Wales 0
Ireland 45
IRELAND RAN RIOT in Cardiff as they scored seven tries in what can only be described as a demolition job on Wales in their opening game of the 2021 Women’s Six Nations.
Adam Griggs’ side were superior in every aspect of play with their physicality and pace out wide far too much for Wales to deal with. Ireland had a number of stand-out performers with wing Beibhinn Parsons a bundle of energy with the perfect mixture of power and pace.
Wales had no answer to the intensity of their visitors with Parsons crossing for two tries in the space of four minutes. It’s unlikely you’ll see a better individual try than her first all championship as she brushed off a weak tackle from Wales fullback Robyn Wilkins, before showing great pace to run in unopposed from 50 metres out.
Her second score was far simpler as she was found unmarked by Tyrrell who executed a brilliant cross kick for Parsons to ground the ball. Quite frankly Wales had no defence as Ireland players eased their way through what some poor tackling.
Fullback Eimear Considine beat five Welsh defenders before turning inside to score their third which put her side 24-0 up after 20 minutes. Powerful inside centre Sene Naoupu scored their fifth try as she crashed over from short range to give the visitors a 31-0 lead at the interval.
Wales were a bit more stubborn in the second-half but Ireland’s pack ensured the visitors dominated territory and possession.
To their credit the hosts refused to throw in the towel and there were no scorers either way in the third quarter of the game, as Warren Abrahams’ side showed some pride at least.
Ireland took their foot off the gas in the second-half and didn’t have same fluidity as they had in the first 40 minutes of this Test match.
Aoife McDermott thought she had scored Ireland’s first try of the second-half after powering over from short range but upon referring the decision to the television match official the try was disallowed as the grounding was short.
But they didn’t have to wait long as blindside flanker Dorothy Wall showed tremendous strength to smash her way over the line at the far left-hand corner, after a period of sustained pressure from the visitors.
Tyrrell capped a fine individual performance as she scampered over in the last play of the game to rub further salt into Wales’ wounds.
Scorers:
Ireland – Tries: Considine 3, 18, Parsons 11, 15, Naupou 28, Wall 73, Tyrrell 80; Conversions: Tyrrell (5)
Teams:
Wales: R Wilkins (N Terry 41); L Neumann, H Jones, K Lake, C Keight (C Lewis 33); E Snowsill, J Roberts (M Davies 29); C Hope (C Thomas 41), K Jones (M Kelly 40), C Hale (D Rose 41), N John (T W Davies 56), G Crabb, G Evans, M Johnes (B Dainton 56), S Lillicrap.
Ireland: E Considine (E Breen 63); L Delany (S Flood 54), E Higgins, S Naoupu, B Parsons; H Tyrrell, K Dane (H O’Connor 63); L Peat (K O’Dwyer 59), C Moloney (L Feely 64), L Djougang (N Jones 64), A McDermott, D Wall (B Hogan 59), C Molloy, C Griffin (E Lane 63).
Referee: Hollie Davidson (SRU)
