Hello and welcome along to The42′s coverage of Ireland’s second Pool C fixture. Scott Bemand’s side are in Franklin’s Gardens today where a place in the World Cup quarter-finals is the reward if they can get the better of Spain.
There’s an added layer to today’s game as Ireland seek to exorcise the demons of a shock World Cup qualifier defeat to Spain in 2021. Ireland come into the tie on the back of a win over Japan while their opponents were heavily beaten by New Zealand in their World Cup opener.
We’ll have team line-ups for you in the next few moments as we gear up for the 12pm kick-off, and as always, we would love to hear from you. Give us your thoughts on today’s game in the comments below.
Dannah O’Brien gets us underway in Franklin’s Gardens. She then releases a gorgeous kick to put Ireland right into the corner. She was looking to link up with Amee-Leigh Costigan, but it has worked out brilliantly.
31 Aug
12:04PM
3 mins: Ireland 0-0 Spain
Spain win the lineout and fail to find touch with the kick. Ireland come hunting again but Spain are awarded a penalty to push Ireland back.
31 Aug
12:06PM
5 mins: Ireland 0-0 Spain
Super kick from Spain full-back Amalia Argudo to find touch inside Ireland territory. Ireland secure the lineout and work the ball across the line but there’s another Spain turnover and they get the lineout call.
O’Brien was the creator and the finisher there as her testing ball bounced awkwardly to give Costigan enough time to get there and secure possession on Spain’s five-metre line.
Ireland worked the ball across the line for O’Brien to dive over. She adds the conversion to give Scott Bemand’s side the maximum from that attack.
Great start.
31 Aug
12:12PM
9 mins: Ireland 7-0 Spain
Ireland have taken an early lead as Dannah O'Brien scores the game's first try
Ireland’s Anna McGann knocks the ball on as Claudia Pena tries to find a gap in the Ireland defence.
Spain put in the for the scrum and start recycling the ball. Good tackle from Fiona Tuite holds Spain up but they still have the ball and try to pick a hole out wide.
Eve Higgins then gets in to force a penalty for not releasing. Good defensive work from Ireland.
31 Aug
12:18PM
15 mins: Ireland 7-0 Spain
Sam Monaghan goes down after taking a big hit to the ground on her back. The medical team rush on to assess her but she looks to be ok to continue.
31 Aug
12:20PM
17 mins: Ireland 7-0 Spain
Ireland put in for a scrum which ends in a penalty for Ireland as Spain are penalised for collapsing the scrum. O’Brien finds the corner and Cliodhna Moloney will set up the maul.
Try number two for Ireland. The maul was slow to begin with but they got the ball out and moved it quickly out wide where Costigan was waiting to drive through and get into the corner.
O’Brien misses the conversion from a tricky position.
Spain strike back through the winger Claudia Perez. They got into Ireland’s half with a 50:22 and were under Ireland’s posts trying to poke the gap. It didn’t materialise but they stretched the play out wide and found Perez to race in for the final touch.
Meanwhile, Sam Monaghan is off and has been replaced by Brittany Hogan.
31 Aug
12:31PM
26 mins: Ireland 12-5 Spain
Spain are back in Ireland’s five-metre line with a lineout from the corner. Ireland under a lot of pressure now.
Dannah O’Brien’s shot kisses the wrong side of the post. They needed that to settle the nerves after conceding two tries, and just get some points back on the board.
31 Aug
12:39PM
33 mins: Ireland 12-12 Spain
Ireland respond brilliantly to get to within a few feet of the Spain try line. Can they get over?
A funny few moments there as Ireland looked a bit rattled when they didn’t seem to know their lineout calls. But they regain their composure to throw the ball in again and some powerful phase play through Brittany Hogan and Eimear Corri-Fallon which allows Higgins to lunge for the line.
O’Brien shakes off that missed penalty with a tap-over conversion.
31 Aug
12:44PM
37 mins: Ireland 19-12 Spain
Ireland come knocking on the door again. The maul is on and they’re inches from a fourth try.
