Mulhall Shines As Ireland Women Strike Gold In Perth

The Ireland Women (sponsored by TritonLake) enjoyed a dream final day in Perth as they upset highly-fancied Australia to win their first ever HSBC SVNS Series tournament.

The trophy-clinching 19-14 victory represents another milestone achievement for the IRFU Sevens Programmes, coming just minutes after the Ireland Men had finished the Australian leg as bronze medal winners, having beaten Fiji 24-7.

This historic first SVNS Series title success – for either the Men or Women – comes just six months before both Irish teams compete at the same Olympic Games for the first time.

Eve Higgins’ fourth try in as many games was the difference in a Cup final that was on a real knife-edge throughout. Converted scores from Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe, who finished the weekend with six tries, and Lucy Mulhall had Ireland leading 14-7 at half-time.

Back from suspension, Teagan Levi levelled for the SVNS Series leaders before Allan Temple-Jones’ charges snatched back control at a sold-out HBF Park and silenced the home crowd.

The Ireland Women, who previously won silver (Seville) and bronze (Langford) during the 2021/22 season, worked Higgins over from 10 metres out before coolly seeing out a result which ended their 29-match losing streak against Australia.

Earlier, captain Mulhall had been hugely influential in only a second victory in eight Cup semi-final appearances for the girls in green. The newly-married Wicklow native bagged a brace of tries in a 31-7 triumph over Great Britain, before starring as the HSBC player of the final.

The only previous time the Ireland Women had beaten Australia was back in 2013 on their World Series debut in Guangzhou, China. A late penalty from Claire Keohane saw them prevail 15-14, with Jeannette Feighery and Alison Miller the try scorers.

Ireland’s current squad, which includes the newly-capped Vikki Wall and fellow SVNS Series newcomer Lucinda Kinghan, picked up 20 SVNS Series points in Perth, which lifts them from seventh place up to fourth in the overall standings.

They are just six points behind Olympic hosts France, in third. The SVNS Series resumes with back-to-back events in Vancouver (February 23-25) and Los Angeles (March 1-3) – New Zealand, Brazil, and South Africa will join the newly-crowned Perth champions in Pool A in Canada.

Ireland quickly got down to business against Britain, with a Stacey Flood-led counter ruck earning an early turnover. Béibhinn Parsons deftly collected a bouncing cross-field kick from the Dubliner, and she offloaded for Mulhall to put the first five points on the board.

GB, who were missing injured captain Abbie Brown and Shona Campbell, nipped ahead soon after. A sidestepping Isla Norman-Bell broke from inside her own half for a classy solo score, which Emma Uren converted.

It was tit-for-tat as Ireland fired back with their second try almost straight from the restart. Megan Burns exploited some space on the right, breaking past halfway and dangling a terrific pass out for Murphy Crowe to collect and coast clear from Britain’s 10-metre line.

Mulhall was back on target with the conversion, and Ireland’s defensive pressure gained them some late first half rewards. They were unable to profit from a Murphy Crowe turnover penalty, but hounded Britain into a costly error past the half-time hooter.

Higgins’ ball-dislodging tackle, inside the GB 22, saw Burns pounce on the hard-won possession and sweep a pass out for scrum half Emily Lane to scamper over to the right of the posts. Mulhall’s conversion made it 19-7.

Into the second half, Ireland continued to carry the greater attacking threat. Mulhall showed her breaking ability, albeit that her pass to the supporting Lane was just two low. The skipper responded with a penalty won at the breakdown, to keep GB pinned back.

Nice handling off the resulting scrum, kicked off by replacement Aoibheann Reilly’s slick offload, led to Higgins stepping inside Norman-Bell for a well-taken 11th-minute try.

Flood’s determination to knock back restarts, combined with another snappy midfield run from Mulhall, quickly put Ireland back inside the British 22 with a penalty. GB held out until the final minute when Mulhall bagged her brace.

Parsons straightened up a pacy attack and Flood went quickly from the next ruck, and although the influential forward fell awkwardly when taking contact, Mulhall was first in to scoop up the ball and go in under the posts for seven more points.

Speaking afterwards, the Ireland captain said: “We didn’t have the best start to the season and we just got back and regrouped over Christmas. Really set our sights on this tournament and it’s just amazing to do it with this great bunch.

“We’re so close, on and off the field, and I think that’s something we bring on the field so you’re never afraid to put yourself out there and make mistakes. We cover each other and I think it’s just how tight-knit this group is.”

Flood, who had a brilliant tournament, hobbled off before the final whistle, but recovered well to line out in an unchanged starting line-up against Australia. Teagan Levi made up for a poor kick-off by winning a turnover penalty, and the possession was turned into a try by captain Charlotte Caslick.

Levi, whose older sister Maddison was suspended for the decider, made it a full seven-pointer, but Ireland, wearing their white and grey alternate kit, mustered a quick-fire response in the fourth minute.

Burns teed up Parsons to jink along the left wing, sucking in two defenders before releasing Murphy Crowe on her inside, and the Tipperary speedster was not going to be caught from the halfway line. Mulhall tagged on the levelling conversion from straight in front.

Australia were put back close to their posts by a series of penalties, which saw Caslick yellow carded for a deliberate knock-on. Ireland had retained possession well, continuing to opt for scrums, and Lane was stopped just short before Flood put Mulhall squeezing in under the posts.

