Despite suffering a heavy defeat to Six Nations holders England at Castle Park, Doncaster, captain Ciara Griffin insists the Ireland women’s team are closing the gap to the Red Roses.

Ireland women’s head coach Adam Griggs sang the praises of Galway teenager Beibhinn Parsons after his side went top of the Women’s Six Nations table with a bonus-point triumph over Wales at Donnybrook yesterday.

Ireland recorded a bonus-point triumph against Wales to moved to the summit of the Women’s Six Nations Championship.

Ireland’s search for a maiden November Women’s International victory continues after they suffered an agonising defeat to Wales in the UCD Bowl on Sunday afternoon.

Ireland Women’s head coach Adam Griggs has kept changes at a minimum for their Six Nations Championship showdown with Italy at Viale Piacenza in Parma on Saturday (kick-off 6.45pm, Irish time).

Munster bid to retain their women’s interprovincial title when they kick-off the series against Connacht at Musgrave Park tomorrow.

There’ll be much soul-searching and head scratching once they’ve been put out of their misery, but right now, Ireland will lift their heads one last time in a bid to take something meaningful out of this Women’s Rugby World Cup.

The temptation is to say ‘game over’ for Ireland after the host nation came out a distant second-best in this win-or-bust Pool C decider against a slick French side in the Women’s Rugby World Cup at Belfield last night.

No-one did more to bail Ireland out than Jenny Murphy when Australia had them under the pump in their Pool C opener eight days ago.

No-one did more to bail Ireland out than Jenny Murphy when Australia had them under the pump in their Pool C opener eight days ago.

Ireland head coach Tom Tierney has named Cork woman Elaine Anthony in his side to take on their Italian counterparts at the Stadio Tommaso Fattori in L’Aquila on Sunday, as Ireland look to build on an injury-time win over Scotland last weekend.

Jenny Murphy scored a try in the final play of the night to snatch a dramatic victory for Ireland in difficult conditions.

Ireland women’s coach Tom Tierney has named five uncapped players in his Six Nations squad but it is the absence of former World Player of the Year nominee Sophie Spence that stood out.

Munster have dominated Leinster in recent years, but the province’s head coach Adam Griggs believes his side are ready to buck that trend in today’s ladies’ interprovincial title decider at Donnybrook (2.30pm).

Kilkenny claimed their first national title since 2008 when they proved much too strong for Clare in a disappointingly one-sided Irish Daily Star camogie league Division 1 final at Semple Stadium.

Clare 1-12 Cork 0-11

Clare 3-17 Kildare 1-22

Two of the four TG4 All-Ireland ladies SFC semi-finalists were decided on Saturday as Kerry and Connacht champions Galway advanced to the last four.

Connacht champions Galway cruised into the last four of the 2012 TG4 All-Ireland ladies senior football championship following a 12-point victory against Clare at St Brendan’s Park, Birr, on Saturday afternoon.

Clare 3-10 Fermanagh 1-12

LEINSTER champions Dublin and Munster surprise packets Kerry advanced to the semi-finals of the TG4 All-Ireland Ladies SFC with hard-fought quarter-final victories at Banagher on Saturday.

GALWAY’S Joe Bergin has urged the GAA to shut off the loophole that could see a Connacht county left without a second chance in the Championship.

THE nominees for the 2009 Opel GPA Hurling Team of the Year mirror the Vodafone All Stars with more nominations from losing All-Ireland finalists Tipperary than four-in-a-row kingpins Kilkenny.

Clare 3-10 Fermanagh 1-1