Ireland U-20 Women Score Six Tries To Draw Series With Canada
Ireland Under-20 scrum half Jade Gaffney takes on Canada's Brooke Roddham during Saturday's uncapped training match in Blanchardstown ©INPHO/Ben Brady
The Ireland Under-20 Women (sponsored by PwC) avenged last week’s defeat as they wrapped up their two-match series against Canada with a 32-14 win at the IRFU High Performance Centre.
UNDER-20 INTERNATIONAL TRAINING MATCH:
Saturday, May 17 –
IRELAND UNDER-20 WOMEN 32 CANADA UNDER-20 WOMEN 14, IRFU High Performance Centre
Scorers: Ireland U-20s: Tries: Alma Atagamen 3, Jane Neill, CaitrÃona Finn, Sarah Delaney; Con: CaitrÃona Finn
Canada U-20s: Tries: Adia Pye, Rachel Cullum; Cons: Brooke Roddham 2
HT: Ireland U-20s 17 Canada U-20s 14
Promising second row Alma Atagamen starred with a hat-trick of tries, showing the benefit of her time in camp with Ireland during the Guinness Women’s Six Nations, and the experience she gained with the Celtic Challenge-winning Wolfhounds.
Captain Jane Neill also touched down as Niamh Briggs’ Ireland Under-20 team moved 17 points clear, before Canada – through Adia Pye and Rachel Cullum – closed the gap to three by half-time.
However, Ireland regained control of this uncapped training game when Balbriggan’s Atagamen completed her hat-trick, and CaitrÃona Finn and senior-capped hooker Sarah Delaney also crossed during the closing half.
After losing 26-15 last Saturday, this was an impressive performance from Briggs’ young squad ahead of July’s Six Nations Summer Series. Canada are highly rated at this level, with 14 of their players involved in last year’s Transatlantic Quad Series clean sweep.
Returning from Ireland Sevens duty, Hannah Clarke had an early sidestepping run after linking with Niamh Gallagher. Good hands then put Canada on the move until winger Kennedi Stevenson knocked on into touch.
Following up on a tackle-breaking run from Ella Burns, Ellie O’Sullivan Sexton’s eye for a gap took the hosts up to the Canadian 22 for the first time. Canada stood firm on this occasion, but Ireland soon turned their first scoring chance into points.
A couple of penalties put them within striking range, and Poppy Garvey’s 10th-minute lineout take set up a maul. Playing with a penalty advantage, Atagamen was fed the ball to power over from six metres out, twisting out of contact to get the grounding.
5-0 became 12-0 on the quarter hour mark, as Canada conceded another costly penalty. Beth Buttimer tidied up a maul effort that did not go to plan, and some forceful carrying took Ireland close before Neill surged over from an inviting Lucia Linn pass. Finn converted.
Jade Gaffney increased her influence with a clever snipe, and then her well-timed pass off a maul almost put Clarke over the whitewash. Atagamen was straight in to pick from the ruck, evading Kiki Idowu’s challenge and superbly skittling two more defenders out of her way to score.
O’Sullivan Sexton won an important turnover penalty as Canada sought a quick response. Play was back and forth before they stung Ireland with a classy counter-attacking try, Ava Ference setting up an Idowu break, and winger Pye had the pace to dart over from the Irish 10-metre line.
Brooklyn Roddham converted and the Canadians closed the gap further to 17-14 with a strong finish to the first half. Again they scored from deep, countering brilliantly through Adelaide Holmes and Pye, before centre Cullum collected the latter’s offload to touch down.
Barely three minutes after the restart, Atagamen took her try tally to three with another determined finish. Full-back Gallagher had threatened initially in a set play off a scrum, and hooker Buttimer did the donkey work in pushing Canada right back onto their own try-line.
Back came Dean Murten’s charges, who could not capitalise on a maul opportunity before Ireland pinched possession back at a five-metre scrum. They gobbled up territory thanks to Poppy Garvey’s rip in the tackle, and Robyn O’Connor’s impact off the bench.
Nayka Goudreau’s high tackle on the advancing O’Connor earned her 10 minutes in the sin bin, and the home side duly stretched their lead to 27-14. Atagamen sucked in defenders before Gaffney used the quick ball to send Finn crashing over on the right.