Spain tried to get one more punch in before the break but Ireland win the penalty call as Dannah O’Brien boots the ball out.
31 Aug
12:52PM
Ireland 24-12 Spain
Much better from Ireland in the second half of that first half. They built up a 12-point lead through tries from Dannah O’Brien and Amee-Leigh Costigan.
But Spain quickly levelled matters as Claudia Perez and hooker Marieta Roman ran in tries for Spain. Ireland appeared to be rattled but regained control through tries from Eve Higgins and Anna McGann to seal the bonus point.
31 Aug
12:56PM
A look back at some the first-half tries…
Amee-Leigh Costigan
It's try number two for Ireland as Amee Leigh Costigan goes over
The loss of the influential Sam Monaghan has also been significant. That’s when they started to lose their way in the first half. But they seem to have to regained their composure again.
Spain make the breakthrough from the restart as Claudia Pena gets in for Spain’s third try. There was a possible doubt that she didn’t get the grounding but the TMO seems happy that it’s a legitimate score.
Ireland’s response is instant as Grace Moore uses her strength to push off a challenge and run through for Ireland’s fifth try.
O’Brien overthinks the conversion from in front of the posts and her kick hits the post.
31 Aug
1:16PM
52 mins: Ireland 29-17 Spain
Ireland making a few mistakes now. Claire Boles can’t gather a poor pass in midfield and then Zahia Perez makes a quick break to exploit some space in Ireland’s line.
But Clíodhna Moloney-MacDonald intercepts to take the sting out of it. Play comes back for an off the ball tackle as Spain continue to cause problems for Ireland.
31 Aug
1:17PM
53 mins: Ireland 29-17 Spain
Ireland change: Emily Lane replaces Molly Scuffil-McCabe
31 Aug
1:19PM
54 mins: Ireland 29-17 Spain
Ireland's lead is down to seven as Spain get the first try of the second half (24-17)
Moore in for her second try and Ireland are really motoring now with six tries in total so far. It was another demonstration of her brilliant power to reach over and complete another good execution of phase play by Ireland.
31 Aug
1:24PM
58 mins: Ireland 36-17 Spain
A second try of the second half for Grace Moore to extend Ireland's lead (36-17)
The TMO rules in Spain’s favour and they have their losing bonus point. Ireland are doing plenty of good things on the field but they are leaking a lot of scores too. Amalia Argudo has not been enjoying much success from the tee which is fortunate for Ireland too.
Ireland changes: Neve Jones, Siobhán McGrath, Sadhbh McCarthy, Nancy McGillivray and Enya Breen are all on as Ireland replace their front row and Breen comes in for O’Brien.
31 Aug
1:36PM
66 mins: Ireland 36-22 Spain
Ireland have a penalty advantage as they go on the hunt once more. It ends with Higgins being pushed out over the line.
Referee brings the play back and Ireland will set up to go again. Ireland opt for the lineout option instead of going back for the penalty.
Ireland are rewarded for some really patient play as she gets around two defenders to put the ball down for her second and Ireland’s seventh try today.
Breen gets the conversion but then fumbles the ball from Spain’s restart. They now have a scrum in Ireland’s ’22.
Ireland change: Ruth Campbell comes in for Fiona Tuite.
31 Aug
1:43PM
71 mins: Ireland 43-22 Spain
Anna McGann joins Grace Moore in the two-try club to put Ireland out of sight (43-22)
Spain get that fifth try with the last act of the game and miss the conversion.
And so, it’s on to the World Cup quarter-finals for Ireland with one more pool game to go against the reigning champions New Zealand. That will be a tough game but for today, it’s all about earning qualification to the knockout stages.
Lots of good work from Ireland. Seven tries in total and a bonus point secured. Tries apiece from Anna McGann and Grace Moore while Dannah O’Brien, Eve Higgins and Amee-Leigh Costigan also scratched their names into the scoresheet.
However, Ireland also conceded five tries and there were lots of unforced errors that they won’t be happy with. New Zealand will punish that play severely.
