Dream Day For Ireland As Records Tumble At Aviva Stadium

Responding to a new record home crowd of 31,294, Ireland delivered a performance to match the occasion as they ran out 54-5 winners over Scotland in the first ever standalone Women’s international fixture at the Aviva Stadium.

2026 GUINNESS WOMEN’S SIX NATIONS CHAMPIONSHIP – ROUND 5:

Sunday, May 17 –

IRELAND 54 SCOTLAND 5, Aviva Stadium
Scorers: Ireland: Tries: Clíodhna Moloney-MacDonald, Robyn O’Connor, Brittany Hogan 2, Erin King, Aoife Wafer 2, Stacey Flood; Cons: Dannah O’Brien 7
Scotland: Try: Aicha Sutcliffe
HT: Ireland 47 Scotland 0

Player-of-the-match Aoife Wafer and Brittany Hogan scored two tries each for the second week running, as the Ireland Women registered a dominant victory on their return to Irish Rugby HQ for the first time since a 2014 double header.

They were a class apart during the first half, scoring seven tries to lead 47-0, with the result ensuring they finished the 2026 Guinness Women’s Six Nations in third place for the third year in a row under head coach Scott Bemand.

In signs of further progress under Bemand, this is the first time Ireland have won three matches in a single Six Nations tournament since 2020, and their overall haul of 25 tries and 163 points represents two new Six Nations scoring records for the team.

Today’s winning margin was their biggest at home in the Championship since 2014’s 59-0 triumph over Scotland, and with five tries each, Wafer and Hogan scored the most tries by an Irish player in a Six Nations campaign since the great Alison Miller during the 2013 Grand Slam run.

From Clíodhna Moloney-MacDonald’s fifth-minute try onwards, Erin King and her team-mates were in full control, storming their way to a resounding interval advantage with the ever-threatening Wafer bagging another brace.

Robyn O’Connor, one of the finds of this year’s Six Nations, Hogan, captain King, and Stacey Flood also crossed during a pulsating opening 40 minutes. Dannah O’Brien landed all bar one of her conversion attempts.

With 78% possession and 92% territory, there was only one team in it up to that point. Scotland improved after the break, making it more of a contest, and they cancelled out a Hogan score when replacement Aicha Sutcliffe touched down right at the death.

On such a historic day for Irish Women’s rugby, there was a poignant moment to finish the proceedings on the pitch as King was presented with the Siobhan Cattigan Trophy, a proud new piece of international silverware to honour Cattigan, the Scotland forward who sadly passed away in 2021 at the age of 26.

Using their 40kg advantage in the pack weights, Ireland laid down a significant early marker by winning the first scrum against the head. An incisive attack down the right seeing Eve Higgins almost break free, but Scotland were under pressure and infringed.

King secured the resulting lineout, returning the ball to in-form hooker Moloney-MacDonald for a well-directed drive from five metres out. Tullow youngster O’Brien followed up with a brilliant opening conversion from out wide.

The Ireland out-half soon stabbed a kick through that had Scotland captain Helen Nelson turning back towards her try-line. Linda Djougang her hand to Leia Brebner-Holden’s clearance kick, allowing King to send Aoife Dalton weaving infield inside the Scottish 22.

The visitors tried to realign in the defence, with Ireland seeking to capitalise on an overlap on the right, but O’Connor cleverly cut inside Chloe Rollie and accelerated her way to the whitewash for a terrific 20-metre run-in. O’Brien converted again for a 14-0 scoreline.

The Irish attack was relentless, the speed of ball utilised by Emily Lane allowing Wafer, Sam Monaghan, and O’Connor, with her footwork continually making metres, to get over the gainline. Their third converted try followed when Hogan burrowed over beside the posts for her fourth score of the Championship.

A slick exchange between Wafer and Béibhinn Parsons swiftly took Ireland back into the Scottish 22. The Scots continued to concede penalties, and the girls in green profited again for their bonus point try. King deservedly got on the scoresheet, with the excellent Ellena Perry providing a powerful latch.

It was very much a dream opening quarter for Bemand’s side, and they extended it thanks to O’Brien’s accurate left boot and a sparkling spell of offloading led by Parsons and Wafer, who linked with Dalton off the ground. Moloney-MacDonald was making some carries as Ireland continued to dictate play.

Scotland, who had lost playmaker Meryl Smith to an early injury, were sent back towards their try-line after a crooked lineout and a scrum penalty. Higgins cut inside on a pacy line, and the Irish forwards pummelled away before Moloney-MacDonald had a try ruled out for being part of the ruck before she scored.

There was nothing wrong about Wafer’s 30th-minute effort from close range, this time Moloney-MacDonald set up the opportunity by gobbling up Elis Martin’s overthrow and skittling Nelson over on a barnstorming carry. O’Brien was on target from the tee to make it 33-0.

Ireland reached the 40-point mark with four minutes left in the half. Scottish indiscipline invited them forward again, and maul possession was moved infield where Flood, an elusive runner throughout, used an O’Brien pass to beat two defenders with a smart finish from 15 metres out.