Tara O’Neill’s breakdown steal prevented Canada from building for a response, and the eager Irish replacements were prominent in the build-up to the final try. With 10 minutes remaining, Delaney burrowed over during a sustained bout of forward pressure.
Canada gained a couple of penalties in pursuit of a late consolation score. Clarke and Ireland’s replacement front rowers maintained a robust defence close to the try-line, and Elle Douglas’ kick out to the left just had too much on it for the chasing Sydney Pipe.
IRELAND U-20: Niamh Gallagher (Trailfinders Women/IQ Rugby); Amy Larn (Athy RFC/Leinster), Lucia Linn (UL Bohemian RFC/Munster), CaitrÃona Finn (UL Bohemian RFC/Munster), Hannah Clarke (Tuam/Oughterard RFC/Galwegians RFC/Connacht); Ellie O’Sullivan Sexton (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster), Jade Gaffney (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster); Ella Burns (Tuam/Oughterard RFC/Galwegians RFC/Connacht), Beth Buttimer (UL Bohemian RFC/Munster), Lily Morris (Killarney RFC/Ballincollig RFC/Munster), Alma Atagamen (Balbriggan RFC/Leinster), Aoibhe O’Flynn (UL Bohemian RFC/Munster), Jane Neill (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster) (capt), Poppy Garvey (Railway Union RFC/Connacht), Jemima Adams Verling (Creggs RFC/Connacht).
Replacements: Grainne Moran (Galwegians RFC/Connacht), Tara O’Neill (Cooke RFC/Ulster), RoisÃn Maher (Galwegians RFC/Connacht), Emer Sweetman (MU Barnhall RFC/Leinster), Clara Dunne (Wicklow RFC/Leinster), Hannah Scanlan (Railway Union RFC/Leinster), Carla Cloney (Tullow RFC/Leinster), Aoife Corcoran (MU Barnhall RFC/Leinster), Robyn O’Connor (Wexford Wanderers RFC/Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster), Meabh Clenaghan (Cooke RFC/Ulster), Beibhinn Gleeson (Tuam/Oughterard RFC/Connacht), Sarah Delaney (Blackrock College RFC/Leinster), Grainne Burke (Ennis RFC/Munster), Sophie Barrett (Enniskillen RFC/Railway Union RFC/Ulster).
CANADA U-20: Adelaide Holmes (Guelph RFC/University of Guelph); Kennedi Stevenson (Brantford Harlequins), Rachel Cullum (Queen’s University/Kingston Panthers), Lana Dueck (Abbotsford Rugby Club/University of British Columbia/Yale Secondary School), Adia Pye (Castaway Wanderers/University of British Columbia); Brooklyn Roddham (University of British Columbia), Ava Ference (Harvard University/Cowichan Piggies RFC); Madeline di Girolamo (University of Guelph/Aurora Barbarians), Kiki Idowu (Toronto Scottish RFC/University of British Columbia), Brooke Rempel (Brantford Harlequins/Brock University), Sierra Hasse (SABRFC/Carleton University), Anya Prokopich (Bayside RFC/University of British Columbia), Charli Helland (University of Lethbridge/Calgary Rams), Amber Edgerton (Oshawa Vikings/Durham College), Sarah Schonfeld (Queen’s University) (capt).
Replacements: Jessica Postle (Central Washington University), Heather Armstrong (Calgary Hornets/University of Guelph), Eve Godin (Notre-Dame CNDF/Université Laval), Alexis Dobson (University of British Columbia), Guinevere O’Hara (Aurora Barbarians/Queen’s University), Sydney Pipe (Queen’s University/Oshawa Vikings), Nayka Goudreau (Club de Rugby de Québec/Université Laval), Mya Koleba (TORA/University of British Columbia), Elle Douglas (Kirin RFC/University of Victoria), Fiona Day (University of Ottawa), Charlotte Hilton (Halifax Tars RFC/University of Victoria), Kelsa Kempf (Trinity Western University), Ivy Poetker (Calgary Rams/Westshore RFC/University of Victoria).
Referee: Siobhán Daly (IRFU)