Powerful USA turn the tables

USA 40 Ireland 3:IRISH WOMEN'S rugby was brought crashing down to earth after a comprehensive defeat at Guildford yesterday.

Just over a week ago Ireland enjoyed their best performance of the tournament with a 10-point victory over the same opposition in their Pool B match. But a repeat result never looked likely after Ireland fell behind in the 11th minute to the first of two Victoria Folayan tries.

By half-time the girls in green trailed 21-3.

Flanker Beckett Royce broke the defensive line and winger Folayan showed great pace to finish off close to the posts, and Ireland simply had no answer to a brace of tries each from Folayan and centre Amy Daniels and a late touchdown from replacement Vanesha McGee, along with a 20th-minute penalty try, in their worst performance of the tournament.

Following a series of reset scrums, the USA were awarded a penalty try, and when lock Marie Louise was sinbinned in the 35th minute the US added a third try a minute later.

Ireland’s only score of the match came from a Niamh Briggs penalty after 29 minutes. She also had a chance in the last minute of the match but missed the target.

On the resumption Ireland regrouped well and enjoyed one of their best spells at the match. The lineout looked strong and Joy Neville and captain Fiona Coghlan orchestrated a couple of penetrating drives, but without any reward.

But a second try from Daniels, on the hour, ended the game as a contest, and with influential centre Lynne Cantwell in the sinbin Ireland conceded two more late tries to complete a miserable afternoon.

Ireland coach Philip Doyle said: “It didn’t go our way, the girls’ legs are getting a little bit tired this week. America, to their credit, were pretty, in their words, awesome.

“Their power in the scrum was fantastic and they put us under tremendous pressure right from the start.”

“USA were the better team on the day, there’s no doubt about that, they deserved their win,” said Ireland captain Fiona Coghlan. “They have serious pace on the wings and they were more physical than us.”

It’s a set-back that now places Ireland in a seventh/eighth place play-off against Six Nations rivals Scotland this Sunday (11.15am).

The Scots were also hammered 41-0 in their play-off against a highly-rated Canada team who were unlucky not to make the semi-finals.

IRELAND: N Briggs; A Davis, L Cantwell, S Houston (M Kelly 61), E Downey (N Stapleton h/t); J O’Sullivan, L Beamish; F Coghlan (capt), Y Nolan (L Austin 22), G Bourke (C Fanning 68); K O’Loughlin (C Mahon 68), ML Reilly; O Brennan (C Staunton 57), S Ryan (C Molloy 43), J Neville.

USA: A English; V Folayan, A Daniels, E Bydwell (M Kanuk 71), N Marchino (V McGee 64); C Ringgenberg, K Magrini (C Knudsen-Braymer 54); F Douglas (R Reddick 74), M Wallace (L Butts 62), L Vivolo; B Groefsema, S Blaney (S Bridges 76); K Zdanczewicz, B Royce (P Knight 55), M Denham.

Referee: S Minery (France).