Late try sees England beat Ireland

England scored a late try to beat Ireland 8-3 at the Stoop in a match played in poor conditions.

Published by Alison Donnelly, November 14th, 2015

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Late try sees England beat Ireland

The teeming rain that greeted both sides helped neither with dropped balls and scuffed kicks a feature of a fairly drab first half which had just glimmers of what both sides wanted to do in attack.

England coped slightly better in the first 40 minutes retaining the ball well in the tight exchanges and using the conditions well enough with Sarah Hunter, Marlie Packer and Rocky Clark a constant thorn for Ireland’s defence. It was a Hunt charge that forced Ireland to concede a penalty and Lauren Cattell stepped up to kick the three points for a lead after 15 minutes.

England looked much improved from their outing in France last week with their set piece work better and they threatened again through Sarah McKenna, following up a fine showing again from her efforts in France, but Ireland managed to clear their lines.

Ireland too often found themselves on the wrong end of Marie Lematte’s whistle  at the breakdown and England profited with a 20m driving maul getting the crowd going, but typical of the way the half went, Emily Scott dropped the ball and Ireland had a scrum to clear.

Irish flyhalf Sene Naoupu broke through and offloaded nicely for Jackie Shields in Ireland’s brightest attacking burst of the half which ended 3-0 in England’s favour.

Given  it was Ireland’s first outing in seven months, they will hardly have been too down on their fist half effort and it was they who burst out of the blocks in the second half.

First Niamh Briggs had a chance to level it but her kick went wide, and then Ireland were attacking hard in England’s 22 with the hosts losing Emma Croker to the sin bin as her side defended their lines desperately.  Ireland opted for a scrum from the resultant penalty but England’s excellent defence turned over after five or six phases and they cleared.

England then had their best patch of the game with Vicki Cornbourugh bursting down a wing to set up a good piece of attacking play but Ireland hung on and Briggs had another shot at the posts to level it after 70 minutes which she did from 35 metres.

England ended the half strongly though and a well organised driving maul brought reward with Izzy Noel-Smith crashing over to deny Ireland. Cattell missed the conversion but England saw the result out 8-5.

Referee; Marie Lematte FFR

England:Sarah Mckenna; Katie Mason, Lauren Cattell, Ceri Large, Charlotte Clapp; Emily Scott, La Toya Mason; Rochelle Clarke, Emma Croker , Justine Lucas , Tamara Taylor, Abbie Scott, Hannah Gallagher, Marlie Packer, Sarah Hunter (C)

Replacements:Amy Cokayne (for Croker 48) , Vicki Cornborough (for Clark 62) , Heather Kerr (for Lucas 78) , Harriet Millar-Mills, Izzy Noel-Smith (for Gallagher) , Leanne Riley, Rachel Lund, Ruth Laybourn (for Clapp 68)

Ireland:Niamh Briggs (C) Jeamie Deacon, Aine Donnelly, Jackie Shiels, Mairead Coyne, Sene Naoupu, Larissa Muldoon, Ruth O'Reilly, Cliodhna Moloney, Ailis Egan, Elaine Anthony, Ciara Cooney (Galwegians/ Connacht),  Sophie Spence,  Paula Fitzpatrick,  Heather O'BrienReplacements: Zoe Grattage, Fiona Reidy (for O'Reilly 65) , Fiona O'Brien, Katie Norris, Lindsay Peat (for Anthony 65) , Mary Healy (for Muldoon 58) , Nora Stapleton (Donnelly 58) , Claire McLaughlin

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