Frustrating Finish In Vancouver As Ireland Women End Up Eighth

The Ireland Women (sponsored by TritonLake) struggled on the final day of the HSBC Canada Sevens, finishing eighth after losing to hosts Canada (24-12) and Great Britain (25-5).

It means Britain and fifth place finishers Fiji have closed the gap in the overall World Series standings, but Ireland, lying fifth overall, still have a 10-point buffer with two tournaments remaining.

The Lucy Mulhall-led team currently hold the last of the automatic Olympic qualification spots, sitting on 58 points ahead of the penultimate round in Hong Kong which takes place between March 31 and April 2.

Ireland had the better of the early exchanges in the 5th place semi-final against Canada. With Krissy Scurfield in the sin bin, Mulhall’s pinpoint cross-field kick was claimed by Béibhinn Parsons for an opening third-minute try.

However, Canada built for a strong finish to the first half, making good metres with their carries. From a tapped penalty five metres out, Fancy Bermudez plunged over for the levelling try.

Canadian captain Olivia Apps added a second score past the half-time hooter, stepping inside Megan Burns after Ireland had failed to take advantage of promising runs from Emily Lane and Eve Higgins.

Trailing 12-7 at the interval, the girls in green could not convert a Mulhall break into points – Claire Boles knocked on near the left touchline – and a fired-up Canada made them pay soon after.

Lively replacement Keyara Wardley dashed clear from just outside her own 22, leaving three Irish players in her wake. Apps tagged the extras for a 19-7 scoreline and Ireland had it all to do.

Vicky Elmes Kinlan caught Scurfield with a ball-dislodging tackle, Mulhall electing to launch a kick chase with the possession but Canada stormed back with Bermudez racing through to ground her second try, despite Parsons’ chase back.

There was some late consolation as, following a Kathy Baker-won penalty, Mulhall weaved downfield and sent Elmes Kinlan in behind the posts for her fourth try on the World Series circuit.

Lane and Higgins were both prominent early on in the 7th-8th place play-off against Britain. Ireland failed to profit from a good chunk of territory, though, and the game remained scoreless despite determined breaks from Lisa Thomson and Lane.

Play continued after Stacey Flood kicked through and appeared to be tackled late, the ball making its way out to Jasmine Joyce who burst clear from her own 22 and was deemed to have scored despite Parsons’ attempts to hold her up.

Emma Uren added a second try past the half-time hooter, Elmes Kinlan doing really well to deny Jones out wide before Britain shifted the ball to the opposite wing and doubled their lead to 10-0.

Playing again without Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe, Ireland were missing a vital weapon in attack and they conceded early after the restart. Thomson used a Megan Jones turnover to send replacement Rhona Lloyd over in the right corner.

British co-captain Jones dummied and darted in between Burns and Katie Heffernan, taking off from the edge of the Irish 22 to make it 20-0 with 10 minutes on the clock.

The GB team continued to be quickest to the breakdown, another costly penalty against Ireland allowing Ellie Boatman to run in try number five via fellow replacement Isla Norman-Bell’s pass.

Once Mulhall and her team-mates managed to retain possession, they made headway. Lloyd’s deliberate knock-on landed her in the bin, but Baker threw a forward pass to rule out a try for Parsons.

That elusive score did come right at the death, Burns carrying up towards the posts before Higgins ghosted out to the right and fended off Jones to cross in the corner.

Meanwhile, the draw for the Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens has provided some added spice with Ireland joining Fiji, who trail them on 48 points, second-ranked Australia, and Brazil in a mouth-watering Pool B line-up.

IRELAND WOMEN’S SEVENS Squad (HSBC Canada Sevens, BC Place, Vancouver, Canada, March 3-5, 2023):

Kathy Baker (Blackrock College RFC)
Claire Boles (Railway Union RFC)
Megan Burns (Blackrock College RFC)
Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe (Railway Union RFC)
Stacey Flood (Railway Union RFC)
Katie Heffernan (Railway Union RFC)
Eve Higgins (Railway Union RFC)
Erin King (Old Belvedere RFC)
Vicky Elmes Kinlan (Wicklow RFC)
Emily Lane (Blackrock College RFC)
Kate Farrell McCabe (Suttonians RFC)
Lucy Mulhall (Wicklow RFC) (capt)
Béibhinn Parsons (Blackrock College RFC)

