Ireland U-18 Women Enjoy Clean Sweep Of Home Nations Sevens Wins
The Ireland Under-18 Women’s Sevens team were in supreme form when winning the inaugural U-18 Home Nations Sevens tournament in Edinburgh over the weekend. They won all five of their matches, scoring 25 tries in the process.
In Pics: Ireland U-18 Women Win Home Nations Sevens In Edinburgh
The two-tournament series, which concludes at the University of Birmingham on July 21-22, saw the best of underage Sevens talent in Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales play off at the Peffermill Playing Fields in Edinburgh with a round-robin format on Saturday and knockout matches yesterday.
The girls in green, coached by Adam Griggs and managed by Elaine Ryan, showed their intent with pool wins over England (28-19), Wales (29-5) and hosts Scotland (47-10) to emerge as top seeds. They then reached the final with a 29-14 semi-final defeat of Wales, before tries from Beibhinn Parsons, Lucinda Kinghan and Maggie Boylan steered them to a 19-10 victory over England in the decider.
Winning the first leg keeps up the Ireland U-18 Women’s excellent form over the past 10 months, building on the performances which saw them crowned UK School Games champions for the first time – future senior starlet Eve Higgins was part of that squad – and claim their highest ever finish of third at the Rugby Europe U-18 Women’s Sevens Championship.
Griggs, the Ireland Women’s 15s head coach who joined the IRFU High Performance Unit Women’s Programme in April, told IrishRugby.ie: “The weekend in Edinburgh was a great showcase of the talent coming through in our Women’s Programme. The girls played some brilliant Sevens rugby.
“They showed true character and pride in the jersey to win every match in testing temperatures. It was a massive squad effort from all twelve girls who were led superbly by captain Anna Doyle. We’ve one more Home Nations tournament in Birmingham where we will look to improve some of our play again.
“It’s an exciting time, and personally I can’t wait to watch this group of players grow and hopefully progress through into our senior sides in the very near future.”
Nine European bronze medallists were included in the squad, including Doyle and her co-captain from the Vichy tournament, Fethard and Munster powerhouse Dorothy Wall. Both players showed their leadership qualities again, while Tullow flyer Doyle (five tries) was among the leading scorers on the all-weather Peffermill pitch.
Ballinasloe’s Parsons, who won her first Ireland cap in April, top-scored with six tries, including a hat-trick against Wales in the pool stages, and her club-mate, speedy scrum half Meabh Deely, landed 14 conversions. Megan Burns and Aoibheann Reilly contributed three tries each, with newcomers Lily Brady (try) and Molly Fitzgerald also making an impact.
The Ireland girls fell behind in their tournament opener against England but three converted tries had them 21-12 to the good at half-time and they ran out 28-19 winners. Parsons, Burns, Doyle and Reilly all touched down in the sun-baked conditions.
Parsons was in prolific form against Wales, erasing an early try with a superb hat-trick in the 29-5 second round victory, and IQ Rugby recruit Alexandra Dunne excelled off the bench, crossing for a deserved try and impressing as a carrier and lineout jumper.
Griggs’ charges ended day one with a runaway 47-10 success against the pink-shirted Scots, their pace and power proving too much for the home side as they racked up seven tries, including a brace from Reilly, the third Ballinasloe representative involved.
A try double from the elusive Doyle, who continued to unlock defences with her pace off the mark, helped Ireland to turn a tight 10-7 half-time lead into a 29-14 semi-final triumph over Wales, with Monaghan and Ulster duo Kinghan and Kelly McCormill both crossing the whitewash.
Converted efforts from the ever-influential Parsons and Kinghan gave Ireland a 14-0 buffer at the midpoint of the final against England, and although the margin was reduced to four points courtesy of a determined fight-back, Boylan came off the bench to brilliantly run in the decisive try and complete an unbeaten campaign in Edinburgh.
– Photos courtesy of www.rugbypeople.net
IRELAND UNDER-18 WOMEN’S SEVENS Squad (Under-18 Home Nations Sevens Tournament – Round 1, Peffermill Playing Fields, Edinburgh, Scotland, Saturday, July 7-Sunday, July 8):
Maggie Boylan (Carrick-On-Suir RFC/Munster)
Lily Brady (Westport RFC/Connacht)
Megan Burns (Tullamore RFC/Leinster)
Meabh Deely (Ballinasloe RFC/Connacht)
Anna Doyle (Tullow RFC/Leinster) (capt)
Alexandra Dunne (Denston College/IQ Rugby)
Molly Fitzgerald (Navan RFC/Leinster)
Lucinda Kinghan (Monaghan RFC/Ulster)
Kelly McCormill (Monaghan RFC/Ulster)
Beibhinn Parsons (Ballinasloe RFC/Connacht)
Aoibheann Reilly (Ballinasloe RFC/Connacht)
Dorothy Wall (Fethard RFC/Munster)
UNDER-18 HOME NATIONS SEVENS – ROUND 1 RESULTS:
Saturday, July 7 –
Scotland 28 Wales 5
Ireland 28 England 19
Scorers: Ireland: Tries: Beibhinn Parsons, Megan Burns, Anna Doyle, Aoibheann Reilly; Cons: Meabh Deely 3, Megan Burns
Team: Dorothy Wall, Kelly McCormill, Lucinda Kinghan, Méabh Deely, Megan Burns, Béibhinn Parsons, Anna Doyle (capt).
Subs used: Aoibheann Reilly, Molly Fitzgerald, Maggie Boylan, Alexandra Dunne.
England 12 Scotland 17
Ireland 29 Wales 5
Scorers: Ireland: Tries: Beibhinn Parsons 3, Alexandra Dunne, Anna Doyle; Cons: Meabh Deely 2
Team: Lucinda Kinghan, Kelly McCormill, Lily Brady, Aoibheann Reilly, Megan Burns, Anna Doyle (capt), Molly Fitzgerald.
Subs used: Béibhinn Parsons, Maggie Boylan, Méabh Deely, Dorothy Wall, Alexandra Dunne.
Scotland 10 Ireland 47
Scorers: Ireland: Tries: Aoibheann Reilly 2, Beibhinn Parsons, Anna Doyle, Maggie Boylan, Megan Burns, Lily Brady; Cons: Meabh Deely 5, Maggie Boylan
Team: Dorothy Wall, Maggie Boylan, Lily Brady, Meabh Deely, Aoibheann Reilly, Beibhinn Parsons, Anna Doyle (capt).
Subs used: Lucinda Kinghan, Megan Burns, Kelly McCormill, Lily Brady.
Wales 17 England 24
Sunday, July 8 –
Semi-Final 1: Scotland 0 England 34
Semi-Final 2: Ireland 29 Wales 14
Scorers: Ireland: Tries: Anna Doyle 2, Lucinda Kinghan, Kelly McCormill, Megan Burns; Cons: Meabh Deely 2
Team: Dorothy Wall, Kelly McCormill, Lucinda Kinghan, Meabh Deely, Megan Burns, Beibhinn Parsons, Anna Doyle (capt).
Subs used: Maggie Boylan, Lily Brady, Alexandra Dunne.
3rd-4th Place Play-Off: Scotland 17 Wales 22
Final: Ireland 19 England 10
Scorers: Ireland: Tries: Beibhinn Parsons, Lucinda Kinghan, Maggie Boylan; Cons: Meabh Deely 2
Team: Dorothy Wall, Kelly McCormill, Lucinda Kinghan, Meabh Deely, Megan Burns, Beibhinn Parsons, Anna Doyle (capt).
Subs used: Maggie Boylan, Alexandra Dunne, Lily Brady, Molly Fitzgerald.