Cliodhna Moloney: Encouraging signs but old failings still niggle with new look Ireland 

It’s hard to keep momentum when you’re constantly conceding soft penalties for high tackles or not rolling away. 

Ireland's Amee-Leigh Crowe runs in to score a try despite the efforts of Lisa Neumann of Wales

Losing 27-19 at home to Wales at the start of a new Six Nations campaign is not a result the girls would have been anticipating. They will be disappointed of course but I don’t think they will feel down and out at all because there were positive aspects to our attack, which has been lacking flair and direction for a while.

You can see signs that they do have a way that they want to play and that development is encouraging.