Ireland Women Increase Try-Scoring Threat But Bow Out To Australia

The Ireland Women’s Sevens team (sponsored by TritonLake) had six different try scorers as they faced off with Spain and an in-form Australia at the Singapore Sevens earlier today.

Ireland were reliant on stand-in captain Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe for most of their tries in Hong Kong last month, but it was encouraging to see a wider spread of scorers on day two of the Singapore leg.

Ashleigh Orchard (née Baxter) marked her return to the team, and the HSBC SVNS Series circuit, with the final try in Ireland’s 25-7 win over Spain which saw them advance as Pool A runners-up.

Having been outplayed by Australia for much of the Cup quarter-final, and endured a couple of sin-binnings, Allan Temple-Jones’ charges put together a strong finish which resulted in closing tries from Erin King and Emily Lane.

Despite that 24-14 defeat, that late rally ensures that they will take some decent momentum into tomorrow’s 5th place play-off against Japan (kick-off 3.33pm local time/8.33am Irish time).

You can watch all of the HSBC SVNS Series matches for free on RugbyPass TV or on TNT Sports, while there is coverage of Ireland’s progress in Singapore across the @Ireland7s social media channels, and in our Ireland Sevens Hub.

This is the last round of the regular season, with the top eight teams – including Ireland in seventh overall – moving on to contest the inaugural Grand Final in Madrid (May 31-June 2). The winner-takes-all event will crown the HSBC SVNS champions for 2024.

Young forward King led the charge early on against Spain, winning a turnover and then scooping up a loose pass to carry powerfully. Nonetheless, a costly penalty halted the attack and allowed Spain to break downfield and open the scoring.

Teenage talent Juana Stella was set free by Ingrid Algar from halfway, and she dived in under the posts for Amalia Argudo to convert. Ireland hit back immediately, with King making big metres, and a neat switch by Megan Burns put Stacey Flood in the clear from 40 metres out.

Burns was seeing more of the ball in attack, making good decisions, and just past the half-time gong, the girls in green claimed the lead for the first time. Murphy Crowe took off from Spain’s 10-metre line, getting past Algar to make it 10-7.

Flood was beginning to pull the strings in attack, and a neat exchange with Murphy Crowe on the right wing saw her touch down inside 30 seconds of the restart.

Scrum half Lane clamped onto a ball at the breakdown to win a midfield penalty, and it was Flood who was central to the next try. She was heavily involved in the build-up, providing the assist for Vicky Elmes Kinlan to hand off Algar and score out wide on the left.

The biggest celebration came when Orchard made it over in the left corner for try number five, with her team-mates quickly on the scene to congratulate her on her first SVNS Series try since 2018.

Lane had gone close a few phases earlier, but Vikki Wall did well to keep a final attack going, offloading to Flood under pressure from three defenders. She fed Castlewellan woman Orchard who was quick off the mark to finish from close range.

Into the knockout stages, Ireland bookended the first half of the quarter-final with yellow cards, the first of them coming inside the opening seconds when Burns caught Australian captain Madison Ashby by the hair in an attempted tackle.

Maddison Levi crashed over for her seventh try of the weekend, and despite Elmes Kinlan winning a turnover penalty, the Irish lineout then misfired. That allowed the pacy Ashby to weave through and send Faith Nathan over in the third minute.

A dozen points down and struggling for territory, Ireland ended the first half down to six players. King’s tackle on Ashby resulted in a knock-on, prompting referee Kat Roche to produce her yellow card.

The absence of King was punished by Ashby’s breakaway score from her own quick tap, inside the opening minute of the second half. Two missed tackles allowed Teagan Levi to add a fourth try in the ninth minute, which Tia Hinds converted.

The remainder of the game saw Ireland build phases, and their direct play in attack was rewarded. Their general play improved with Burns exploiting defensive gaps on two occasions, and Kate Farrell McCabe gathering turnover ball on the left wing.

Higgins, Farrell McCabe, and King all carried strongly to wear down the Australian defence, and it was King who made the breakthrough, tidying up a loose ball at the back of a ruck and handing off Ashby to go in under the posts.