Well, that’s all from us, folks. Stick around for Ciarán Murphy’s match report which is coming to you live from Northampton.
We hope you enjoyed today’s coverage and we look forward to having you with us again soon. Bye for now.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Close
18 Comments
This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic.
Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy
here
before taking part.
As it happened: Ireland secure World Cup quarter-final spot after win over Spain
LAST UPDATE | 31 Aug
Hello and welcome along to The42′s coverage of Ireland’s second Pool C fixture. Scott Bemand’s side are in Franklin’s Gardens today where a place in the World Cup quarter-finals is the reward if they can get the better of Spain.
There’s an added layer to today’s game as Ireland seek to exorcise the demons of a shock World Cup qualifier defeat to Spain in 2021. Ireland come into the tie on the back of a win over Japan while their opponents were heavily beaten by New Zealand in their World Cup opener.
We’ll have team line-ups for you in the next few moments as we gear up for the 12pm kick-off, and as always, we would love to hear from you. Give us your thoughts on today’s game in the comments below.
Ireland
Replacements:
Spain
Replacements:
Some pre-match reading:
The Ireland fans are ready to rock
The teams are out on the field. Just a few minutes away from the 12pm kick-off.
The sun is shining in Northampton and it’s time for the national anthems.
Kick Off! Ireland v Spain
1 min: Ireland 0-0 Spain
Dannah O’Brien gets us underway in Franklin’s Gardens. She then releases a gorgeous kick to put Ireland right into the corner. She was looking to link up with Amee-Leigh Costigan, but it has worked out brilliantly.
3 mins: Ireland 0-0 Spain
Spain win the lineout and fail to find touch with the kick. Ireland come hunting again but Spain are awarded a penalty to push Ireland back.
5 mins: Ireland 0-0 Spain
Super kick from Spain full-back Amalia Argudo to find touch inside Ireland territory. Ireland secure the lineout and work the ball across the line but there’s another Spain turnover and they get the lineout call.
TRY! Ireland 7-0 Spain (Dannah O’Brien ’7)
9 mins: Ireland 7-0 Spain
Super stuff from Ireland.
O’Brien was the creator and the finisher there as her testing ball bounced awkwardly to give Costigan enough time to get there and secure possession on Spain’s five-metre line.
Ireland worked the ball across the line for O’Brien to dive over. She adds the conversion to give Scott Bemand’s side the maximum from that attack.
Great start.
9 mins: Ireland 7-0 Spain
15 mins: Ireland 7-0 Spain
Ireland’s Anna McGann knocks the ball on as Claudia Pena tries to find a gap in the Ireland defence.
Spain put in the for the scrum and start recycling the ball. Good tackle from Fiona Tuite holds Spain up but they still have the ball and try to pick a hole out wide.
Eve Higgins then gets in to force a penalty for not releasing. Good defensive work from Ireland.
15 mins: Ireland 7-0 Spain
Sam Monaghan goes down after taking a big hit to the ground on her back. The medical team rush on to assess her but she looks to be ok to continue.
17 mins: Ireland 7-0 Spain
Ireland put in for a scrum which ends in a penalty for Ireland as Spain are penalised for collapsing the scrum. O’Brien finds the corner and Cliodhna Moloney will set up the maul.
TRY! Ireland 12-0 Spain (Amee-Leigh Costigan ’18)
20 mins: Ireland 12-0 Spain
Try number two for Ireland. The maul was slow to begin with but they got the ball out and moved it quickly out wide where Costigan was waiting to drive through and get into the corner.
O’Brien misses the conversion from a tricky position.
TRY! Ireland 12-5 Spain (Claudia Perez ’22)
24 mins: Ireland 12-5 Spain
Spain strike back through the winger Claudia Perez. They got into Ireland’s half with a 50:22 and were under Ireland’s posts trying to poke the gap. It didn’t materialise but they stretched the play out wide and found Perez to race in for the final touch.
Meanwhile, Sam Monaghan is off and has been replaced by Brittany Hogan.
