Two Narrow Defeats Leave Ireland Women Fighting For Fifth
Two Narrow Defeats Leave Ireland Women Fighting For Fifth
Ireland 7s ·
5th March 2023
The Ireland Women (sponsored by TritonLake) came out on the wrong side of two tight results on the second day of the HSBC Canada Sevens in Vancouver.
It was three tries each in the Pool C decider against the USA, Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe, Kathy Baker and Béibhinn Parsons all touching down but the Eagles took a hard-fought 19-17 verdict.
A Caroline Drouin conversion was all that stood between Ireland and France in a hotly-contested Cup quarter-final, with les Bleues prevailing 12-10 to put Aiden McNulty's side in the 5th-8th place bracket.
It was a tough result for Ireland to take given they had finished the game strongly, captain Lucy Mulhall going over out wide in the last minute before her crucial conversion attempt fell wide.
They had been inches away from drawing level before that, a TMO review ruling that Parsons had knocked on in her attempts to score from a Stacey Flood kick through.
Having finished fourth at the last three tournaments, Ireland will now aim for fifth under the BC Place dome, returning to the pitch for a 5th place semi-final against hosts Canada later today (kick-off 11.46am local time/7.46pm Irish time).
There are important HSBC World Series points on the line, with the Ireland Women currently occupying an Olympic qualification berth. They are 16 points clear of Fiji and Great Britain, who contest the other 5th place semi-final.
You can watch all the action as the Ireland Women compete at BC Place, via the World Rugby Sevens Match Centre here. You will need to register for a free World Rugby account.
IRELAND WOMEN'S SEVENS Squad (HSBC Canada Sevens, BC Place, Vancouver, Canada, March 3-5, 2023):
Kathy Baker (Blackrock College RFC)
Claire Boles (Railway Union RFC)
Megan Burns (Blackrock College RFC)
Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe (Railway Union RFC)
Stacey Flood (Railway Union RFC)
Katie Heffernan (Railway Union RFC)
Eve Higgins (Railway Union RFC)
Erin King (Old Belvedere RFC)
Vicky Elmes Kinlan (Wicklow RFC)
Emily Lane (Blackrock College RFC)
Kate Farrell McCabe (Suttonians RFC)
Lucy Mulhall (Wicklow RFC) (capt)
Béibhinn Parsons (Blackrock College RFC)