Republic of Ireland 1
Wales 2
Wales win 3-2 on aggregate
HEARTBREAK.
UTTER HEARTBREAK.
The Irish players dropped to the ground in agony after falling on the wrong side of history.
It was Wales who qualified for a first European Championships — and maiden major tournament.
Eileen Gleeson’s side were beaten 2-1 on the night, 3-2 on aggregate; their party spoiled in front of 25,832 fans at the Aviva Stadium.
The dream came undone in a dramatic second half.
A Hannah Cain penalty on the restart — after a VAR decision on Anna Patten — and a breakaway goal from Carrie Jones sent Rhian Wilkinson’s Dragons into dreamland.
Patten responded for Ireland, who pushed for an equaliser late on, but another feisty encounter ended in despair.
No back-to-back major tournaments for the Girls In Green, despite their utmost effort.
Now for the post-mortem.
Friday’s 1-1 draw in Cardiff left this tie on a knife-edge. There was no shortage of needle and aggression on the pitch, and that continued off it in recent days: from Wilkinson’s comments about Ireland’s playing style and “looking forward to making history in their home” to Katie McCabe highlighting “cheap shots” and Gleeson straight batting.
More fireworks and flashpoints would follow on an action-packed night in Dublin 4.
Gleeson made one change to her team, with Jessie Stapleton replacing Lily Agg in midfield and joining Ruesha Littlejohn in a double pivot. This allowed Ireland’s wing backs, McCabe and Heather Payne, to push higher and also further involved Denise O’Sullivan. They applied good early pressure, but invited Wales on them by cheaply giving away possession.
Cain, returning to the XI from an ACL injury, was a live threat alongside Jess Fishlock, while their other change, Josephine Green, followed her predecessor, Ceri Holland, by going to battle with McCabe on the left. The Irish captain went typically full blooded and was booked early on — she was lucky not to be sent off by half time for a late challenge on Rachel Rowe.
Ireland were the better team in the first half: they dominated possession (63% to 37%), touches in the opposition box (12 to one) and shots (eight to four — though Wales had more on target).
O’Sullivan came closest as she hit the woodwork in the 24th minute. The Cork star was cruelly denied from distance after good work from Kyra Carusa out wide, and Payne couldn’t follow-up from the rebound — not for the only time.
McCabe arrowed wide; the relentless Russell had a curling effort denied by Olivia Clark; and Niamh Fahey let fly from distance just before the break. Ireland just couldn’t make their chances count.
Courtney Brosnan stepped up at the other end with a couple of big saves in quick succession; first a Lily Woodham free-kick and then a reactionary stop to deny Rhiannon Roberts on the turn.
The break may have come at the wrong time for Ireland, as they looked to break the deadlock, and it all came crashing down thereafter.
49 mins: Ireland 0-1 Wales
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) December 3, 2024
Big moment early in the second half as VAR spots a handball by Anna Patten and Hannah Cain coolly slots home the penalty to give the visitors the lead
Updates: https://t.co/jX2E7jh6oW
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There was confusion initially as referee Marta Huerta De Aza ran to the VAR monitor after no one reacted to Woodham’s free-kick into the box. The big screen didn’t work initially, but the decision was eventually made to award a penalty for a Patten handball. It was deemed her arm was in an unnatural position as she jumped.
Cain stepped up and coolly slotted right, sending Brosnan the wrong way. Sucker punch.
Ireland tried to respond, but the concession rocked them.
Wales repeatedly threatened on the counter. A Rachel Rowe ball across the box just evaded Cain, with Brosnan fully committed. They broke again after protests for a potential Fishlock handball in the Irish box; Woodham to Cain to Angharad James. Another save. They were turning the screw.
The crucial break came in the 67th minute, Carrie Jones the goalscoring hero after just entering the fray. She was played through by Woodham, got away from the hapless Caitlin Hayes, and fired home to send the 400 travelling supporters into ruptures.
The atmosphere punctured. The killer blow. Gleeson made her first substitutions of the night five minutes later, a triple change of Leanne Kiernan, Megan Connolly and Megan Campbell, while Wales did their utmost to run down the clock. An unpopular pitch invader did so too.
