Women’s Rugby World Cup – Pool C: Ireland 43 Spain 27
Scrappy. Loose. Nervy. Bonus point. Quarter-final. All are apt terms to attach to any description of Ireland’s second consecutive World Cup victory, an unconvincing yet important display which sealed a knock-out berth ahead of next week’s pool decider against New Zealand.
If a devastating backline tore Japan to shreds last week, this time Ireland leant more on the set-piece. Three of the four first-half tries came off the back of the maul, the other coming from the boot of Dannah O’Brien.
Ireland’s wings still found the try line, Amee-Leigh Costigan and Anna McGann (twice) adding their name to the scoresheet alongside O’Brien herself and Higgins. But they all had their forward pack to thank.
This despite captain Sam Monaghan limping off after 25 minutes. She was picked up dangerously in a tackle, brought to ground safely before the ruck started, but she still suffered a leg injury which will lead to availability questions ahead of that New Zealand decider.
RM Block
While Ireland’s maul did enough to create opportunities elsewhere, Spain’s equivalent set-piece was at times dominant. In the first half, they levelled the scores during a six-minute period which saw Ireland firmly on the back foot. Tighthead prop Eider Garcia Fuentes, listed at 6′ 1″, added some serious heft to a rumbling maul which created one score for wing Claudia Perez Perez and another for hooker Marieta Roman Mallen.
Those two tries levelled the contest midway through the first half. It was the first of multiple poor passages from Ireland, albeit each Spanish punch was met with sufficient counters to allow for a favourable result.
Early doors, Ireland attacked with good tempo but little cutting edge. O’Brien went to the boot, her high bomb allowed to bounce by opposite number Zahia Perez. This allowed the chasing Costigan to gather possession inside the 22. Ireland could have gone wide and scored at any stage. They didn’t, tight carries saw O’Brien herself crash over.
Ellena Perry was a controversial pick in this World Cup squad in some quarters. The late call-up of a former England international once fellow prop Christy Haney picked up an injury was seen as a lack of faith in the depth behind her. The easiest way to quell doubters is through performance, Perry doing that on her first start as she was named player of the match.
A pair of scrum penalties – not an oft-typed sentence with this side – earned Ireland valuable territory. She also spun Garcia Fuentes out of a maul inside the 22, the momentum earning extra yards and sucking in more defenders. Costigan benefited for her second try of the tournament once the ball went wide.
Then came Spain’s fightback. Two scores within six minutes, both from their worryingly dominant maul. New Zealand will take note. O’Brien’s loose kick allowed the impressive Amalia Argudo to kick a 50:22. The following drive drew in defenders, with Ireland caught desperately narrow for wing Perez Perez’s score in the corner.
A more traditional maul score, one for the hooker Roman Mallen, levelled the scores minutes later.
Ireland needed to quell the Spanish momentum and a double-movement call when receiving the kick-off did it for them. O’Brien hit the post with the penalty but Ireland kept the territory, Eve Higgins powerfully crashing over from close range. Three minutes later, wing McGann followed suit after the forwards again hammered away off the back of a penalty won by Aoife Dalton’s stellar breakdown work.
Akin to the Japan game, Ireland started the slower of the two sides after the break. Their 14-point lead was quickly trimmed to seven. The opening kick-off was fumbled, first by McGann and then Brittany Hogan. Centre Pena Hidalgo punished them with a close-range finish, although a question could be asked if she held on to the ball as she grounded.
Not for the first time, Ireland responded. Albeit they once again needed the opposition to shoot themselves in the foot. Outhalf Perez made a mess of claiming the ball in the backfield, this time failing to mark an O’Brien high bomb. Instead of taking her time with a free-kick clearance, she rushed a kick in open play. Her effort sliced into touch still inside the 22.
Off the following lineout, Grace Moore powered over. Her line was cleverly crafted off the back of a set play, one Ireland have used three times now in two games. Sat near the press box, lineout/forwards coach Alex Codling’s reaction mixed relief with delight.
Ten minutes later, Moore struck for a second, appearing to seal the result. This time, Ireland’s backs were prominently involved in the build-up. Costigan and Higgins both broke, earning field position and Moore eventually crashed over under the posts.
Not that Spain allowed a nerveless final quarter. Ireland continued to compound errors with further errors. Another penalty saw play kicked into the corner. After a lengthy TMO consult, lock Lourdes Alameda was adjudged to have grounded over the line.
Cue five substitutions in one go from Ireland head coach Scott Bemand. Notably, O’Brien was pulled as they looked to seal the game, with Enya Breen sent in at 10. They slowly squeezed the life out of Spain. More forward carries, more ground being made. McGann’s clever hard angle against the grain restored a 20-point lead, ensuring the final 10 minutes would be nerveless.
There was still time for a botched restart gather, a constant Irish theme. A late clever lineout try earned Spain deserved scoreboard respectability.
Ireland’s error count touched 14 by the end of proceedings. When you swap out nearly half your team, this is somewhat to be expected. Still, this display may well ensure even more changes are made with New Zealand on the horizon.
SCORING SEQUENCE – 7 mins: O’Brien try, con 7-0; 18: Costigan try 12-0; 22: Perez Perez try 12-5; 28: Roman Mallen try, Argudo con 12-12; 35: Higgins try, O’Brien con 19-12; 38: McGann try 24-12; Half-time: 24-12; 42: Pena Hidalgo try 24-17; 46: Moore try 29-17; 56: Moore try, O’Brien con 36-17; 61: Alameda try 36-22; 70: McGann try, Breen con 43-22; 80: Blanco Herrera try, 43-27.
IRELAND: Stacey Flood; Anna McGann, Aoife Dalton, Eve Higgins, Amee-Leigh Costigan; Dannah O’Brien, Molly Scuffil-McCabe; Ellena Perry, Clíodhna Moloney-MacDonald, Linda Djougang; Eimear Corri-Fallon, Sam Monaghan (capt); Fiona Tuite, Claire Boles, Grace Moore.
Replacements: Brittany Hogan for Monaghan (24 mins); Emily Lane for Scuffil-McCabe (52); Neve Jones for Moloney-MacDonald, Siobhán McCarthy for Perry, Sadhbh McGrath for Djougang, Enya Breen for O’Brien, Nancy McGillivray for Dalton (all 62); Ruth Campbell for Tuite (71).
Spain: Amalia Argudo; Claudia Perez Perez, Claudia Pena Hidalgo, Claudia Cano, Clara Piquero; Zahia Perez, Anne Fernandez de Corres; Gemma Silva Sierra, Marieta Roman Mallen, Eider Garcia Fuentes; Lourdes Alameda, Elena Martinez; Lia Pineiro, Ana Peralta Baquet, Valentina Lucia Perez Marquez.
Replacements: Mireia de Andres for Garcia Fuentes (44 mins); Monica Castelo for Martinez (52); Cristina Blanco Herrera for Roman Mallen (56); Laura Delgado for Silva Sierra (59); Lea Ducher for Argudo (66); Nerea Garcia Rementeria for Peralta Baquet (67); Ariadna Bingbing Vergara Piqueras for de Corres; Anna Puig for Alameda (both 71).
Referee: Kat Roche (USA)