IRELAND WOMEN’S SEVENS Schedule – HSBC Canada Sevens:

Friday, March 3 –

POOL C:

​​​​​IRELAND 28 CANADA 7, BC Place
Scorers: Ireland: Tries: Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe, Megan Burns, Béibhinn Parsons, Eve Higgins; Cons: Lucy Mulhall 4
Canada: Try: Keyara Wardley; Con: Olivia Apps
HT: Ireland 14 Canada 0

Team: Eve Higgins, Kathy Baker, Béibhinn Parsons, Emily Lane, Lucy Mulhall (capt), Megan Burns, Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe.

Subs used: Stacey Flood, Katie Heffernan, Claire Boles, Erin King. Not used: Vicky Elmes Kinlan.

​​​​​IRELAND 31 BRAZIL 7, BC Place
Scorers: Ireland: Tries: Eve Higgins, Béibhinn Parsons, Emily Lane, Lucy Mulhall, Erin King; Cons: Lucy Mulhall 3
Brazil: Try: Thalia Costa; Con: Luiza Campos
HT: Ireland 12 Brazil 0

Team: Eve Higgins, Kathy Baker, Stacey Flood, Emily Lane, Lucy Mulhall (capt), Megan Burns, Béibhinn Parsons.

Subs used: Erin King, Vicky Elmes Kinlan, Katie Heffernan. Not used: Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe, Claire Boles.

Day 1 Round-Up: Ireland Women Earn Day One Double In Vancouver

Saturday, March 4 –

POOL C:

USA 19 IRELAND 17, BC Place
Scorers: USA: Tries: Kayla Canett, Naya Tapper 2; Cons: Kayla Canett, Alev Kelter
Ireland: Tries: Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe, Kathy Baker, Béibhinn Parsons; Con: Lucy Mulhall
HT: USA 7 Ireland 10

Team: Eve Higgins, Kathy Baker, Béibhinn Parsons, Emily Lane, Lucy Mulhall (capt), Megan Burns, Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe.

Subs used: Stacey Flood, Claire Boles. Not used: Katie Heffernan, Erin King, Vicky Elmes Kinlan.

CUP QUARTER-FINAL:

FRANCE 12 IRELAND 10, BC Place
Scorers: France: Tries: Joanna Grisez, Jade Ulutule; Con: Caroline Drouin
Ireland: Tries: Megan Burns, Lucy Mulhall
HT: France 5 Ireland 5

Team: Eve Higgins, Kathy Baker, Béibhinn Parsons, Emily Lane, Lucy Mulhall (capt), Megan Burns, Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe.

Subs used: Stacey Flood, Claire Boles. Not used: Katie Heffernan, Erin King, Vicky Elmes Kinlan.

Day 2 Round-Up: Two Narrow Defeats Leave Ireland Women Fighting For Fifth

Sunday, March 5 –

5TH PLACE SEMI-FINAL:

IRELAND 12 CANADA 24, BC Place
Scorers: Ireland: Tries: Béibhinn Parsons, Vicky Elmes Kinlan; Con: Lucy Mulhall
Canada: Tries: Fancy Bermudez 2, Olivia Apps, Keyara Wardley; Cons: Olivia Apps 2
HT: Ireland 7 Canada 12

Team: Claire Boles, Eve Higgins, Erin King, Emily Lane, Lucy Mulhall (capt), Megan Burns, Béibhinn Parsons.

Subs used: Stacey Flood, Kathy Baker, Vicky Elmes Kinlan. Not used: Katie Heffernan, Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe.

7TH-8TH PLACE PLAY-OFF:

GREAT BRITAIN 25 IRELAND 5, BC Place
Scorers: Great Britain: Tries: Jasmine Joyce, Emma Uren, Rhona Lloyd, Megan Jones, Ellie Boatman
Ireland: Try: Eve Higgins
HT: Great Britain 10 Ireland 0

Team: Stacey Flood, Claire Boles, Vicky Elmes Kinlan, Emily Lane, Lucy Mulhall (capt), Eve Higgins, Béibhinn Parsons.

Subs used: Kathy Baker, Katie Heffernan, Megan Burns, Erin King. Not used: Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe.