Ireland find their rhythm to overcome Scots in World Cup tune-up

Captain Sam Monaghan got a good 36 minutes under her belt after 14 months on the sidelines while Eimear Corri-Fallon and Beibhinn Parsons went the full stretch after their own recoveries from injury.

FEELING GOOD: Ireland's Linda Djougang celebrates Deirbhile Nic a Bháird scoring her sides fifth try

Ireland 27 Scotland 21

Ireland’s women tuned up for their looming World Cup tilt with a hard-fought, come-from-behind win against Scotland in Cork on Saturday afternoon.

This was about as good as these warm-ups get. Scott Bemand’s side was rusty as hell at first but they found their feet and did just about enough to hold off a side that already had a good 80 minutes in the bag from a week before.

Captain Sam Monaghan got a good 36 minutes under her belt after 14 months on the sidelines while Eimear Corri-Fallon and Beibhinn Parsons went the full strength after their own recoveries from injury.

Add in three debuts, one off the bench for 19-year old Ailish Quinn, the five tries and a victory in the bag and it gives the squad something to build on and plenty to work on before they face Canada in another prepper in Belfast next week.

“There’s plenty in that game that we can be delighted with and clearly bits that we can go after.,” said head coach Scott Bemand after the six-point win. “Namely the start. The captain has just called that [out] in the huddle.

“To go 14 points down, I was delighted that the girls didn’t panic. They understood, ‘who are we’, what do we want to get on the pitch’? We went to the process and we were able to get through it so it is a little bit of performance-momentum for us.” 

Ireland started slowly. Hardly a shock.

This was their first game in over three months, since they ended their Six Nations with defeat away to the Scots, and only four of the XV that began that match took to the field from the off here in Cork.

The visitors had endured their own sluggish opening away to Italy in the first of their warm-ups last week and it showed in a dominant beginning. They were 14-0 to the good early in the second quarter.

Centre Lisa Thomson claimed the first try a couple of phases on from a lineout, and it was another throw from touch that saw Lucia Scott run from deep and on a beautiful angle to carve clean through the defence. Thomson converted both.

Ireland were hanging on even before those scores on the back of some last-ditch defence – Amee Leigh Costigan claiming a crucial jackal penalty at one point on their own line – and thanks to the cannon that is Dannah O’Brien’s boot.

Time and again the out-half lifted the siege but Scott Bemand’s side needed more. Their efforts to get some rhythm going were undone by dropped balls and some bad decisions when the odd opening did arise.

First-capper Ivana Kiripati dropped one of those early balls and gave away a penalty for a high hit, understandable nerves combining with the rustiness of so many weeks without a competitive game no doubt, before settling in.

Nancy McGillivray, the other rookie on from the start, saw little of the ball at first as Scotland dominated the first half-hour, but Ireland flipped from rusty to ruthless in what seemed like the blink of an eye.

It came after a lengthy delay for attention to Scottish hooker Lana Skeldon who had to be stretchered off after landing awkwardly in a ruck. Minutes later and the hosts were up and running on the back of some belated pressure in the 22.

Tighthead Sadbh McGrath did the necessary by touching down after a succession of phases and a handful of obvious Scottish penalties. O’Brien’s conversion smacked back off a post but it didn’t stall the new momentum.

Three minutes later and Meabh Deely scooted over in the right corner after a wonderful team move started by another big run from Grace Moore and, after some more punches through the middle, a succession of slick hands.

It could have been better. Ireland pummelled the Scottish line through to the half-time whistle but couldn’t cross for a third time, or on their first effort on the restart when Kiripati was held up over the line.

McGillivray did claim a third try shortly after, the Exeter Chiefs centre played cleverly into a gap by O’Brien after the forwards had softened up the resistance with a series of pick and goes under the posts. A missed kick left Ireland 17-14 to the good. The Scots were in serious trouble now.

Winger Rhona Lloyd got sent to the bin for a deliberate knock-on, and the introduction of Ireland’s frontline front rows turned the screw at scrum time, but two chances to stretch the lead went begging with infringements in the 22.

Scotland made them pay. An error here and a missed chance there and all of a sudden they were playing a game of kick-tennis that stretched the field and made the space for Emma Orr to zig and zag through for a converted try.

The Scots were now in front, with Ireland having failed to take advantage of the extra player, but the lead changed hands again 12 minutes from time with big gains from Linda Djougang and Moore opening the door for Niamh O’Dowd to burrow over and leave it 22-21.

Deirbhile Nic A Bhaird came up with what proved to be the clincher off a five-metre lineout, the Scottish defence melting away. Enya Breen’s conversion rebounding off the post left the door open for Scotland with two minutes to play but the scoring was done.

World No.2 Canada are up next and Ireland open their World Cup pool campaign a fortnight later against Japan in Northampton.

IRELAND: M Deely; B Parsons, N McGillivray, E Higgins, A-L Costigan; D O’Brien, M Scuffil-McCabe; S McCarthy, C Moloney-MacDonald, S McGrath; E Corri-Fallon, S Monaghan (capt); G Moore, I Kiripati, B Hogan.

Replacements: D Nic a Bhaird for Moore (3-14) and for Hogan (60); F Tuite for Monaghan (36); L Djougang for McGrath and N O’Dowd for McCarthy (both 50); E Lane for Scuffil-McCabe and E Breen for O’Brien (both 60); A Quinn for Kiripati and N Jones for Moloney-MacDonald (both 70).

SCOTLAND: C Rollie; R Lloyd, E Orr, L Thomson, L Scott; H Ramsay, C Mattinson; A Young, L Skeldon, E Clarke; E Wassell, R Malcolm; R McLachlan, A Stewart, E Gallagher.

Replacements: E Martin for Skeldon (32); L Bartlett for Young (HT); L Brebner-Holden for Mattinson (51); M Poolan for Clarke (55); B Blacklock for Ramsey (57); A Ferrie for Wassell and E Donaldson for Malcolm (both 65); C Grant for Brebner-Holden (71).

Referee: C Munarini (FIR).