Higgins converted and also added the extras to Lane’s closing try, as the Mallow native darted over following a flicked pass off the ground from Higgins. Flood and replacements Orchard and Alanna Fitzpatrick were all involved in the build-up.

IRELAND WOMEN’S SEVENS Squad (2024 HSBC SVNS Series – Singapore Sevens, Singapore National Stadium, Friday, May 3-Sunday, May 5, 2024):

Claire Boles (Railway Union RFC)
Megan Burns (Blackrock College RFC)
Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe (Railway Union RFC) (capt)
Alanna Fitzpatrick (Portarlington RFC/Blackrock College RFC)
Stacey Flood (Railway Union RFC)
Eve Higgins (Railway Union RFC)
Erin King (Old Belvedere RFC)
Vicky Elmes Kinlan (Wicklow RFC)
Emily Lane (Blackrock College RFC)
Amy Larn (Athy RFC) *
Kate Farrell McCabe (Suttonians RFC)
Ashleigh Orchard (Cooke RFC)
Vikki Wall (Ireland Sevens)

* Denotes uncapped player at SVNS Series level

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

Friday, May 3 –

POOL A:

CANADA 0 IRELAND 5, Singapore National Stadium
Scorers: Canada: –
Ireland: Try: Vicky Elmes Kinlan
HT: Canada 0 Ireland 5

Team: Vicky Elmes Kinlan, Erin King, Claire Boles, Emily Lane, Stacey Flood, Megan Burns, Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe (capt).

Replacements used: Ashleigh Orchard, Eve Higgins. Not used: Kate Farrell McCabe, Alanna Fitzpatrick, Vikki Wall.

NEW ZEALAND 31 IRELAND 12, Singapore National Stadium
Scorers: New Zealand: Tries: Jorja Miller, Portia Woodman-Wickliffe, Stacey Waaka, Michaela Blyde, Shiray Kaka; Cons: Tyla King 2, Risi Pouri-Lane
Ireland: Tries: Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe, Eve Higgins; Con: Eve Higgins
HT: New Zealand 12 Ireland 5

Team: Vicky Elmes Kinlan, Erin King, Vikki Wall, Emily Lane, Stacey Flood, Megan Burns, Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe (capt).

Replacements used: Eve Higgins, Alanna Fitzpatrick, Kate Farrell McCabe, Ashleigh Orchard, Claire Boles.

Day 1 Round-Up: Orchard And Higgins Return As Ireland Women Make Winning Debut In Singapore

Saturday, May 4 –

POOL A:

IRELAND 25 SPAIN 7, Singapore National Stadium
Scorers: Ireland: Tries: Stacey Flood 2, Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe, Vicky Elmes Kinlan, Ashleigh Orchard
Spain: Try: Juana Stella; Con: Amalia Argudo
HT: Ireland 10 Spain 7

Team: Vicky Elmes Kinlan, Erin King, Claire Boles, Emily Lane, Stacey Flood, Megan Burns, Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe (capt).

Replacements used: Eve Higgins, Alanna Fitzpatrick, Vikki Wall, Kate Farrell McCabe, Ashleigh Orchard.

CUP QUARTER-FINAL:

AUSTRALIA 24 IRELAND 14, Singapore National Stadium
Scorers: Australia: Tries: Maddison Levi, Faith Nathan, Madison Ashby, Teagan Levi; Cons: Tia Hinds 2
Ireland: Tries: Erin King, Emily Lane; Cons: Eve Higgins 2
HT: Australia 12 Ireland 0

Team: Vicky Elmes Kinlan, Kate Farrell McCabe, Erin King, Emily Lane, Stacey Flood, Megan Burns, Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe (capt).

Replacements used: Eve Higgins, Alanna Fitzpatrick, Ashleigh Orchard. Not used: Amy Larn, Claire Boles.

Sunday, May 5 –

5TH PLACE PLAY-OFF:

JAPAN v IRELAND, Singapore National Stadium, 3.33pm local time/8.33am Irish time