Fixtures Scotland Women Women's Summer Tests 2025
August 2, 2025 Virgin Media Park, Cork
Irish_Rugby_Football_Union_logoIreland
27 - 21 Away
Untitled-3Scotland
Live updates Team Lineup Pre-match Match report
80'

Ireland take the win in Cork

That’s it. Full-time here in Cork.

Ireland 27 – 21 Scotland

76'

Try – Ireland

Ireland dot down from the rolling maul on Scotland’s 5.

They’ve missed the conversion.

Into the final few minutes.

70'

Changes for Scotland

Leia Brebner-Holden is off for a HIA, Evie Wills comes on.

67'

Try – Ireland

Ireland respond with a try of their own on the fringes of the touch line. They’ve added the extras and are now a point ahead.

65'

Grant back on, plus two more changes

Coreen is back on so we are up to 15 again.

Adelle Ferrie and Eva Donaldson come on for Emma Wassell and Rachel Malcolm.

62'

EMMA ORR WITH THE SCORE!!!!!!

We’re back in control and have numbers on the outside, Emma Orr has cut a stunning line, evaded three defenders to score.

Thommo adds the extras to take us back in the lead!!!!!

56'

Change for Scotland

Beth Blacklock earns her first cap for Scotland since 2023, replacing Hannah Ramsay.

52'

Scotland down to 14

The match officials believe Coreen Grant has forced a deliberate knock-on, she’s shown a yellow card and we are down to 14 for the next 10 minutes.

54'

Poolman on

Molly Poolman comes on for Elliann Clarke.

51'

Change for Scotland

Leia Brebner-Holden comes on for Caity Mattinson.

45'

Try – Ireland

Nancy McGillivray finds a gap at close range and dots down for Ireland. O’Brien misses the conversion but Ireland are now ahead.

42'

Ireland held up

Scotland hold up Ireland over the try line.

40'

Second half is underway!

We’re back underway at Virgin Media Park. One change to Scotland, Leah Bartlett is on for Anne Young.

COME ON SCOTLAND!!!!!!!

40'

HALF-TIME

Scotland have been forced to defend furiously for the final exchanges but they’ve held Ireland out to hold the narrowest of leads at the break.

Half-time: Ireland 12 – 14 Scotland

37'

Try – Ireland

Ireland have added another, working the ball wide and stretching Scotland’s defence.

O’Brien adds the extras this time.

34'

Try – Ireland

Ireland barrel over at short range through Sadhbh McGrath.

Dannah O’Brien misses the conversion.

31'

Changes

Lana Skeldon’s gone down as she furiously defended the line for Scotland. It’s unclear on the specifics right now but we think it could be an ankle of knee, as she went backwards whilst making contact. She’s in the process of being taken off by the medical team on a stretcher and she will be in good hands there. We’ll keep you updated on how she is.

Elis Martin will come on to replace her.

30'

Final 10 minutes of the first half

Ireland have been plying the pressure onto Scotland at every turn since.

They broke into our 22 for the first real time this match just a few moments ago, forcing a turnover from Hannah Ramsay. They kicked for a lineout on the 5, but it’s not straight so we got a shot. We’ve now fumbled our lineout, so now it’s a scrum on the 5.

21'

TRY SCOTLAND!!!!!!!

LUCIA SCOTT!!!!!!!! WOW!!!!!!!

Scotland hold their own at the lineout inside Ireland’s half, Lucia Scott has come bursting through with a beautiful hard running line to dot down beneath the posts. Nobody saw her coming.

Thommo’s added the extras!

15'

TRRRRYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!

SCOTLAND SCORE!!!!!!! Emma Orr takes us into the 22, and with a bit of patience, Thommo gets us across the whitewash.

She’s added the extras too, what a boot!

10'

Reaction to the first 10

The opening exchanges have been okay for Scotland. We’ve been inside Ireland’s 22 twice but just not been able to convert those visits to points.

Ireland’s Costigan made an epic break but credit to Lucia Scott who has stopped her in her tracks, allowing Emma Orr and Rachel McLachlan to turn the ball over.

It’s a brighter start than last week, for sure.

0'

KICK-OFF

LET’S GOOOOOOOO SCOTLAND!!!!!!!! Thommo gets us underway!

13:52

Ready for the anthems!

There’s a decent crowd of Scotland fans here in Cork, ready to belt Flower O’ Scotland.

Don’t miss a moment – watch live via BBC iPlayer (UK&NI) and RugbyPass TV (rest of the world).

13:40

Warming up

Warm-up is nearly complete. Anthems pending.

13:05

Scotland will kick-off

As a result of the coin toss, Scotland opt to kick-off.

13:00

Team sheet update

We’ve had a change ahead of the game today. Rhona Lloyd drops out, meaning Coreen Grant moves from the bench to start. Evie Wills now takes her place in the number 23 shirt.

12:45

Good afternoon!

Afternoon Scotland fans! It’s a gorgeous day here at Virgin Media Park, Cork.

We’ll bring you quick, live score updates on the Match Centre today, but if you want to see the blow-by-blow action tune into the live broadcast. Norther Ireland & UK viewers can watch via BBC iPlayer, and fans across the rest of the world can watch via RugbyPass TV.

On a sunny afternoon in Ireland, Scotland lost out to their hosts in their last competitive fixture prior to the 2025 Rugby World Cup. Despite a confident first half, with tries from Lisa Thomson, Lucia Scott and Emma Orr throughout the game, Ireland hit back with two late scored in the last 10 minutes of the game to take the win.

