The Ireland Women’s side lost out to Wales in their final match of the 2009 RBS Women’s 6 Nations Championship, despite an improved second half display.
2009 RBS WOMEN’S 6 NATIONS CHAMPIONSHIP: Saturday, March 21
WALES WOMEN 13 IRELAND WOMEN 10, Taffs Well, Cardiff
Scorers: Wales: Tries: Non Evans, Jenny Davies; Pen: Evans
Ireland: Try: Shannon Houston; Con: Niamh Briggs; Pen: Niamh Briggs
Saturday’s defeat was a disappointing way for Ireland to end their Championship campaign but their previous results were enough for them to finish third in the table for their best ever RBS Women’s 6 Nations finish.
It also equals their best ever Championship performance – they were third place finishers in back in the 1996 Home Nations tournament.
Ireland mounted a concerted second half assault as they tried to bounce back from a 10-3 half-time deficit at Taffs Well, but they fell agonisingly short as the Welsh hung on to lift the Triple Crown for the first time in their history.
Tries in either half from prop Jenny Davies and winger Non Evans helped the home side take the lead and a late penalty from Evans decided the tie.
Steven Hennessy’s Ireland side showed great determination and spirit to fight back and level the game at 10-10, thanks to a try from centre Shannon Houston and five points from the right boot of full-back Niamh Briggs.
As the Irish began to put more width on the ball, Briggs and replacement Amy Davis looked dangerously as they pressed for Ireland’s second try.
The closest they came was when centre Helen Brosnan tried to pull off an interception but she dropped the ball and Briggs also missed a subsequent penalty opportunity.
There was a minute’s silence held before the game to mark the untimely passing of former Ireland Women’s team manager Mark Andrews, an absolute gentleman who did an awful lot of good work for the game in this country.
When the action got underway Wales got off to a flying start. They scored a try in the second-minute as a powerful midfield break from Clare Flowers led to Davies touching down for an unconverted score.
Veteran Evans burst through for a ninth-minute try which she failed to convert – her kick bounced back off the post.
23-0 winners over Scotland last time out, those early tries were big setbacks for Ireland. But Hennessy’s charges recovered and with the forwards gaining considerable ground, Briggs was presented with a penalty kick which she duly goaled.
The Clonmel woman was off target with a second penalty on 21 minutes. However, Ireland were beginning to look the part in open play and experienced winger Lynne Cantwell showed a great turn of pace to almost reach the Welsh whitewash.
Cantwell charged through the middle, breaking two tackles, before a last-ditch challenge hauled her down metres from the try-line.
Wales held out and after being made to defend for a 10-minute period, they worked a fine attack off a lineout in the closing minutes of the half.
Evans was found in plenty of space and it took a strong tackle from Cantwell to bundle the Welsh winger into touch as she tried to make the corner.
A superb try from Houston, eight minutes into the second half, gave the Irish great encouragement for the remainder of the game.
Houston slipped past two tacklers and darted in under the posts, allowing Briggs a simple conversion. The successful kick made it 10-10.
As the tension mounted, Ireland lost hooker Yvonne Nolan to the sin-bin for killing the ball. Try as they might, Wales could not force their way over for a third try and they had to settle for a penalty from Evans which sent them back in front.
In the end, that proved to be the match-winning score as the home side tackled their hearts out and kept the likes of Cantwell, Briggs and Davis at bay.
On another day, Ireland might have pipped the Welsh as there was very little between the sides.
But the players and management can still look back on a very encouraging Championship – qualification for the Rugby World Cup has been secured and they bettered last year’s fourth place finish in the Six Nations.
England, the defending champions, retained the RBS Women’s 6 Nations title on Saturday with a stunning 72-3 victory over Scotland. The English made history by becoming the first side to win four back-to-back Championships.
France, who were 14-10 winners over Italy on Sunday afternoon, had to settle for fourth place, behind Ireland and the second-placed Welsh.
WALES WOMEN: Naomi Thomas (Bristol Ladies); Non Evans (Cardiff Quins), Clare Flowers (Bristol Ladies), Rachel Poolman (UWIC), Louise Rickard (Woodbridge); Awen Thomas (Cardiff Quins), Laura Prosser (Pontyclun); Hannah Roberts (UWIC), Rhian Bowden (UWIC), Jenny Davies (Waterloo), Gemma Hallett (Pontyclun), Rachel Taylor (Cardiff Quins), Catrina Nicholas (Cardiff Quins), Jamie Kift (Bristol Ladies), Mellissa Berry (Bristol Ladies) (capt).
Replacements: Claire Horgan (Saracens), Catrin Edwards (Cardiff Quins), Louise Horgan (Saracens), Claire Donovan (Saracens), Amy Day (UWIC), Ali Wright (Loughborough/ Lichfield), Aimee Young (UWIC).
IRELAND WOMEN: Niamh Briggs (Clonmel/Munster); Jeannette Feighery (UL Bohemians/Munster), Helen Brosnan (Highfield/Munster), Shannon Houston (Blackrock/Leinster), Lynne Cantwell (UL Bohemians/Munster); Joanne O’Sullivan (Richmond/Ulster), Tania Rosser (Blackrock/Leinster); Fiona Coghlan (UL Bohemians/Leinster), Yvonne Nolan (Blackrock/Leinster), Gillian Bourke (UL Bohemians/Munster), Caroline Mahon (UL Bohemians/Leinster), Orla Brennan (Blackrock/Leinster), Louise Austin (Blackrock/Leinster), Sinead Ryan (Navan/Leinster), Joy Neville (UL Bohemians/Munster) (capt).
Replacements: Jess Limbert (Lichfield/Ulster), Lauren Day (Cooke/Ulster), Kate O’Loughlin (Clonmel/Munster), Debbie Clarke (Blackrock/Leinster), Louise Beamish (UL Bohemians/Munster), Laura Nicholl (Cooke/Ulster), Amy Davis (Blackrock/Ulster).
Referee: Clare Daniels (England)
This website uses cookies.
Read More