Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe took her HSBC SVNS Series career haul to 190 tries with a hat-trick against Japan ©INPHO/Joe Hamby
The Ireland Women’s Sevens team (sponsored by TritonLake) ended the Singapore Sevens in fifth place, thanks to an Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe-inspired play-off win over Japan.
In their only match on the last day of the tournament, stand-in captain Murphy Crowe scored a superb hat-trick of tries to give her side just enough of a lead to claim an eventual 19-17 victory.
Japan, who had beaten Ireland 12-5 in Hong Kong last month, scored the final two tries of today’s encounter, but Arisa Nishi’s missed conversion, right at the death, meant the girls in green held on by two points.
It was a solid weekend’s work from Allan Temple-Jones’ charges, who used Eve Higgins in an impact role off the bench, just a week on from her Guinness Women’s Six Nations exploits, and the inspirational Ashleigh Orchard (née Baxter) was back in the green jersey after a long absence.
The returning Orchard, whose last SVNS Series appearance was in Dubai in December 2018, even chipped in with a try. Murphy Crowe led the try-scoring with five touchdowns, while Stacey Flood and Vicky Elmes Kinlan both crossed the whitewash twice.
Fifth was the Ireland Women’s second highest finish of the regular season, and their best placing since winning the Perth title in January. They picked up 12 points to move onto 66 points overall, occupying seventh place in the standings ahead of the Madrid Grand Final on May 31-June 2.
The top eight teams, led by SVNS Series League winners New Zealand, retain their core status for 2025, and head to the Spanish capital in a few weeks’ time where they will compete to be crowned the HSBC SVNS champions for 2024.
Ireland fell behind to a first-minute try from Japanese veteran Chiharu Nakamura, whose clever dummy and burst of acceleration took her through a gap and away to score at the posts.
Wicklow youngster Elmes Kinlan showed her strength to drive through two tackles, making it up into Japan’s 22 before unfortunately losing the ball forward. However, Ireland made their tackles to keep the Sakura Sevens pinned back.
A well-timed challenge from Megan Burns meant a Japanese offload did not go to hand, and Orchard neatly tidied up possession to send Murphy Crowe surging in behind the posts in the fourth minute. Flood tagged on the conversion.
Japan upped the pace in response, but Ireland kept them out of scoring range and managed to hit the front past the half-time gong. Orchard was first again to a breaking ball, and a few phases later, Murphy Crowe was able to speed clear.
The Tipperary native popped up in midfield, breaking from a ruck and evading two tackles on an excellent 70-metre run-in. That gave her side a 12-7 buffer at the break, with Higgins sprung from the bench for the start of the second half.
Try number three quickly followed for Ireland’s record try scorer, as her jinking run, which started from inside Ireland’s 10-metre line, took her away from Hanako Utsumi and Nishi to cruise home from the left wing. Higgins clipped over the conversion.
Good work from Nishi, who wormed her way up close to the line, teed up Nakamura to pick from the ruck and complete her brace in the 11th minute. Nishi was unable to convert, leaving the scoreboard showing 19-12.
Despite Flood doing well to win a turnover penalty, Japan were playing with renewed energy. An Emily Lane knock-on allowed them to attack off a scrum, and a sidestepping Rinka Matsuda evaded both Flood and Lane to raid over from a ruck just outside the Irish 22.
Time was up on the clock and Nishi missed the chance to take the game into extra-time, with her conversion attempt narrowly missing on the near side. Ireland had done enough to edge it, although Japan ended up matching them on try count.
Claire Boles (Railway Union RFC)
Megan Burns (Blackrock College RFC)
Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe (Railway Union RFC) (capt)
Alanna Fitzpatrick (Portarlington RFC/Blackrock College RFC)
Stacey Flood (Railway Union RFC)
Eve Higgins (Railway Union RFC)
Erin King (Old Belvedere RFC)
Vicky Elmes Kinlan (Wicklow RFC)
Emily Lane (Blackrock College RFC)
Amy Larn (Athy RFC) *
Kate Farrell McCabe (Suttonians RFC)
Ashleigh Orchard (Cooke RFC)
Vikki Wall (Ireland Sevens)
* Denotes uncapped player at SVNS Series level
Friday, May 3 –
POOL A:
CANADA 0 IRELAND 5, Singapore National Stadium
Scorers: Canada: –
Ireland: Try: Vicky Elmes Kinlan
HT: Canada 0 Ireland 5
Team: Vicky Elmes Kinlan, Erin King, Claire Boles, Emily Lane, Stacey Flood, Megan Burns, Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe (capt).
Replacements used: Ashleigh Orchard, Eve Higgins. Not used: Kate Farrell McCabe, Alanna Fitzpatrick, Vikki Wall.
NEW ZEALAND 31 IRELAND 12, Singapore National Stadium
Scorers: New Zealand: Tries: Jorja Miller, Portia Woodman-Wickliffe, Stacey Waaka, Michaela Blyde, Shiray Kaka; Cons: Tyla King 2, Risi Pouri-Lane
Ireland: Tries: Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe, Eve Higgins; Con: Eve Higgins
HT: New Zealand 12 Ireland 5
Team: Vicky Elmes Kinlan, Erin King, Vikki Wall, Emily Lane, Stacey Flood, Megan Burns, Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe (capt).
Replacements used: Eve Higgins, Alanna Fitzpatrick, Kate Farrell McCabe, Ashleigh Orchard, Claire Boles.
Day 1 Round-Up: Orchard And Higgins Return As Ireland Women Make Winning Debut In Singapore
Saturday, May 4 –
POOL A:
IRELAND 25 SPAIN 7, Singapore National Stadium
Scorers: Ireland: Tries: Stacey Flood 2, Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe, Vicky Elmes Kinlan, Ashleigh Orchard
Spain: Try: Juana Stella; Con: Amalia Argudo
HT: Ireland 10 Spain 7
Team: Vicky Elmes Kinlan, Erin King, Claire Boles, Emily Lane, Stacey Flood, Megan Burns, Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe (capt).
Replacements used: Eve Higgins, Alanna Fitzpatrick, Vikki Wall, Kate Farrell McCabe, Ashleigh Orchard.
CUP QUARTER-FINAL:
AUSTRALIA 24 IRELAND 14, Singapore National Stadium
Scorers: Australia: Tries: Maddison Levi, Faith Nathan, Madison Ashby, Teagan Levi; Cons: Tia Hinds 2
Ireland: Tries: Erin King, Emily Lane; Cons: Eve Higgins 2
HT: Australia 12 Ireland 0
Team: Vicky Elmes Kinlan, Kate Farrell McCabe, Erin King, Emily Lane, Stacey Flood, Megan Burns, Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe (capt).
Replacements used: Eve Higgins, Alanna Fitzpatrick, Ashleigh Orchard. Not used: Amy Larn, Claire Boles.
Day 2 Round-Up: Ireland Women Increase Try-Scoring Threat But Bow Out To Australia
Sunday, May 5 –
5TH PLACE PLAY-OFF:
JAPAN 17 IRELAND 19, Singapore National Stadium
Scorers: Japan: Tries: Chiharu Nakamura 2, Rinka Matsuda; Con: Hanako Utsumi
Ireland: Tries: Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe 3; Cons: Stacey Flood, Eve Higgins
HT: Japan 7 Ireland 12
Team: Vicky Elmes Kinlan, Ashleigh Orchard, Erin King, Emily Lane, Stacey Flood, Megan Burns, Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe (capt).
Replacements used: Eve Higgins, Kate Farrell McCabe, Vikki Wall. Not used: Amy Larn, Alanna Fitzpatrick.
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