Losing bonus point was enough to secure a second consecutive third-place finish

Daire Walsh

Women’s Six Nations: Scotland 26 Ireland 19

Francesca McGhie grabbed an 81st-minute converted try as an injury-hit Ireland ended their Women’s Six Nations campaign with a defeat to Scotland at the Hive Stadium in Edinburgh on Saturday.

While a losing bonus point was enough to secure a second consecutive third-place finish in the Championship, there will be disappointment among the Irish camp that they were not able to add to previous wins against Italy and Wales in this year’s tournament.

Although there was plenty of experience throughout Ireland’s starting line-up, Munster and UL Bohemian star Aoife Corey was drafted into the fullback position for her international test debut. Vicky Elmes Kinlan was named on the rightwing for a first start in this year’s Championship and there was another debutant off the bench in the form of Jane Clohessy – daughter of former Ireland men’s international Peter Clohessy.

A 74th-minute penalty from Dannah O’Brien earned Ireland a 15-12 win over the Scots in the final round of the 2024 Six Nations at Kingspan Stadium in Belfast and they ultimately drew first blood in this contest on the stroke of 10 minutes. After she had broken at pace into the opposition ’22’, scrumhalf Molly Scuffil-McCabe released winger Amee-Leigh Costigan for a typically clinical finish over the whitewash in the left corner.

This was the Tipperary woman’s third try of the tournament and with O’Brien superbly splitting the uprights from a touchline conversion, Ireland established a seven-point platform.

However, there was to be a setback for the visitors in the 18th minute when Dorothy Wall was withdrawn through injury. This could be a significant concern for head coach Scott Bemand and his fellow coaches ahead of the Rugby World Cup – which gets under way for Ireland against Japan in Northampton on August 24th.

The Irish were not being placed under too much defensive pressure in the Hive – until superb work from the influential Evie Gallagher secured Scotland an attacking penalty on 25 minutes. Outhalf Helen Nelson opted to kick the ball to touch on the left flank and this paid dividends for the home team when hooker Lana Skeldon got on the back of the ensuing line out maul for her 19th international try.

A wayward bonus strike from Nelson in the wake of this score kept their opponents in the ascendancy, but even though they ended the opening period with 72 per cent of the possession, Ireland were ultimately 12-7 adrift at the interval courtesy of a converted try in first half stoppage-time from Emma Orr.

O’Brien’s failure to kick the ball out of play when the clock was in the red proved costly in this instance and with captain Edel McMahon and Enya Breen joining Wall in being forced off with injuries, Ireland needed to rediscover their attacking groove on the resumption.

After recording a brace of tries in a 40-14 triumph over Wales in Newport six days earlier, tighthead prop Linda Djougang was twice held up by the Scottish defence in the first half of this game. Yet following the intervention of the TMO a little under nine minutes after the restart, she was finally adjudged to have dotted down beyond the Scotland line for an unconverted five-pointer.

This coincided with the sinbinning of Scotland winger Rhona Lloyd for a head-high tackle on Costigan, but before Bryan Easson’s side were restored to their full complement of players, flanker Rachel McLachlan had rounded off an extended attack in the 58th minute with a try on the left wing.

An outstanding Nelson conversion left Ireland staring into a seven-point deficit inside the final quarter, but the visiting side subsequently put the Scots under relentless set-piece pressure as the final whistle approached.

A yellow card issued to Nelson seemingly handed momentum to the Irish and from a move that started with a “tap and go” from Cliodhna Moloney, her fellow replacement Emily Lane pounced for her maiden international try on 72 minutes. O’Brien added the bonuses to ensure the sides were now inseparable on the scoreboard, but there was to be a final twist to the action.

Moments after Nelson returned to the field of play, Scotland moved the ball towards the far side off a lineout move on the right wing and McGhie was on hand to ground off a Lucia Scott pass for a game-winning score.

Scorers – Scotland: L Skeldon, E Orr, R McLachlan, F McGhie try each, H Nelson 3 cons. Ireland: A-L Costigan, L Djougang, E Lane try each, D O’Brien 2 cons.

SCOTLAND: C Rollie; R Lloyd, E Orr, L Thomson, F McGhie; H Nelson, L Brebner-Holden; L Bartlett, L Skeldon, E Clarke; J Konkel, S Bonar; R Malcolm, R McLachlan, E Gallagher. Replacements: A Young for Bartlett, 46 mins; L Scott for Lloyd, 59 mins; E Martin for Skeldon, M Poolman for Clarke, both 64 mins.

IRELAND: A Corey; V Elmes Kinlan, A Dalton, E Breen, A-L Costigan; D O’Brien, M Scuffil-McCabe; N O’Dowd, N Jones, L Djougang; R Campbell, F Tuite; D Wall, E McMahon, B Hogan. Replacements: S McGrath for O’Dowd, 9-18 mins; C Boles for Wall, 18 mins; J Clohessy for McMahon, 22 mins; E Higgins for Breen, 39 mins; S Flood for Elmes Kinlan, 47 mins; C Moloney for Jones, S McGrath for O’Dowd, C Haney for Djougang, E Lane for Scuffil-McCabe, all 64 mins.

Referee: N Ganley (New Zealand).