DEIRDRE FITZGERALD wrote her name into the rugby record books yesterday, scoring Ireland's first try in the inaugural women's Home Nations championship. Fitzgerald, a speedy winger from Blackrock College, darted over three minutes from the end of this game at Sunbury.
Her try was testimony to the spirit within an Irish team inspired by Wasps scrum half Raeltine Shieves.
It was Shieves who broke on the blind side to set up Fitzgerald's score, but it couldn't stop Ireland picking up the wooden spoon in this game against the current world champions.
Three England tries in the first 19 minutes put Jill Byrne's side out of sight, but the Irish in a 2,900 strong crowd at London Irish were sent home happy, celebrating the last score of the game.
Fitzgerald said: "We didn't come here to win, but to prove we had a place in the championship, and I think we did that.
They were well drilled and once they got control it was hard for us but I knew we'd score."
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