Irish Women’s Team Lose to Wales

Fourteen points from Welsh fullback Non Evans, was enough to see Ireland crash to their second defeat of this tournament at Donnybrook on Saturday.

Ireland 7 Wales 14

Fourteen points from Welsh fullback Non Evans, was enough to see Ireland crash to their second defeat of this tournament at Donnybrook on Saturday.

Both sides did their best to play an open and fluid style of game, but Ireland s failure to capitalise on the many opportunities they had was eventually their undoing.

Ireland started well, controlling much of the possession, but Evans, the star fullback who came out of retirement to play this year, put Wales on the scoreboard after twenty minutes as she expertly struck a penalty to put her side ahead. Minutes later Evans boot again punished Ireland, this time from an easier angle in front of the sticks, as she pushed Wales lead out to six.

Just before half-time Evans added a try and a conversion to her haul after she was on the end of an excellent break from her out-half Naomi Thomas.

After the break, Ireland took the advantage when an excellent and controlled maul saw Geri Healy crash over and Sarahjane Belton converted from a really difficult angle to put just four between the sides.

Ireland will rue spurning a whole host of opportunities to score when they had Wales really rattled in the closing minutes but Evans wrapped the game up with another penalty right at the death.

Scorers Ireland: G Healy (1 try), SJ Belton (1 con)

Ireland: J O Sullivan, N Ni Chaidhain, L Cantwell, P Kelly, S Fleming, SJ Belton (c) (T Rosser, F Coughlan (vc), J Lonergan, M Barrett, C Mahon, G Healy, O Brennan, R Boyd J Neville:

Replacements: R Foley (for C Mahon 72), G Davitt (for N Ni Chaidhain 72)

Scorers Wales: N Evans (2 pens, 1 try)

Wales: Non Evans, Louise Rickard, Rhian Williams, Clare Flowers, Rachel Poolman, Naomi Thomas, Mel Berry, Amy Broadstock, Rhian Bowden, Louise Horgan, Liza Burgess, Rachel Brown, Catrina Nicholas, Kylie Wilson:

Replacements: Claire Horgan (for A Broadstack 45), Jenny Davies, (for Rhian Bowden 45), Claire Donovan (for R Brown 70)

Alison Donnelly

IWRFU Press Officer