Ireland rack up 100 points in WXV opener

Ireland's Eve Higgins scored four tries on the night.

WXV: Ireland 109 Kazakhstan 0.

Scott Bemand’s tenure as Ireland’s head coach got off to the perfect start with a 109–0 victory against Kazakhstan in their opening WXV 3 game.

Prior to kick-off Bemand described his first game at the helm as a “fresh start” in World Rugby’s new elite women’s rugby competition, which began on Friday.

With a number of star names from the union’s Sevens programme available for selection as the new SVNS Series campaign is seven weeks away, it was certainly a night to remember in Dubai.

Eve Higgins and Beibhinn Parsons each scored four tries each on their return to the 15-a-side squad, the duo running riot in the 13-try victory at The Sevens Stadium in Dubai.

Ireland flew out the traps and made their way over the try line within two minutes of kick-off, with prop Christy Haney riding the tackle of her opposition fly-half to score beneath the posts, and Dannah O’Brien getting a first of six conversions.

Meabh Deely soon followed the tighthead over the try line before Higgins secured her first of the night with a mazy run through light blue shirts. Following the water break, Linda Djougang marked her 30th cap with the bonus point score and continued the Ireland dominance.

Before the break, Parsons scored her first of the match, while Higgins added a second, while both Molly Scuffil-McCabe and Grace Moore helped their team to a half century on the stroke of half-time.

Ireland Women's Rugby coach Scott Bemand.

For Kazakhstan, things went from bad to worse after the break. Their captain, Karina Sazontova, received a yellow card for a high shot on her opposite number Edel McMahon, with Higgins scoring shortly after thanks largely to the work of Deely and Parsons.

Aoife Dalton was soon in on the act and helping Nicole Frowley to the first of her 12 points from the tee, while Parsons registered a second score before Kazakhstan were dealt another blow as Anna Chebotar was also sent to the sin bin.

Having already struggled to contain Ireland, the Nomads were largely powerless as their opponents charged to 100 points.

Brittany Hogan registered a first try for her country, the No.8 burrowing over from close range before Parsons completed scored her third and fourth tries of the match either side of Dalton’s second.

Handing out four debuts for this game, Bemand’s team reached their century through 18-year-old Leinster hooker Sarah Delaney. Only recently introduced to the game, Delaney latched onto the back of a line-out maul before being driven across.

To finish the scoring, Ireland again turned to Higgins who charged in from her own 10m line to finish the match, and the start of a new journey, on a high.