WOMEN’S RUGBY WORLD CUP POOL C
IRELAND……………………………19
AUSTRALIA…………………………17
By Daire Walsh
Second-half tries from replacements Ciara Griffin and Sophie Spence were crucial at the UCD Bowl on Wednesday evening, when Ireland held off a strong challenge from Australia to make a winning start to their Women’s Rugby Cup Pool C campaign.
There were ominous signs for the Irish after Shannon Parry edged Australia in front with 24 minutes left to play, but the home side dug deep to record a morale-boosting success.
In front of a vocal support, Ireland were aiming to get their campaign off to a flying start. In the absence of original skipper Niamh Briggs, openside flanker Claire Molloy led the team out at the Belfield venue.
She was joined in the back-row by the experienced Heather O’Brien and Ashleigh Baxter – who lined out on the wing for Ireland in the 2014 World Cup, but has switched to the new position of blindside in recent months.
Stepping into Briggs’ shoes at full-back was former Dublin ladies footballer Hannah Tyrrell, who had played on the right-wing during this year’s Six Nations Championship. She was joined in the back-three by Clare native Eimear Considine and the ever-influential Alison Miller, with Jenny Murphy and Sene Naoupu joining forces once again in midfield.
Larissa Muldoon lined out at scrum-half alongside Nora Stapleton, whereas her Railway Union club-mates Lindsay Peat and Cliodhna Moloney were selected in the front-row with Old Belvedere’s Ailis Egan.
While captaining Ireland in the Six Nations, Paula Fitzpatrick was a regular fixture in the back-row. However, with Spence held in reserve, she partnered the towering Marie Louise Reilly in the second-row on this occasion.
Uncapped UL Bohemians star Nicole Cronin was included amongst the replacements for Ireland, who were hoping to curb the influence of Australian skipper Parry – an Olympic gold medalist with her county in last year’s games in Rio De Janeiro.
The host nation certainly enjoyed a bright start to the action, with Murphy in particular looking lively in possession. Reilly was also causing massive problems for Australia in the line-out, but a number of unforced errors with the ball in hand prevented Ireland from developing any early sustained pressure on the southern hemisphere outfit.
Indeed, Paul Verrell’s side enjoyed some nice attacking phases in the Irish ’22’ during the opening quarter, before Ireland eventually secured a scrum close to their own try-line. The Scrum Queens were then presented with an opportunity to breach the Wallaroos rearguard in the 14th-minute, when Stapleton found touch from a 35-metre penalty.
This was a source of encouragement for Ireland, but their momentum was halted just moments later, as an attempted pass by Stapleton towards Miller drifted out of play. However, Ireland continued to search for attacking avenues inside the opposition half, and they were rewarded with a try on the stroke of 20 minutes.
A series of drives from the home team placed Australia on the back-foot, and via a neat Stapleton pass, Murphy was inches short of crossing over. Yet, a powerful surge by Egan pushed Ireland forward once again, and Muldoon was on hand to dot down in clinical fashion.
This was met with the approval of the generally partisan crowd, and following a routine Stapleton conversion, Ireland created a seven-point cushion. Given it was expected to be a tight affair, head coach Tom Tierney would have been delighted with the way the game was unfolding up to this point.
Australia were still asking questions of their European counterparts, though, and some loose defending by Ireland allowed them to get back into the reckoning. Aussie winger Mahalia Murphy was picked out in acres space on the left-flank, and she jinked her way through for an outstanding five-pointer.
This was a set-back for Ireland so soon after their deadlock-breaking score, but a badly miscued bonus attempt by Samantha Treherne ensured that they remained in the ascendancy.
They did have to survive a late first-half onslaught by Australia (who were growing into the game), but with Molloy rallying her troops effectively, Ireland brought a slender 7-5 advantage into the interval.
It still all the play for when the play resumed, but seven minutes into the second-half, Jenny Murphy was forced out of the game through injury. Her place was taken by Blackrock’s Katie Fitzhenry, and five minutes later, Ciara O’Connor and Spence entered the fray to bring added steel to the Irish pack.