26 mins: Ireland 12-5 Spain
Spain are back in Ireland’s five-metre line with a lineout from the corner. Ireland under a lot of pressure now.
TRY! Ireland 12-12 Spain (Marieta Roman ’28)
29 mins: Ireland 12-12 Spain
Another big blow for Ireland as Spain score from the set-piece with hooker Marieta Roman touching the ball down after a brilliant surge.
Amalia Argudo nails the conversion after missing the previous kick, and it’s a super effort from a tight angle.
31 mins: Ireland 12-12 Spain
IRELAND MISSED PENALTY!
Dannah O’Brien’s shot kisses the wrong side of the post. They needed that to settle the nerves after conceding two tries, and just get some points back on the board.
33 mins: Ireland 12-12 Spain
Ireland respond brilliantly to get to within a few feet of the Spain try line. Can they get over?
TRY! Ireland 19-12 Spain (Eve Higgins ’34)
35 mins: Ireland 19-12 Spain
A funny few moments there as Ireland looked a bit rattled when they didn’t seem to know their lineout calls. But they regain their composure to throw the ball in again and some powerful phase play through Brittany Hogan and Eimear Corri-Fallon which allows Higgins to lunge for the line.
O’Brien shakes off that missed penalty with a tap-over conversion.
37 mins: Ireland 19-12 Spain
Ireland come knocking on the door again. The maul is on and they’re inches from a fourth try.
TRY! Ireland 24-12 Spain (Anna McGann ’38)
Half-Time! Ireland 24-12 Spain
Ireland 24-12 Spain
Spain tried to get one more punch in before the break but Ireland win the penalty call as Dannah O’Brien boots the ball out.
Ireland 24-12 Spain
Much better from Ireland in the second half of that first half. They built up a 12-point lead through tries from Dannah O’Brien and Amee-Leigh Costigan.
But Spain quickly levelled matters as Claudia Perez and hooker Marieta Roman ran in tries for Spain. Ireland appeared to be rattled but regained control through tries from Eve Higgins and Anna McGann to seal the bonus point.
A look back at some the first-half tries…
Amee-Leigh Costigan
Claudia Perez
Marieta Roman
Eve Higgins
Anna McGann
The loss of the influential Sam Monaghan has also been significant. That’s when they started to lose their way in the first half. But they seem to have to regained their composure again.
Can they maintain that in the second half?
Second Half! Ireland 24-12 Spain
40 mins: Ireland 24-12 Spain
The rain is coming down in Northampton as Ireland struggle to get a handle of the greasy ball from the Spanish kick-off.
And now Spain are in Ireland’s five-metre line. A big defensive effort needed here.
41 mins: Ireland 24-12 Spain
Spain win a penalty and take the tap and go. They’re right under the posts.
TRY! Ireland 24-17 Spain (Claudia Pena ’42)
TRY! Ireland 29-17 Spain (Grace Moore ’44)
50 mins: Ireland 29-17 Spain
Spain make the breakthrough from the restart as Claudia Pena gets in for Spain’s third try. There was a possible doubt that she didn’t get the grounding but the TMO seems happy that it’s a legitimate score.
Ireland’s response is instant as Grace Moore uses her strength to push off a challenge and run through for Ireland’s fifth try.
O’Brien overthinks the conversion from in front of the posts and her kick hits the post.
52 mins: Ireland 29-17 Spain
Ireland making a few mistakes now. Claire Boles can’t gather a poor pass in midfield and then Zahia Perez makes a quick break to exploit some space in Ireland’s line.
But Clíodhna Moloney-MacDonald intercepts to take the sting out of it. Play comes back for an off the ball tackle as Spain continue to cause problems for Ireland.
53 mins: Ireland 29-17 Spain
Ireland change: Emily Lane replaces Molly Scuffil-McCabe
54 mins: Ireland 29-17 Spain
54 mins: Ireland 29-17 Spain
Some clever play from O’Brien to link up Higgins through an up and under which is dropped by Perez. Play eventually comes back from an offside.
