'I can’t really speak highly enough about her' - Scott Bemand on new addition Ellena Perry
WHIRLWIND: Ireland's Ellena Perry celebrates with her Player of the Match award and her son Bert after the game. Pic: ©INPHO/Ben Brady
Scott Bemand only met Ellena Perry for the first time less than six weeks ago but the Ireland head coach has quickly grasped how important the loosehead prop could be for his side at the Women’s World Cup.
A player of the match performance in the bonus-point pool victory over Spain in Northampton last Sunday confirmed the impact the 28-year-old has already made on the Irish squad. A scrum penalty won at the first engagement in a dominant set-piece for her side was augmented by 19 tackles during the 43-27 win that secured a place in the quarter-finals.
It completed an unlikely turnaround in Perry’s international career after presuming her time in Test rugby had ended with the last of her 11 caps for England in 2020.
Yet five years on and she switched allegiances under World Rugby Regulation 8 thanks to an Irish grandfather and a chance conversation with Gloucester-Hartpury team-mates Sam Monaghan, the Ireland co-captain, and hooker Neve Jones.
Perry had mentioned her family background to them and when injury forced Christy Haney out of the World Cup reckoning, Monaghan tipped Bemand off about the Gloucester-Hartpury loosehead.
The Ireland boss called Perry on July 21, she travelled to Ireland six days later, and was a non-playing reserve against Scotland in Cork on August 2, making her debut against Canada a week later in Belfast.
“El Perry's been brilliant since she's been in,” Bemand said. “She such a sound person both on and off the pitch.
“We've had the pleasure of inviting Bert in, her (three-year-old) son, and he never stops grinning, never seen a lad with a permanent smile on his face. And she's so proud of being able to show Bert what she can do on the world stage.
“So she's added in more than just the off pitch and we know she's a great scrummager. She can carry, she can ball play at the line, and she can defend. So we've got a player here who's just added more again to a group and has brought into what the group's trying to achieve.
“I can’t really speak highly enough about her.”
Perry admitted it had initially been a difficult adjustment entering a new team environment when she first joined the Ireland squad.
“I’m quite a reserved person so it was quite tough. But the girls have been class. I can’t fault it, I’m enjoying every minute I’m here. Everyone’s been really nice and welcoming.
“To be fair, it’s been a whirlwind. I just try and take every day as it comes. Now we’re five, six weeks in, I try to get used to not seeing my son every day. We’re getting used to it.”
Perry’s impact on the pitch is an indication she has hit the ground running in a green jersey, not least at scrum-time where she dovetailed seamlessly with hooker Cliodhna Moloney McDonald and tighthead Linda Djougang to unpick the Spanish scrum.
“It’s promising. I pride myself on my scrum. It’s always nice to get a penalty from the first scrum, it gives you a bit more confidence moving into the game. We knew the threats they had at the scrum so we’re pleased with it.”
The loosehead newcome disputed the suggestion she had been introduced to “fix” Ireland’s scrum, adding: “Not at all, we’ve just been working. I’ve always prided myself on my scrum, my set-piece. I wanted to make sure I came in, with what I enjoy, using my strength.”
Perry will find out on Friday whether she will get to use that strength against defending champions New Zealand in Brighton two days later with top spot in Pool C on the line but her all-round performance on both sides of the ball makes her a difficult player for Bemand to ignore.
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