Ireland huffed and puffed, and Patten pulled one back in the 86th minute. It came from a McCabe corner, her first headed effort cleared off the line by the excellent Roberts, but she nailed her second effort.
Kitchen sink time, if it wasn’t already.
Campbell slung long throws, ultimately to no avail, but one Hayes garryowen was cleared off the line. Ireland pleaded for it to be checked but VAR denied.
Bodies dropped everywhere in the Welsh box through a chaotic end game.
A big chance fell to Kiernan, but she couldn’t profit under pressure. There was another last-ditch block on O’Sullivan. Wales would hold on.
As the final whistle sounded, Irish bodies hit the ground in tears and the Welsh players soared for the stars.
Agony and ecstasy.
History and heartbreak. Utter heartbreak.
Republic of Ireland: Courtney Brosnan; Anna Patten, Niamh Fahey (Megan Campbell 72), Caitlin Hayes; Heather Payne (Izzy Atkinson 84), Ruesha Littlejohn (Megan Connolly 72), Denise O’Sullivan, Jessie Stapleton, Katie McCabe; Julie Ann Russell (Leanne Kiernan 72), Kyra Carusa (Abbie Larkin 84).
Wales: Olivia Clark; Gemma Evans, Hayley Ladd, Rhiannon Roberts; Lily Woodham (Ceri Holland 72), Angharad James, Alice Griffiths (Ella Powell 82), Josephine Green; Jess Fishlock (Carrie Jones 63), Hannah Cain (Ffion Morgan 63), Rachel Rowe.
Referee: Marta Huerta De Aza (Spain).
La Rochelle really showed their true colours this year as a team and organisation as a whole. The only way they try to win games is by physically going out of their way to hurt the opposition. Late tackles, holding down players sinisterly at ruck time, starting fights, mainly all started by Skelton mind you. He’s a proper thug. it’s obviously what O’Gara feeds into their heads because he’s no better himself from the sidelines and has no other game plan or plan B. It just shows you that anyone can become a good head coach if they have the capacity to purchase top international stars from a cross the globe. I’m sure if O’Gara took hold of a team with far popularity with less resources and money then we’d quickly find out what sort of coach he is.
@Harry O’ Callaghan: aside from the props and their stupid actions tonight , I think LR are a superb rugby side..their aggressiveness and physicality around the ruck and breakdown is a thing of beauty ..as is their defense … They are very strong in all areas …absolutely adore their style of rugby…
@Harry O’ Callaghan: in fairness to rog he won 2 hcups with a side spending about 50% less on wages than leinster
@munsterman: Yeah I don’t buy that whatsoever. Leinster produce their own players. They don’t. He won those titles when the majority of his 1st team were international mercenaries.
@Harry O’ Callaghan: Sounds like your waiting to get that of your chest for a while. You really like ROG by the sound of it. No sour grapes at all. Everything so perfect in your little rugby world..!??? No blemishes at all ….
@Harry O’ Callaghan: the irfu give leinster a budget of 10 or so million a year to pay players wages. They then pay the wages of leinsters top players outside that budget on cc’s. There’s no team in world rugby with a wage bill like leinsters. The French teams operate under a cap of about 11m. Also la rochelle is a town of about 70k, do you think rog should just pick players from that area? He deals with an independent club not an offshoot of the French union
@Harry O’ Callaghan: I have never read so much sh$t& in one comment in all my life. Are you steamed or something..what sort of ranting and raving is that…La Rochelle were worthy winners and played some magical rugby as well as being extremely physical over the last few years. O’Gara is a highly respected coach both by his players and peers. Is he extremely passionate and does he over step the mark at times, yes, but that’s sport. Every single team including our own province’s use the dark arts every game. The most successful teams are the ones who don’t get caught often. Those players deserved their red cards and cost their team the game but it does not equate to the bile you’re spouting about La Rochelle and O’Gara in general terms.
@Harry O’ Callaghan: maybe if Leinster took a leaf out of La Rochelles book and were more physical and ruthlessness they wouldn’t have failed the last number of years. It’s exactly what they lack and why they keep coming up short. Munster were able to tap into it and have managed to nick a URC title in the meantime.