Scotland inside centre Thomson got the afternoons’ match underway and after a few moments it looked as if Ireland would run in for the first score of the afternoon thanks to a break from speedy scrum-half Molly Scuffil-McCabe – but she was tracked down by Scotland winger Lucia Scott with the tackle completed by outside centre Orr. In her first start at blind-side flanker, Rachel McLachlan made it to the breakdown to force a textbook turnover for Scotland.

In the twelfth minute it looked as if Scotland may have been on for the opening score as Thomson took the ball on a hard line over the gain line just short of the tryline however Ireland’s defence stood strong, and they forced the turnover as the Scotland support to the breakdown was just a wee bit too slow.

Moments later Scotland did manage the first score of the game, at the second time of asking, as openside flanker Alex Stewart picked up a loose ball and charged for the tryline. The ball was recycled, found hooker Lana Skeldon who tipped it onto Thomson who secured the ball down on the whitewash, converting her own score. (0-7)

Winger Scott pulled Scotland a head thanks to a set piece move from a lineout within their 22, the ball saw one open phase of play from the lineout, was recycled by scrum-half Caity Mattison who found Scott flying in off her wing to burst through the Irish defence, turn on the after burners, and run in for her second try in a Scotland jersey. Thomson successfully added the extra two points on offer. (0-14)

After a lengthy break in play, owning to an injury to Skeldon, Scotland’s defence was put straight to the test as Ireland held possession. The visitors piled on the pressure to force an Irish mistake in the final pass which would have resulted in a try. The Scottish defence held well until prop Sadhbh McGrath fought her way over the tryline (5-14)

Only five minutes later the hosts saw the Scottish defence unorganised and found the space out wide for full-back Méabh Deely to run in their second of the afternoon with stand-off Dannah O’Brien successful with the conversion. (12-14)

Half time: Ireland 12-14 Scotland

The hosts opened the scoring only five minutes into the second half when they opted to go out to their back line which saw outside centre Nancy McGillivray spot a gap in the Scottish defence to scamper in. (17-14)

Into the final quarter of the game Scotland had possession just into the Irish half. As the ball worked its way out into the back line Orr took it on fooled the Irish winger with a show and go and ran in a superb try of her own turning on her pace to evade the Irish defence. Thomson’s third conversion of the afternoon was successful for the visitors to take the lead once again, 17-21.

Moments later the hosts pulled ahead as replacement prop Niamh O’Dowd crashed over from short range so that Ireland could lead by a single point (22-21).

With only four minutes left in the game the visitors found a gap in the Scottish maul defence which allowed replacement Deirbhile Nic a Bháird to break away and run in for the hosts fifth try of the afternoon (27-21)

Full time: Ireland 27-21 Scotland

Referee: Clara Munarini (Ita)

Scorers
Ireland
Tries: Sadhbh McGrath, Méabh Deely, Nancy McGillivray, Niamh O’Dowd, Deirbhile Nic a Bháird
Conversion: Dannah O’Brien
Scotland
Tries: Lisa Thomson, Lucia Scott, Emma Orr
Conversions: Lisa Thomson (3)

Cards
Scotland
Yellow card: Coreen Grant 52 mins

Ireland: 15. Méabh Deely 14. Béibhinn Parsons 13. Nancy McGillivray 12. Eve Higgins 11. Amee-Leigh Costigan 10. Dannah O’Brien 9. Molly Scuffil-McCabe 1. Siobhán McCarthy 2. Clíodhna Moloney-MacDonald 3. Sadhbh McGrath 4. Eimear Corri-Fallon 5. Sam Monaghan – Captain 6. Grace Moore 7. Ivana Kiripati 8. Brittany Hogan

Replacements: 16. Neve Jones 17. Niamh O’Dowd 18. Linda Djougang 19. Fiona Tuite 20. Deirbhile Nic a Bháird 21. Ailish Quinn 22. Emily Lane 23. Enya Breen

Scotland: 15. Chloe Rollie (Toulon Provence Mediterranee), 14. Coreen Grant (Saracens) 13. Emma Orr (Bristol Bears) (Sale Sharks) 12. Lisa Thomson (Trailfinders Women) 11. Lucia Scott (Loughborough Lightning) 10. Hannah Ramsay (Edinburgh Rugby/University of Edinburgh) 9. Caity Mattinson (Trailfinders Women) 1. Anne Young (Loughborough Lightning) 2. Lana Skeldon (Bristol Bears) 3. Elliann Clarke (Bristol Bears) 4. Emma Wassell (Trailfinders Women) 5. Rachel Malcolm – Captain (Trailfinders Women) 6. Rachel McLachlan (Montpellier) 7. Alex Stewart (Edinburgh Rugby/Corstorphine Cougars) 8. Evie Gallagher (Bristol Bears)

Replacements: 16. Elis Martin (Loughborough Lightning) (for Skeldon 32 mins) 17. Leah Bartlett (Sale Sharks) (on for Young 40 mins) 18. Molly Poolman (Edinburgh Rugby/Watsonian FC) (on for Clark 54 mins) 19. Adelle Ferrie (Edinburgh Rugby/Corstorphine Cougars) (on for Wassell 63 mins) 20. Eva Donaldson (on for Malcolm 63 mins) 21. Leia Brebner-Holden (Loughborough Lightning) (on for Mattison 51 minutes) 22. Beth Blacklock (Loughborough Lightning) (on Ramsay 56 mins) 23. Evie Wills (Sale Sharks) (on for Brebner-Holden 70 mins)