An O’Brien garryowen caused trouble for Scotland, and although they cleared back to halfway, O’Connor sliced them open with her evasion skills, bursting through to link with the supporting Wafer who fixed Rollie with a dummy and gleefully dived in under the posts.

A heavy rain shower added to the difficulty when the second half got underway. Scotland lifted their game, making decent headway until King won a turnover penalty, and then a steal at the breakdown just minutes later.

The sunshine soon returned and so did Moloney-MacDonald’s bulldozing carries. It was her final act before six replacements were sent together for the final half an hour. The entire tight five came off, and 20-year-old winger O’Connor also made way for Vicky Elmes Kinlan.

Even when Louise McMillan charged down an O’Brien kick, the ball did not go Scotland’s way as the second row’s hack through went over the end line. Ruth Campbell had a strong introduction, making some forceful carries, and Parsons gained ground out wide in the 54th minute.

Despite Holland Bogan’s well-won penalty, Ireland were soon back on the attack as Eilís Cahill’s big clearout allowed Lane to snipe through into the opposition 22. Cahill also carried powerfully off a close-in tap penalty, before Hogan squeezed in under the posts to complete her double.

Katie Whelan and recent debutant Niamh Gallagher came on for the final quarter which proved to be scrappy overall. Bemand’s charges had opportunities to extend their lead, but handling errors, including one at a maul, let them down in advanced positions.

Elmes Kinlan scrambled well to earn a penalty, keeping Scotland pinned back on the 70-minute mark. A break from the fleet-footed Lucia Scott finally brought the Scots into scoring range, and they showed resilience to grab a last-gasp consolation try through young replacement Sutcliffe.

The hosts repelled them initially, Elmes Kinlan producing a impressive try-saving tackle on Rhona Lloyd. However, the number of penalties caught up with them, and Campbell saw yellow for an early drive at a defensive lineout. Sutcliffe duly closed out the scoring from the subsequent maul.

TIME LINE: 5 minutes – Ireland try: Clíodhna Moloney-MacDonald – 5-0; conversion: Dannah O’Brien – 7-0; 8 mins – Ireland try: Robyn O’Connor – 12-0; conversion: Dannah O’Brien – 14-0; 14 mins – Ireland try: Brittany Hogan – 19-0; conversion: Dannah O’Brien – 21-0; 19 mins – Ireland try: Erin King – 26-0; conversion: missed by Dannah O’Brien – 26-0; 30 mins – Ireland try: Aoife Wafer – 31-0; conversion: Dannah O’Brien – 33-0; 36 mins – Ireland try: Stacey Flood – 38-0; conversion: Dannah O’Brien – 40-0; 39 mins – Ireland try: Aoife Wafer – 45-0; conversion: Dannah O’Brien – 47-0; Half-time – Ireland 47 Scotland 0; 59 mins – Ireland try: Brittany Hogan – 52-0; conversion: Dannah O’Brien – 54-0; 80+4 mins – Ireland yellow card: Ruth Campbell; 80+6 mins – Scotland try: Aicha Sutcliffe – 54-5; conversion: missed by Helen Nelson – 54-5; Full-time – Ireland 54 Scotland 5

IRELAND: Stacey Flood (Railway Union RFC/Leinster); Béibhinn Parsons (Blackrock College RFC/Connacht), Aoife Dalton (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster), Eve Higgins (Railway Union RFC/Leinster), Robyn O’Connor (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster); Dannah O’Brien (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster), Emily Lane (Blackrock College RFC/Munster); Ellena Perry (Gloucester-Hartpury/IQ Rugby), Clíodhna Moloney-MacDonald (Exeter Chiefs), Linda Djougang (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster), Sam Monaghan (Gloucester-Hartpury/IQ Rugby), Fiona Tuite (Old Belvedere RFC/Ulster), Brittany Hogan (Sale Sharks), Erin King (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster) (capt), Aoife Wafer (Harlequins).

Replacements: Neve Jones (Gloucester-Hartpury), Sadhbh McGrath (Cooke RFC/Ulster), Eilís Cahill (UL Bohemian RFC/Munster), Dorothy Wall (Exeter Chiefs), Ruth Campbell (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster), Katie Whelan (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster), Vicky Elmes Kinlan (Wicklow RFC/Leinster), Niamh Gallagher (Trailfinders Women/IQ Rugby).

SCOTLAND: Chloe Rollie (Toulon Provence Méditerranée); Rhona Lloyd (Sale Sharks), Rachel Philipps (Sale Sharks), Meryl Smith (Bristol Bears), Shona Campbell (Sale Sharks); Helen Nelson (Loughborough Lightning) (capt), 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), Demi Swann (Exeter Chiefs), Molly Poolman (Edinburgh Rugby/Watsonian FC), Hollie Cunningham (Bristol Bears), Holland Bogan (Glasgow Warriors/Stirling County), Rhea Clarke (Bristol Bears), Lucia Scott (Loughborough Lightning), Coreen Grant (Harlequins).

Referee: Aurélie Groizeleau (FFR)