Levi raised the decibel level with her ninth-minute response, having linked with the returning Caslick on a switch move and evaded the clutches of the chasing Higgins. She converted her own try for a 14-all scoreline.

Nonetheless, Levi fluffed her restart to hand possession straight back to Ireland. Despite Lane and Burns failing to connect on the right wing, Ireland’s well-organised defence was able to keep the hometown favourites in their own half until Faith Nathan knocked on.

Into the final two minutes, Higgins and Parsons ran hard to bring Ireland up into the Australian 22. Reilly tapped a penalty and Higgins, fed by Mulhall just 10 metres out, cut inside Isabella Nasser’s attempted tackle to niftily move her side back in front.

Mulhall sent her conversion just to the right of the posts, and crucially when play resumed with only 30 seconds remaining, Alysia Lefau-Fakaosilea knocked on the restart.

Reilly got the ball in and out of the scrum quickly, allowing her captain to kick the ball dead just after the final hooter. History was made, Ireland could celebrate becoming only the sixth different Women’s team to win a SVNS Series event (after New Zealand, Australia, Canada, the USA, and England).

IRELAND WOMEN’S SEVENS Squad (HSBC SVNS Series – Perth 7s, HBF Park, Perth, Friday, January 26-Sunday, January 28, 2024):

Megan Burns (Blackrock College RFC)
Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe (Railway Union RFC)
Alanna Fitzpatrick (Portarlington RFC/Blackrock College RFC)
Stacey Flood (Railway Union RFC)
Eve Higgins (Railway Union RFC)
Erin King (Old Belvedere RFC)
Lucinda Kinghan (Railway Union 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)
Aoibheann Reilly (Blackrock College RFC)
Vikki Wall (Ireland Sevens)

IRELAND WOMEN’S SEVENS Schedule – HSBC SVNS Series – Perth:

Friday, January 26 –

POOL C:

USA 14 IRELAND 19, HBF Park
Scorers: USA: Tries: Kristie Kirshe, Jaz Gray; Cons: Kayla Canett 2
Ireland: Tries: Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe 2, Megan Burns; Cons: Lucy Mulhall 2
HT: USA 7 Ireland 14

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

Replacements used: Erin King. Not used: Kate Farrell McCabe, Aoibheann Reilly, Lucinda Kinghan, Vicky Elmes Kinlan.

NEW ZEALAND 21 IRELAND 14, HBF Park
Scorers: New Zealand: Tries: Stacey Waaka, Jorja Miller 2; Cons: Tyla King 3
Ireland: Tries: Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe, Aoibheann Reilly; Cons: Lucy Mulhall 2
HT: New Zealand 14 Ireland 7

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

Replacements used: Erin King, Aoibheann Reilly, Vicky Elmes Kinlan, Lucinda Kinghan, Kate Farrell McCabe.

Day 1 Round-Up: Ireland Women Lay Down Early Marker On Perth Debut

Saturday, January 27 –

POOL C:

IRELAND 26 JAPAN 7, HBF Park
Scorers: Ireland: Tries: Béibhinn Parsons 3, Eve Higgins; Cons: Lucy Mulhall 3
Japan: Try: Honoka Tsutsumi; Con: Hanako Utsumi
HT: Ireland 14 Japan 7

Team: Béibhinn Parsons, Stacey Flood, Vikki Wall, Emily Lane, Lucy Mulhall (capt), Megan Burns, Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe.

Replacements used: Eve Higgins, Erin King, Aoibheann Reilly, Vicky Elmes Kinlan, Lucinda Kinghan.

CUP QUARTER-FINAL:

FIJI 12 IRELAND 14, HBF Park
Scorers: Fiji: Tries: Stacey Waaka, Jorja Miller 2; Cons: Tyla King 3
Ireland: Tries: Eve Higgins, Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe; Cons: Lucy Mulhall, Eve Higgins
HT: Fiji 5 Ireland 14

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

Replacements used: Erin King. Not used: Kate Farrell McCabe, Aoibheann Reilly, Vicky Elmes Kinlan, Lucinda Kinghan.

Day 2 Round-Up: Ireland Women Set Up Semi-Final Showdown With Britain

Sunday, January 28 –

CUP SEMI-FINAL:

IRELAND 31 GREAT BRITAIN 7, HBF Park
Scorers: Ireland: Tries: Lucy Mulhall 2, Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe, Emily Lane, Eve Higgins; Cons: Lucy Mulhall 3
Great Britain: Try: Isla Norman-Bell; Con: Emma Uren
HT: Ireland 19 Great Britain 7

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

Replacements used: Aoibheann Reilly, Erin King, Kate Farrell McCabe, Lucinda Kinghan, Vicky Elmes Kinlan.

CUP FINAL:

IRELAND 19 AUSTRALIA 14, HBF Park
Scorers: Ireland: Tries: Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe, Lucy Mulhall, Eve Higgins; Cons: Lucy Mulhall 2
Australia: Tries: Charlotte Caslick, Teagan Levi; Cons: Teagan Levi 2
HT: Ireland 14 Australia 7

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

Replacements used: Aoibheann Reilly, Erin King. Not Used: Kate Farrell McCabe, Lucinda Kinghan, Vicky Elmes Kinlan.