TRY! Ireland 36-17 Spain (Grace Moore ’55)
58 mins: Ireland 36-17 Spain
Moore in for her second try and Ireland are really motoring now with six tries in total so far. It was another demonstration of her brilliant power to reach over and complete another good execution of phase play by Ireland.
58 mins: Ireland 36-17 Spain
60 mins: Ireland 36-17 Spain
Spain threaten again. They spray the ball out wide but Stacey Flood reacts brilliantly to get out off the line and get the tackle in.
Spain had the advantage though and play comes back for an offside. Ireland will have to defend again.
60 mins: Ireland 36-17 Spain
Referee says Spain are held up as the Ireland team roar in approval. But now she is going to the TMO to check if there was a grounding.
TRY! Ireland 36-22 Spain (Lourdes Alameda 60′)
63 mins: Ireland 36-22 Spain
The TMO rules in Spain’s favour and they have their losing bonus point. Ireland are doing plenty of good things on the field but they are leaking a lot of scores too. Amalia Argudo has not been enjoying much success from the tee which is fortunate for Ireland too.
Ireland changes: Neve Jones, Siobhán McGrath, Sadhbh McCarthy, Nancy McGillivray and Enya Breen are all on as Ireland replace their front row and Breen comes in for O’Brien.
66 mins: Ireland 36-22 Spain
Ireland have a penalty advantage as they go on the hunt once more. It ends with Higgins being pushed out over the line.
Referee brings the play back and Ireland will set up to go again. Ireland opt for the lineout option instead of going back for the penalty.
TRY! Ireland 43-22 Spain (Anna McGann ’69)
71 mins: Ireland 43-22 Spain
Ireland are rewarded for some really patient play as she gets around two defenders to put the ball down for her second and Ireland’s seventh try today.
Breen gets the conversion but then fumbles the ball from Spain’s restart. They now have a scrum in Ireland’s ’22.
Ireland change: Ruth Campbell comes in for Fiona Tuite.
71 mins: Ireland 43-22 Spain
73 mins: Ireland 43-22 Spain
Ireland are under pressure again as Spain get to within inches. The referee roars out that it’s short but they still have the ball.
74 mins: Ireland 43-22 Spain
IRELAND SCRUM!
Spain knock the ball on and Ireland end the attack. That’s brilliant work under pressure.
Ireland’s Ellena Perry wins the Player of the Match award.
76 mins: Ireland 43-22 Spain
Ireland clear the danger but Spain are back again. Ireland need to keep their composure here.
77 mins: Ireland 43-22 Spain
Spain are up to 14 phases but Ireland still holding firm.
TRY! Ireland 43-27 Spain (Lea Ducher ’78)
NO TRY! Ireland 43-22 Spain
79 mins: Ireland 43-22 Spain
The TMO ruins the celebrations for Spain and footage shows a clear knock-on, meaning Lea Ducher’s try is chalked off.
TRY! Ireland 43-27 Spain (Cristina Blanco ’80)
Full-Time! Ireland 43-27 Spain
Ireland 43-27 Spain
Spain get that fifth try with the last act of the game and miss the conversion.
And so, it’s on to the World Cup quarter-finals for Ireland with one more pool game to go against the reigning champions New Zealand. That will be a tough game but for today, it’s all about earning qualification to the knockout stages.
Lots of good work from Ireland. Seven tries in total and a bonus point secured. Tries apiece from Anna McGann and Grace Moore while Dannah O’Brien, Eve Higgins and Amee-Leigh Costigan also scratched their names into the scoresheet.
However, Ireland also conceded five tries and there were lots of unforced errors that they won’t be happy with. New Zealand will punish that play severely.
Well, that’s all from us, folks. Stick around for Ciarán Murphy’s match report which is coming to you live from Northampton.
We hope you enjoyed today’s coverage and we look forward to having you with us again soon. Bye for now.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Ireland IRFU live scores Minute-by-Minute Spain Rugby Women's Rugby World Cup