Ireland 10
USA 19
Murray Kinsella reports from Donnybrook
IRELAND SLIPPED TO a November Test defeat to the visiting USA as they failed to create enough attacking chances over the course of the 80 minutes in Donnybrook, but they look to have unearthed a couple of gems.
Ballinasloe and Connacht flyer Beibhinn Parsons became Ireland’s youngest player ever as she got her first cap off the bench at the age of 16, roared onto the pitch by family and friends.
The prodigious wing very nearly scored a stunning try with her first touch in a six-minute cameo, swerving past three defenders at top speed only to be held up over the tryline.
Her talent is likely to be important moving forward for Ireland but Adam Grigg’s side came up short here against the States.
With the US ranked fourth in the world to Ireland’s eighth, it was always going to take something special from Adam Griggs’ side to open their November account with a win, and despite tries from wing pair Laura Sheehan and Eimear Considine, they came up short.
UL Bohemians and Munster’s Sheehan, a debutant on the left wing, showed her pace to dot down the end of a sweeping first-half turnover attack, while fullback Lauren Delany won her first cap in the starting team too.
There were physically powerful performances up front from the likes of captain Ciara Griffin, flanker Edel McMahon and loosehead Lindsay Peat, while lock Aoife McDermott did a fine job calling the lineouts for the first time at this level.
There was another debut off the bench for Leinster hooker Emma Hooban, while Parsons’ promise is clear but Ireland will need to improve for next weekend’s visit to London to face England, ranked number two in the world.
Ireland needed a sublime try-saving tackle from Munster wing Considine inside the openside 10 minutes to prevent the US from going coast-to-coast, fullback Kaitlyn Broughton breaking out of the visitors’ 22 before Considine halted the Jennine Duncan.
Though Ireland skipper Griffin won a turnover penalty on the next defensive set, the pressure told in the 13th minute as the US won a maul penalty in the Ireland 22, quick-tapped it and captain Kate Zackary offloaded cleverly for centre Kimber Rozier to dive over and convert her own try.
Peat’s ball-carrying was causing the US defence problems but Ireland missed a second good chance in the away side’s territory when impressive inside centre Michelle Claffey just couldn’t hold a short pass from out-half Nikki Caughey only metres out.
Griffin earned another turnover penalty soon after, while Claffey made a superb break from a lineout – beating three defenders – but Ireland struggled to really get into an attacking flow.
They lost second row Ciara Cooney to a serious-looking shoulder injury after the half-hour mark and soon conceded a second try, despite another bone-crunching hit from wing Considine.
USA recycled the ball in Ireland’s 22 and elusive fullback Broughton bounced through a tackle, seeming not to release the ball, but getting the nod from the match officials.
Ireland looked to be heading for the break 12-0 down after a Caughey break came to nothing but they scored a stunning turnover try in the closing minutes of the half.
Intelligent openside flanker Claire Molloy pounced on the ball and passed to Claffey, who threw an accurate pass to Sheehan hurtling into space down the left wing.
The debutant wing scorched home from 40 metres out to highlight the pace that had excited Ireland coach Griggs, leaving Ireland 12-5 behind at the half-time interval.
The home side spent the vast majority of the third quarter struggling to get out of their own 22 and soaking up pressure, before an intercept from Sheehan appeared to lift the siege as she surged up to halfway.
But Ireland couldn’t hold onto possession and the US flooded back at them through outside centre Meya Bizer, before patient phase play close to the Irish tryline led to Bizer getting back on the ball and finishing in the left corner, with Rozier converting superbly from wide out.
Poor discipline from the US allowed Ireland to work their way back into a dangerous position with a five-metre lineout in the 68th minute, but the set-piece failed Griggs’ side and they came up empty-handed.
With debutant hooker Hooban making an impact off the bench, Ireland kept coming at the US and nearly crossed with a powerful minute six minutes from the end, only for the States to just about manage to hold it up short.
Ireland did finally cross in the last minute, Considine deservedly touching down, but it was too little too late.
Ireland scorers:
Tries: Laura Sheehan, Eimear Considine
Conversions: Nikki Caughey [0 from 1], Nicole Cronin [0 from 1]
USA scorers:
Tries: Kimber Rozier, Kaitlyn Broughton, Meya Bizer
Conversions: Kimber Rozier [2 from 3]
IRELAND: Lauren Delany (Beibhinn Parsons ’73); Eimear Considine, Sene Naoupu, Michelle Claffey, Laura Sheehan; Nikki Caughey (Claire McLaughlin ’73), Ailsa Hughes (Nicole Cronin ’46); Lindsay Peat (Laura Feely ’73), Sarah Mimnagh (Emma Hooban ’56), Fiona Reidy (Leah Lyons ’56); Aoife McDermott, Ciara Cooney (Nichola Fryday ’32); Edel McMahon (Jeamie Deacon ’58), Claire Molloy, Ciara Griffin (captain).
USA: Kaitlyn Broughton; Kelsi Stockert, Meya Bizer, Kimber Rozier, Jennine Duncan; Gabby Cantorna (McKenzie Hawkins ’56), Carly Waters; Catie Benson, Katy Augustyn (Tiana A’au ’61), Nick James (Azniv Nalbandian ’69); Stacey Bridges, Kristine Sommer (Joyce Taufa ’61); Rachel Johnson, Kate Zackary (captain), Jordan Gray-Matyas (Alycia Washington ’74).
Replacements: Anna Karen Pedraza, Evan Hoese, Megan Foster.
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