Updated 3.30pm
IRELAND WOMEN’S 7S made an encouraging start on their return to the World Rugby Sevens Series with a 12-5 win over USA in their opener at the Dubai 7s.
However, Canada proved too strong for Lucy Mulhall’s side in their second encounter of the day as they scored three tries in a 17-7 victory. Ireland’s final pool B fixture also ended in defeat as Fiji won 27-10 in a bruising clash.
The results left Ireland third in the final pool standings and mean they miss out on tomorrow’s cup quarter-finals. Instead, they face Brazil in the bowl semi-finals at 7.52am Irish time.
Ireland are back on the world sevens circuit after being absent for the 2014/15 campaign, and impressed by beating the US – who placed fifth in the series last season – thanks to tries from Ali Miller and Louise Galvin.
Captain Mulhall converted one of those scores to give the Anthony Eddy-coached Irish team a superb start to the Dubai competition.
However, Canada – runners up to New Zealand in last season’s series – proved too clincial for Ireland in their second fixture of the opening day of competition.
Mulhall broke through the Canadian defence to finish and convert her own try in the first half, but the Canadians struck back almost immediately when Jen Kish strode clear after an offload from the lethal Magali Harvey, making it 7-7 at the break.
Missed tackles from Ireland were costly in the second half, as the brilliant Harvey – who was IRB Player of the Year in the 15-woman code in 2014 – scored a brace to hand the Canadians a 17-7 victory.
Ireland’s third and final pool fixture saw them face a Fiji side that clinically punished handling errors with their pace and offloading ability. Miller’s excellent try had given Ireland some hope after Timaima Ravisa opened the scoring, but the Fijians pounced twice more in the first half to take control of the tie.
Two further five pointers after the interval put the game out of Ireland’s reach, but they did finish strongly as Miller deservedly bagged a second try in the final moments.
