'Really special': Ireland reward record-breaking crowd with first half blitz

Ireland scored seven first half tries, and nine in total, as they hammered Italy in the Six Nations

Ireland captain Erin King: "We know what this squad is capable of and we really showed it in that first half."
Shauna Clinton/Sportsfile

Ireland captain Erin King credited a fast start provoked by the previous week’s frustrations against England for her side’s excellent rebound to hammer Italy 57-20 at Dexcom Stadium on Saturday.

A record Ireland Women’s home crowd of 9,206 witnessed a dominant first-half performance in Galway as King’s team gave the perfect response to their 33-12 loss in their 2026 Guinness Six Nations opener at Twickenham seven days earlier. Ireland took a 45-10 lead into the second half after a Beibhinn Parsons hat-trick on her home ground at the newly redeveloped stadium spearheaded a seven-try first-period blitz to put the game beyond the Italians by the interval.

Ireland had picked up their four-try bonus point after just 23 minutes with scrum-half Emily Lane, No.8 Aoife Wafer, debutant wing Robyn O’Connor, and prop Ellena Perry the other try scorers before the half-time break. A try at either end of the second half from hooker Cliodhna Moloney-MacDonald and flanker Brittany Hogan made it nine in total for the home side with fly-half Dannah O’Brien capping an excellent performance with six conversions.

Both King and head coach Scott Bemand spoke about getting the reaction they had asked for after finishing the England game feeling they had not fired enough shots against the world champions.

“I suppose after last week there might have been some frustrations within the squad about how we started against England, so we probably placed a bit of an emphasis on that fast start,” flanker King said. “We know what this squad is capable of and we really showed it in that first half. We came out of the blocks firing and, yeah, just really proud of the girls for that start.” Bemand added: “Yeah. I think that without getting carried away on one result, 45 points up at half-time is a significant first half, isn't it? And it's a significant difference.

“Those that know the Dexcom in Galway, it's always going to be tougher into a breeze than with it, but I thought we capitalised and most importantly, kept the momentum going in the first half.

“Last week, we said we didn't fire enough shots, we didn't get our game going, and quite simply that's down to a little bit of accuracy and potentially even some physicality.

“So we went after that this week and we definitely got transfer from Wednesday's training session into the game today.” 

Ireland's Béibhinn Parsons scored a hat-trick against Italy. Pic: ©INPHO/Dan Sheridan

Ireland’s best score of the evening came just before half-time as Parsons sealed her hat-trick of tries after a sharp move down the left wing sparked by a game-breaking flat pass on halfway from full-back Stacey Flood to right wing O’Connor. The debutant fed fellow wing Parsons on her inside shoulder, who in turn passed to Wafer, the No.8 powering upfield before an offload back to Parsons for the killer blow.

Bemand declined to pass judgment on whether it was one of the best tries scored in his three years as Ireland boss but he was more than satisfied.

“Do you know what, I never underestimate a good old mauling try as well,” the head coach said.

“It's a good try. But look, as we develop depth in positions across the board, the ability to be able to hit and go, or the ability to pull the trigger on the edge, we're developing more capability, aren't we?

“So it's a good chance and if you look across the board today there's been some good tries. Although, the one after half-time is really important because you go 45 points up and you come out and you're looking for a reaction even when you're that sort of dominant on the scoreboard, and that was a really important piece for us.

“I like any tries, and even better when they get converted and I thought that some of the conversions they were pretty outstanding.” 

King praised the atmosphere in Galway as Ireland marked their maiden appearance at Dexcom Stadium in stylish and record-breaking fashion.

“It was really special to play at home and to play in front of a record-breaking crowd for us was really, really cool,” the captain said. “I suppose it means that little bit more playing in front of your home crowd, but every game for us is just as important as the next.

“But I guess I'd be lying if I said it isn't special getting to play in front of all our family and friends and to have a record-breaking crowd just shows that.

“Our green wave is getting bigger and that's so important to us and why we play at the end of the day is to inspire that next generation.

“So to see all the young girls coming out is one of the most important things to our squad. So yeah, it probably does mean that a little bit more.”