Big Irish win has been a long time in the making for Dalton
Following a 27-15 defeat at the hands of France in the opening round of the tournament in Belfast eight days earlier, Ireland were looking to pick up their first points in the 2025 edition of the Women’s Six Nations in Parma. They were also looking to make amends for Championship losses to the Italians in the past two seasons, as well as potentially banishing the demons of their unsuccessful World Cup qualifying campaign at Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi in 2021.
Scott Bemand’s side managed to do just that as winger Anna McGann claimed a hat-trick of tries over the course of a game that saw Ireland crossing the opposition whitewash on no fewer than eight occasions. Although she was quite modest about her own role in the side, Dalton was a worthy recipient of the game’s individual award after she produced an all-action display in both defence and attack.
“I’m definitely not the star in the back line, all the 7s girls are here now! The girls are brilliant and I’ll go back and share this with them. I feel like it was a complete team performance and I’d say there were a good few names up for it,” Dalton acknowledged in a TV interview after the game.
“I think coming on the back of last week, we knew we left a lot out there and our execution just really let us down at times. To come out here today and be able to score 50 points, that’s huge for us. I’m just delighted for the whole squad. All the girls, all our staff, the work they put in this week. So much went into it because we knew we weren’t good enough last week.”
Fittingly, it was Dalton who got the ball rolling for Ireland in their first away game of this year’s tournament. Moments after Italian lock Valeria Fedrighi was yellow carded for making head contact with Irish skipper Edel McMahon, the Offaly native burst over for a second-minute try was supplemented by the first of seven conversions from Dannah O’Brien.
Although it had been revealed to the crowd that Fedrighi’s challenge on McMahon wasn’t going to be upgraded to a red following a bunker review, Ireland added to their tally in advance of her return.
After breaking effortlessly into the Italian half, Eve Higgins passed the ball out to the right-wing for Railway Union’s McGann to race through for her first international 15s try. While the hosts opened their account with a Sofia Stefan five-pointer upon being restored to a full compliment of 15 players, Ireland reinforced their superiority either side of the first-quarter mark.
Higgins was leaving a significant attacking impression on the play and she released Tipperary woman Amee-Leigh Costigan (the starting skipper in the French game) for a third try on the stroke of 20 minutes. Full-back Stacey Flood subsequently turned provider for McGann’s second try at the end of an extended attack, which ensured Ireland were going to come away with at least a bonus point from this tie.
Having endured a difficult day off the kicking tee against France, a fourth successive bonus strike from O’Brien propelled Ireland towards a 28-5 interval lead.
The ever-impressive Aoife Wafer was unfortunate to have a try ruled out on the restart due to Niamh O’Dowd being in front of Fiona Tuite as she gathered a line-out delivery from Neve Jones, but Ireland’s most experienced operator was on hand to increase their buffer in the 54th minute.
Lining out in the green jersey for the 43rd time at Test level, tighthead Linda Djougang added her side’s fifth try with a powerful close-range finish.
Djougang subsequently received a yellow card for a head high tackle on Italian fly-half Emma Stevanin, but in her absence, Tipperary native Dorothy Wall capped a fine performance off the bench with another eye-catching try.
Italy finally disrupted their opponents’ flow courtesy of a seven-point salvo from Beatrice Rigoni, but Wall’s fellow replacement Brittany Hogan cancelled out this effort with a try of her own towards the end of the contest. It was then left for McGann to complete her hat-trick in stoppage-time as Ireland moved up to third in the Six Nations table ahead of their encounter with champions England at Cork’s Virgin Media Park on April 12.
Scorers for Italy: Tries: S Stefan, B Rigoni Cons: B Rigoni
Scorers for Ireland: Tries: A McGann 3, A Dalton, A-L Murphy Crowe, L Djougang, D Wall, B Hogan Cons: D O’Brien 7
ITALY: F Granzotto; A Muzzo (B Capomaggi 21-30), M Sillari (S Mannini 60), B Rigoni, A D’Inca (B Capomaggi 64); E Stevanin, S Stefan (A Bitonci 60); A Turani (V Zanette 59), V Vecchini (L Gurioli 59), G Maris (S Seye 43); V Fedrighi (A Ranuccini 63), G Duca; S Tounesi, F Sgorbini (B Veronese 56), E Giordano.
IRELAND: S Flood; A McGann, A Dalton, E Higgins (E Breen 59), A-L Corrigan; D O’Brien, A Reilly (E Lane 59); N O’Dowd (S McCarthy 59), N Jones (C Moloney 64), L Djougang (C Haney 67); R Campbell (G Moore 59), F Tuite (D Wall 51); E McMahon (C Haney 59-67), E King, A Wafer (B Hogan 51).
Referee: E Goldsmith (Australia).