@seamus Beirne: Solid input there Seamus!
@munsterman: The IRFU also fund every other province and are extremely lean with them too letting them sign foreign players in almost every regular season. Leinster can afford to fund their own players because they make their revenue through ticket sales at the RDS and Aviva. That’s where the majority of their money comes from. Next season Leinster will have even less foreign imports in the squad and far less than any other province in Ireland or in Europe for that matter.
@anthony davoren: Big wup! Munster couldn’t do it in the champions cup. Leinster have been to three finals in recent years. Munster havent even had the capacity to get out of the stages. Leinster thumped La Rochelle twice this season in case you weren’t aware.
@anthony davoren: You literally offered no substance to your explanation whatsoever. Did you even read what I said? It’s easier to win a champions cup when you can buy some of the best players in the world to fill your 23. Saracens did it. Toulon did it. Clermont did it before that. And now it was La Rochelle that essentially bought all of their resources. There’s literally no denying that. The only teams that never had to fill their squad with world talent was Leinster and Toulouse to a lesser extent. I know O’Gara is your lord saviour Jesus Christ and it probably hurts yous to hear someone calling him out. The truth is he has been found it not once but on multiple occasions this season both in the champions cup and in the Top14. La Rochelle have bought their success. Other teams do it the ethical way.
@Harry O’ Callaghan: You’ve had an absolute nightmare with that one. Embarrassing stuff. If the international job was available tomorrow, the IRFU would be banging down RoG’s door. As a Leinster fan, I had no problem with the Aviva booing. It isn’t like Leinster legends haven’t been booed in Limerick. It is a rivalry after all. But downgrading his achievements as a coach is deranged. You’re a sad man.
@Harry O’ Callaghan: you’re a sad bitter man. Stick with Leo.
@Harry O’ Callaghan: Cullen has proved you wrong. You come across as a bitter pathetic little man. Glad I’m not you so cheers for that on s difficult morning
@Harry O’ Callaghan: good man Harry, get it all off your chest, you are an embarrassment to Leinster supporters.
@Harry O’ Callaghan: what a biased and blinkered guy you are. The Leinster emergence began with outside players. Next year you have 2: Snyman & Barrett on your books plus the majority of the Irish team. Yet you speak about inequality. The reality is Leinster underachieve relative to what you have available. This is not ROG’s fault. Separately, O Gara has drive and passion mixed with solid rugby nous – the type of blend that gets teams over the line in tight contests when it matters more often than not. Something that needs to be internalised where you sit.
@Harry O’ Callaghan: next season ye have RG, Barrett and Silami, also you can take in the home grown talent of JGP, Henshaw and Lowe.
@munsterman: La Rochelle budget is 22/23 season was 31 million euros
Even in the 2016/17 season an Irish independent article states that the top 14 wages were over 300 million not including the national team. Roughly 10 times what irfu pay out. Talking out of your hole as usual Munsterman.
@munsterman: did he? Really?
@munsterman: horseshit
Ah man , was like like a soap opera. The drama, the intrigue. Both LR props pure headbangers, ROG biting nails on the sideline ..la Rochelle physical as f..loved that scrap even with 13 men..Toulouse worthy winners onwards to the double
winning 2 cups in succession for a club with no history with most of the players that nobody heard of a year before he took over consistently getting close in France that the best one I’ve heard yet in the sour grapes category
Atonio finally got the red card he’s been looking so hard for for the last couple of years.
Compliment the last 2 paragraphs by telling us which year they didn’t win and maybe mention who they are playing or could be playing in the final, thanks
Idiotic by Wardi. Sad to see Cyril Baille pick up what looked to be a bad knee injury. One of my favourite players. LR are LR but Toulouse play some wonderful stuff at times.
Players do what they’re coached to do. La Rochelle’s discipline, which was always borderline. Has been a constant issue this season. If ROG had a problem with that, it would have changed. You reap what you sow. Stupid thing is, La Rochelle were probably the better team for large parts of the game. They couldn’t get over themselves and the shitty discipline though.