 victory over Spain at the Estadio Municipal de Butarque, Leganés, today.

There were eight different try scorers for the visitors, and out-half Harry Byrne registered eight out of nine conversions.

Robert Baloucoune scored two tries, while Darragh Murray, Michael Milne, Jude Postlethwaite, and Paul Boyle also touched down to help Ireland establish a 42-10 lead at the break, despite Ruadhan Quinn being sent to the sin bin in the opening half.

In the second period, further tries from Ben Murphy, Shayne Bolton and replacement Scott Wilson consolidated an easy win for an Irish side that featured 10 Test-capped internationals.

A brace of tries each from Ekain Imaz and Vicente Boronat helped reduce the deficit, with Gonzalo López Bontempo successful with two of his four conversions.

But Spain never looked capable of mounting a comeback despite a second half that saw Ireland once again compete with 14 men when Alex Soroka was sent to the sin bin.

SPAIN: John Wessel Bell (Harlequins Rugby Club, Pretoria); Martiniano Cian (VRAC Quesos Entrepinares), Iñaki Mateu (Recoletas Burgos – Caja Rural), Gonzalo López Bontempo (RC Massy), Alberto Carmona (US Colomiers); Gonzalo Vinuesa (Complutense Cisneros), Estanisao Bay (Cajasol Real Ciencias Sevilla – Caja Rural); Thierry Futeu (Liceo Francés), Santiago Ovejero (Recoletas Burgos – Caja Rural), Jon Zabala (Section Paloise) (capt), Matthew Foulds (UE Santboiana), Ignacio Piñeiro (FC Grenoble), Manex Ariceta (Aviron Bayonnais), Vicente Boronat (Recoletas Burgos – Caja Rural), Ekain Imaz (Biarritz Olympique).

Replacements: Álvaro García (Stade Français), Raúl Calzón (VRAC Quesos Entrepinares), Joaquín Domínguez (Os Belenenses), Imanol Urraza (Recoletas Burgos – Caja Rural), Matheo Triki (INEXO El Salvador), Nicolás Infer (Complutense Cisneros), Álex Saleta (VRAC Quesos Entrepinares), Lucien Richardis (Stade Toulousain).

IRELAND XV: Michael Lowry (Banbridge RFC/Ulster); Robert Baloucoune (Ballynahinch RFC/Ulster), Jude Postlethwaite (City of Armagh RFC/Ulster), Dan Kelly (Munster), Shayne Bolton (Connacht); Harry Byrne (UCD RFC/Leinster), Ben Murphy (Clontarf FC/Connacht); Michael Milne (UCD RFC/Munster), Tom Stewart (Ballynahinch RFC/Ulster) (capt), Tom O’Toole (Ballynahinch RFC/Ulster), Evan O’Connell (Young Munster RFC/Munster), Darragh Murray (Buccaneers RFC/Connacht), Alex Soroka (Clontarf FC/Leinster), Ruadhán Quinn (Young Munster RFC/Munster), Paul Boyle (Buccaneers RFC/Connacht).

Replacements: Lee Barron (Dublin University FC/Munster), Alex Usanov (Clontarf FC/Leinster), Scott Wilson (Queen’s University Belfast RFC/Ulster), Diarmuid Mangan (UCD RFC/Leinster), David McCann (Banbridge RFC/Ulster), Nathan Doak (Banbridge RFC/Ulster), Cathal Forde (Galway Corinthians RFC/Connacht), Zac Ward (Ballynahinch RFC/Ulster).

Referee: Tomás Bertazza (UAR)