Report: Ireland Women 54-5 Scotland Women

There were 30,000 inside the Aviva Stadium, an historic stand-alone attendance for a women’s rugby match in Ireland and how their team rewarded such support.

Ireland set the tone for the physicality their forwards were to bring with a huge scrum against the head, before centre Eve Higgins broke thorugh and looked for al money set the score the game’s opening try. An offside penalty against Scotland in scrambling that defence gave Ireland the chance to have a go from the resulting line-out and itw as hooker Cliodhna Moloney-MacDonald who went over to give the hosts a perfect start (7-0, 5 mins).

And they didn’t have to wait long for another, some electric phase play creating huge gaps in the Scottish defence, with winger Robyn O’Connor picking her line and flying through for a second try in three minutes, converted by O’Brien (14-0, 8 mins).

In what was ultimately a game-clinching period, Ireland then got a third try in fewer than 10 minutes, flanker Brittany Hogan emerging from the maelstrom to stun the visitors into a three-try deficit with a quarter of the game yet played (21-0, 14 mins).

In a scarcely-believable opening 20 minutes, Ireland wrapped up the bonus point when Erin King dotted down from another penalty line-out maul, brought about when Stacey Flood’s line break was then obstructed by an offside in the next play. O’Brien missed from the tee but the Irish were nothing short of rampant (26-0, 18 mins).

Moloney-MacDonald thought she had a second as Ireland refused to relent, and although it was ruled out for her having illegally joined a ruck, moments later she laid the platform for Aoife Wafer to score, O’Brien converting again (33-0, 31 mins).

It was a case of rinse and repeat so many times that Ireland looked at times like they were in a training match. From another line-out penalty, they decided to go wide and full-back Stacey Flood caught a long pass, checked briefly and went between the sticks for O’Brien to add two more (40-0, 36 mins).

There was time for a seventh, and second for Wafer, as the number 8 marched purposefully to the line after another line break, with O’Brien clipping over her sixth conversion (47-0, 39 mins).

Half-time: Ireland Women 47-0 Scotland Women

Scotland started much better in the second half, making the most of an early offside penalty to keep possession and eat into Irish territory with Elliann Clarke in particular showing the sort of aggression that was required to haul her side into the game.

However, Erin King was proving more than a menace at the breakdown, her two quick turnovers stopping Scottish advances in their tracks.

Despite the gulf in score, Scotland did stick to task in defence, showing much more resolve than in the opening 40 to thwart Beibhinn Parsons and Flood when they looked set to combine once more to score.

With referee Groizeleau having warned Scotland about their discipline after coughing up another offside penalty, Ireland took advantage through Hogan, who got her second of the afternoon after her side decided to tap-and-go from 10m out. O’Brien again converted (54-0, 60 mins).

The final quarter petered out at the Aviva, with the game long since secured by the hosts. Scotland, whose tackle count went well past 200, missed more than 50 in what represented at least some of the tale of the tape.

Lucia Scott got Scotland into their opponent’s half for, remarkably, the first time with three minutes left on the clock, but she was hauled down in time and play brought back for an earlier Irish infringement as they sought something from the match.

An attacking line-out brought one more chance for Scottish points but eventually Rhona Lloyd was bundled into touch as Ireland desperately held on to keep their opponents to nil.

Scotland managed that score, as Aicha Sutcliffe finished off an attacking line-out maul to give the visitors a positive note on which to conclude their campaign (54-5, 80 mins).

Full-time: Ireland Women 54-0 Scotland Women

Ireland: Stacey Flood, Beibhinn Parsons, Aoife Dalton, Eve Higgins, Robyn O’Connor; Dannah O’Brien, Emily Lane; Ellena Perry, Cliodhna Moloney-MacDonald, Linda Djougang, Sam Monaghan, Fiona Tuite, Brittany Hogan, Erin King (captain), Aoife Wafer.

Replacements: Neve Jones,  Sadhbh McGrath, Eilís Cahill, Dorothy Wall, Ruth Campbell, Katie Whelan, Vicky Elmes Kinlan, Niamh Gallagher.

Scotland : Chloe Rollie (Toulon Provence Méditerranée), Rhona Lloyd (Sale Sharks), Rachel Phillips (Sale Sharks), Meryl Smith (Bristol Bears), Shona Campbell (Sale Sharks); Helen Nelson (Loughborough Lightning) (captain), Leia Brebner-Holden (Loughborough Lightning); Leah Bartlett (Sale Sharks), Elis Martin (Loughborough Lightning), Elliann Clarke (Bristol Bears), Emma Wassell  (Trailfinders Women), Louise McMillan (Saracens), Becky Boyd (Loughborough Lightning), Eva Donaldson (Sale Sharks), Emily Coubrough (Glasgow Warriors/University of Edinburgh)

Replacements: Aicha Sutcliffe (Glasgow Warriors/Stirling County) (for Martin, 54 mins), Demi Swann (Exeter Chiefs) (for Bartlett, 54 mins), Molly Poolman (Edinburgh Rugby/Watsonian FC) (for Clarke, 73 mins), Hollie Cunningham (Bristol Bears) (for McMillan, 67 mins), Holland Bogan (Glasgow Warriors/Stirling County) (for Boyd, 50 mins),  Rhea Clarke (Bristol Bears) (for Brebner-Holden, 63 mins), Lucia Scott (Loughborough Lightning) (for Smith, initial HIA then permanent, 5 mins), Coreen Grant (Saracens) (for Rollie, 54 mins).

Referee: Aurélie Groizeleau (FFR)
Assistant Referees: Berenice Loubet and Alexandra Ferre (both FFR)
TMO: Julien Castaignede (FFR)
FPRO: Paulo Duarte (FPR)

Attendance: 31,294

Guinness Player of the Match: Aoife Wafer (Ireland)