IRELAND WOMEN’S TEAM have clinched their first ever Triple Crown trophy with an outstanding 30-3 win over Scotland in Edinburgh.
The emphatic win for Phillip Doyle’s side, confirmed after brilliant performances from Niamh Briggs and Alison Miller, is their third in a row.
They will be targeting a home win over France in two weeks’ time and a potential Grand Slam if they can also overcome Italy on the final weekend.
The home side hit the front after the opening skirmishes when inside centre Lisa Ritchie slotted over a penalty.
Good work in attack from Niamh Briggs and Ashleigh Baxter got Ireland into a promising position. A penalty was conceded and Briggs levelled the scores.
Alison Miller, scorer of a wonderful hat-trick against England earlier in the month, scored her fourth try of the campaign as she dived over in the corner to make it 8-3 at half-time.
An early penalty miss from Ritchie kept the Irish advantage at five points and a further boost would be forthcoming.
Scotland outhalf Tanya Griffith was sin-binned for deliberately, and illegally, slowing down an Irish attack and Briggs made it 11-3.
The Irish Women’s team line up before their win. (©INPHO/Dan Sheridan)
Miller time
Miller then scored her second try of the game as she finished off a fine team move by dashing under the posts.
Briggs, who set up the try with an excellent break, added the extras to make it 18-3.
The win was confirmed when Niamh Kavanagh sprinted clear of the Scottish defence. Her breakaway yielded a score under the posts by Siobhan Fleming. Briggs made it 25-3 with a conversion.
Briggs rounded off a fantastic personal game with a try of her own under the posts to make it 30-3.
The victory has also assured Ireland of qualification for the 2014 World Cup.
More to follow.