Yet, it was Australia who were making the hard yards during the third-quarter, and an extended spell of possession ended with Parry squeezing through for a 56th-minute try. This put the Wallaroos ahead for the very first time, but another wayward Treherne bonus kick meant that Ireland’s deficit stood at three points (7-10).
There was no reason for Ireland to panic just yet, and the 59th-minute introduction of Griffin from the replacements proved to be a crucial alteration. She took over from O’Brien in the back-row, and three minutes later, drove over the whitewash at the end of an extended move that involved a succession of Irish players.
Stapleton split the posts once again from her second kick of the tie, and with the victory line now in sight, there was a sense that Ireland’s confidence was beginning to grow. They were relentless in their pursuit of a third try, and they were making it very difficult for Australia to break out of their own ’22’.
Spence eventually found room to ground in the left-hand corner, and even though TMO David Grashoff was consulted by referee Tim Baker, a five-pointer was awarded to Ireland. Stapleton’s kick at goal dropped short this time, but with nine points separating the teams, Australia were left with a mountain to climb.
To their credit, the visitors didn’t allow their heads to drop, and with seven minutes remaining, a converted Hilisha Samoa effort put them back in contention. Ireland maintained their composure in the closing stages, though, and they brilliantly closed out the game by retaining the ball until 80 minutes had elapsed.
Ireland will now move forward to their second pool game against Japan on Sunday, where they will be expected to once again come out on top.
Scorers for Ireland: Larissa Muldoon, Ciara Griffin, Sophie Spence try each, Nora Stapleton 2 cons.
Scorers for Australia: Mahalia Murphy, Shannon Parry, Hilisha Samoa try each, Ashleigh Hewson con.
IRELAND: Hannah Tyrrell (Old Belvedere/Leinster); Eimear Considine (UL Bohemians/Munster), Jenny Murphy (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Sene Naoupu (Harlequins), Alison Miller (Old Belvedere/Connacht); Nora Stapleton (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Larissa Muldoon (Railway Union/Ulster); Lindsay Peat (Railway Union/Leinster), Cliodhna Moloney (Railway Union/Leinster), Ailis Egan (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Paula Fitzpatrick (St. Mary’s/Leinster), Marie Louise Reilly (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Ashleigh Baxter (Cooke/Ulster), Claire Molloy (Bristol/Connacht) (capt), Heather O’Brien (Highfield/Munster).
Replacements: Leah Lyons (Highfield/Munster), Ruth O’Reilly (Galwegians/Connacht), Ciara O’Connor (Galwegians/Connacht), Sophie Spence (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Ciara Griffin (UL Bohemians/Munster), Nicole Cronin (UL Bohemians/Munster), Katie Fitzhenry (Blackrock/Leinster), Mairead Coyne (Galwegians/Connacht).
AUSTRALIA: Samantha Treherne (Queensland/Sunnybank); Nareta Marsters (Queensland/Sunnybank), Kayla Sauvao (Sydney/Parramatta), Sharni Williams (Australia Sevens/ACT/Canberra Royals), Mahalia Murphy (Australia Sevens/NSW/Campbelltown); Trilleen Pomare (Western Australia/Wanneroo), Katrina Barker (NSW Country/Newcastle University); Liz Patu (Queensland/Wests), Cheyenne Campbell (Queensland/Redlands), Hilisha Samoa (Queensland/Brothers), Chloe Butler (South Australia/Parramatta), Millie Boyle (ACT/Canberra Royals), Mollie Gray (Australian Defence Force/NSW/Maitland), Shannon Parry (Australia Sevens/Queensland/Redlands) (capt), Grace Hamilton (Sydney/Sydney University).
Replacements: Emily Robinson (Sydney/Warringah), Violeta Tupuola (ACT/Canberra Royals), Hana Ngaha (Queensland/Sunnybank), Rebecca Clough (Western Australia/Cottesloe), Alisha Hewett (Australian Defence Force/Queensland/GPS), Fenella Hake (Queensland/Redlands), Sarah Riordan (Australian Defence Force/Victoria/Melbourne Unicorns), Ashleigh Hewson (Sydney/Sydney University).
Referee: Tim Baker (Hong Kong)