Ireland Women Qualify For Cape Town With Plenty To Spare

In Pics: Four Wins Send Ireland Women Through To Sevens World Cup

Winning their four games in Bucharest without conceding a single point, Ireland booked their tickets to Cape Town – alongside Spain, England and Poland – thanks to a 36-0 play-off victory over Portugal.

Aiden McNulty’s side scored 177 points and 29 tries in all, Murphy Crowe sitting at the top of the try-scoring charts with handsome contributions too from Anna McGann, captain Lucy Mulhall (5 each) and Eve Higgins (4).

Mulhall also kicked well across the weekend, her 53 points including 14 successful conversions. Ireland won through to the knockout stage courtesy of pool wins over Wales (62-0), Germany (27-0) and Czechia (52-0).

Ireland began day two with a strong start against Czechia, the opening minute of the pool decider ending with McGann scoring from outside the Czech 22 after breaking past Kristyna Plevova.

A big bounce back towards her saw Mulhall regather her own restart and dart out to the right, springing Murphy Crowe over from the wing. The Wicklow native’s conversion bounced over off the far post for 14-0.

McGann soon broke around the side of a ruck for her second try, before Higgins got on the scoresheet thanks to a sidestep and a burst of acceleration to go in under the posts.

Emily Lane started an attack off a lineout and applied the finishing touches for try number five, with Megan Burns speeding down the left wing in the build-up. Mulhall converted to make it 33-0 at half-time.

With Erin King snapping up a loose ball, McGann used a big fend to complete her hat-trick. Mulhall pounced from a quick tap to score in the 11th minute, punishing a Czech offside with seven more points.

The skipper finished the match with two tries, her pace off the mark too much for the defence again as she used scrum possession to nip over behind the posts. Her conversion took her haul to 22 points.

Advancing to the World Cup qualification shootouts as Pool A winners, Ireland were drawn against Portugal and the early pressure led to a third-minute opener from Murphy Crowe.

The Portuguese elected to kick from inside their own 22, but the Tipperary speedster chased back and rounded the cover to open the scoring. Mulhall converted from a tough angle on the right.

Burns and King both passed out of tackles, in quick succession, to send Mulhall in under the posts to make it 14-0. Credit to an initial turnover won by a combination of Lane and Murphy Crowe.

Higgins took Ireland 21 points clear by the interval, her support run for a long-range Mulhall break rewarded as she was able to fend off the final defender and round in behind the posts.

Murphy Crowe shrugged off two defenders to score midway through the second half, and her third try of the game followed with less than two minutes to go. Katie Heffernan’s turnover, allied to a quick tap and run from Mulhall, did the damage.

Now assured of their World Cup place, Ireland continued to pressurise Portugal at the breakdown. Murphy Crowe gained a turnover penalty and took it in an instant to send Kate Farrell McCabe over in the right corner for the final try.

IRELAND WOMEN’S SEVENS Squad (2022 Rugby World Cup Sevens European Qualifier, Arcul de Triumf Stadium, Bucharest, July 16-17, 2022):

Claire Boles (Railway Union RFC)
Megan Burns (Blackrock College RFC)
Vicky Elmes Kinlan (Wicklow RFC)
Katie Heffernan (Railway Union RFC)
Eve Higgins (Railway Union RFC)
Brittany Hogan (Old Belvedere RFC)
Erin King (Old Belvedere RFC)
Lucinda Kinghan (Railway Union RFC/DCU RFC)
Emily Lane (Blackrock College RFC)
Kate Farrell McCabe (Suttonians RFC)
Anna McGann (Railway Union RFC)
Lucy Mulhall (Wicklow RFC) (capt)
Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe (Railway Union RFC)

RUGBY WORLD CUP SEVENS EUROPEAN QUALIFIER – RESULTS:

Saturday, July 16 –

POOL A:

IRELAND 62 WALES 0, Arcul de Triumf Stadium – Watch Replay
Scorers: Ireland: Tries: Anna McGann 2, Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe 4, Katie Heffernan 2, Lucy Mulhall, Eve Higgins; Cons: Lucy Mulhall 4, Kate Farrell McCabe 2
Wales: –
HT: Ireland 31 Wales 0

Team: Anna McGann, Claire Boles, Brittany Hogan, Katie Heffernan, Lucy Mulhall (capt), Kate Farrell McCabe, Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe.

Subs used: Erin King, Eve Higgins, Vicky Elmes Kinlan, Megan Burns, Lucinda Kinghan.

IRELAND 27 GERMANY 0, Arcul de Triumf Stadium – Watch Replay
Scorers: Ireland: Tries: Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe 2, Lucy Mulhall, Eve Higgins, Brittany Hogan; Con: Lucy Mulhall
Germany: –
HT: Ireland 15 Germany 0

Team: Erin King, Claire Boles, Eve Higgins, Emily Lane, Lucy Mulhall (capt), Megan Burns, Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe.

Subs used: Kate Farrell McCabe, Brittany Hogan, Katie Heffernan, Lucinda Kinghan, Vicky Elmes Kinlan.

Rugby World Cup Sevens European Qualifier – Results/Tables

Day 1 Round-Up: Ireland Women Begin Sevens World Cup Qualifier With Brace Of Wins

Sunday, July 17 –

POOL A:

IRELAND 52 CZECHIA 0, Arcul de Triumf Stadium – Watch Replay
Scorers: Ireland: Tries: Anna McGann 3, Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe, Eve Higgins, Emily Lane, Lucy Mulhall 2; Cons: Lucy Mulhall 6
Czechia: –
HT: Ireland 33 Czechia 0

Team: Anna McGann, Eve Higgins, Erin King, Emily Lane, Lucy Mulhall (capt), Megan Burns, Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe.

Subs used: Katie Heffernan, Vicky Elmes Kinlan, Claire Boles, Kate Farrell McCabe, Brittany Hogan.

QUARTER-FINAL:

IRELAND 36 PORTUGAL 0, Arcul de Triumf Stadium – Watch Replay
Scorers: Ireland: Tries: Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe 3, Lucy Mulhall, Eve Higgins, Kate Farrell McCabe; Cons: Lucy Mulhall 3
Portugal: –
HT: Ireland 21 Portugal 0

Team: Anna McGann, Eve Higgins, Erin King, Emily Lane, Lucy Mulhall (capt), Megan Burns, Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe.

Subs used: Brittany Hogan, Vicky Elmes Kinlan, Katie Heffernan, Kate Farrell McCabe, Claire Boles.