Ireland newcomers make case for South Africa trip
Ireland debutants Alana McInerney, Sophie Barrett and Kate Jordan with their caps. Pic: ©INPHO/Ben Brady
For the three debutants in Ireland’s seven-try victory over Japan, it was an exceptionally well-timed first impression at Virgin Media Park.
Munster back Alana McInerney and Ulster prop Sophie Barrett scored the insurance tries off the bench in a 24-point victory, while Leinster lock Kate Jordan was credited with forcing a late turnover.
The highlight reel moment belonged to McInerney, whose twin brother Mark featured for Éire Óg in the Clare senior football semi-finals on Sunday, rebuffing five Japanese tacklers for her 63rd-minute touchdown.
The auspicious timing comes down to what’s next. After a week off to recover, the squad will reconvene in Dublin, where 30 will be selected to embark on the team’s first-ever tour of South Africa.
Having named a 36-strong training squad for the WXV Global Series six weeks ago, Scott Bemand will face some awkward decisions in the final cut.
“It's a World Rugby piece,” said the head coach. “Teams only travel with 30, so it is what it is.
“Hence your Alanas being able to come on moves Anna (McGann) out to the wing, Robyn (O’Connor) comes from wing to full-back. That versatility is so important when you've got a squad of only 30.”
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For McInerney, it was a dream debut, with the prospect of more happy days to come.
“I can't actually even put it into words,” she said before expanding on her GAA background.
“I was just football-mad growing up, football and camogie, and the only reason I went to rugby was Aoife Corey was going. She's my best friend, so she pushed me off to there.
“I keep getting texts every week off the football club if I could play, but I don't think I'd be able to play anymore.”
With two Cape Town tests on the horizon at the end of October, it’s for good reason.
“It's incredible for anyone who gets to go,” said McInerney. “I was lucky enough to be in South Africa for my cousin’s wedding last year, so I thought I'd never get to go again. We'll see how it goes.”
For Bemand, the experience will be even more novel.
“These days, everybody seems to be going to South Africa, back and forth, but I've never been,” he said.
“I'm really excited to go. And really excited to take a group that I'm going to learn a bit about.
“It's another layer for us. In three years’ time, we're going to be away for about nine weeks (for the World Cup). Having a two-and-a-half-, three-week tour to South Africa now is well placed at the right time for us.
“We've got some learnings from the last three weeks that we've got to take over there to a completely different physical challenge. But in two weeks, we'll be ready and excited and enthused by it.”
Some of those lessons will come from the first five minutes, where three Irish penalties allowed Japan three dangerous mauls, before another penalty advantage facilitated Sakurako Korai’s breakthrough.
Their discipline improved as Japan’s slipped. Yellow cards for Masami Kawamura and Maiko Nishi in the 25th and 63rd minutes would prove major turning points.
Before then, Eilís Cahill’s first international try, converted by Dannah O’Brien, brought Ireland level.
They would make it 29 points without reply. That run was bookended by Brittany Hogan and new record try-scorer Béibhinn Parsons each racking up their third try in seven days against the Sakura 15.
Whereas Japan scored three maul tries last week, Ireland turned the tables for two of their own in the first half through Hogan and Neve Jones.
The other try was an outstanding show of strength by McGann, whose wonderful pass created the opening before reaching out in contact to touch the ball down. She must’ve been a close rival for her Connacht colleague Parsons’ player of the match award.
It was 22-7 at half-time and Parsons’ 40-metre run-in made it 29-7.
Japan upped the tempo to wipe 12 points off that lead, closing the deficit to 29-19 with tries from Nami Asari and a maul effort from Nijiho Nagata. Nishi converted the first before being sin-binned for a high tackle that drew blood from Erin King’s nose.
McInerney immediately profited as she spun out of contact and drove through four more defenders for her memorable debut try.
“When Steeno (Gareth Steenson) was prepping me to go on, he was just like: ‘Carry hard’,” she said.
“Aoife (Dalton) latched onto me at one stage and I was like, get off me! I'm just going to keep on going.”
Barrett added the cherry on top with a late score as Enya Breen converted both.
The eventual margin of victory marked a 17-point improvement on last week, although Bemand reckoned their 43 points “should have been in the 50s, perhaps even pushing 60”.
Tries: E Cahill, B Hogan, N Jones, A McGann, B Parsons, A McInerney, S Barrett; Cons: D O’Brien 2, E Breen 2.
Tries: S Korai, N Asari, N Nagata; Cons: M Nishi 2.
N Gallagher (A McInerney 49); B Parsons, A McGann, A Dalton, R O’Connor; D O’Brien (E Breen 63), E Lane (A Reilly 49); L Djougang (S McGrath 69), N Jones (B Buttimer 63), E Cahill (S Barrett 44); J Clohessy, F Tuite-O’Sullivan; B Hogan, E King (capt) (K Jordan 63, blood), J Adams Verling (G Moore 49).
M Nishi; H Tsunokawa, U Kataoka, M Furuta (K Hayashi 49, HIA), K Imakugi; S Harada, M Tsukui (capt) (S Nakashima 70); H Komaki (N Yoshida 43), M Nagaoka (N Nagata 43), W Kitano (J Fuji 43); M Kawamura (S Nakamura 74), Y Sato (O Yoshimura 43); N Asari, S Korai, J Nduka (M Nishimura 63).
Sin bin: M Kawamura (25), M Nishi (63).
C Munarini (Italy).
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