Eve Higgins breaks through to score the only try of the first half for Ireland ©INPHO/Dan Sheridan
The Ireland Women’s Sevens team missed out on a prized win over Olympic Games hosts France, despite a breakway try from Eve Higgins giving them a half-time lead at the Stade de France.
The French outfit put away three tries in the second half, including a well-taken brace from Séraphine Okemba, to win this 5th place semi-final by a 19-7 margin.
The result leaves Allan Temple-Jones’ charges fighting for a seventh place finish. Their last game of the tournament is against Great Britain (kick-off 5pm Irish time), in a repeat of the Pool B opener which Britain won 21-12 on Sunday.
With Béibhinn Parsons missing Ireland’s last two matches through injury, Wicklow’s Vicky Elmes Kinlan came in for her first start of the Olympics, while Enniskillen native Claire Boles was added to the bench.
Most of the game’s early play was inside the Irish half, with the girls in green having to fight hard for every hard. Given a big vocal backing by the home crowd, France mounted an aggressive defensive line.
Les Bleues Sevens were coughing up penalties, though, and Chloé Pelle was pinged twice for not releasing after a tackle. Ireland gradually advanced past halfway.
A move off a lineout failed to work out, as passes from Megan Burns and Emily Lane both went to ground, but Higgins gobbled up a loose ball on the left wing, brilliantly catching the cover out with a burst of pace from close to the Irish 10-metre line.
Chloé Jacquet gave chase but there was no stopping the talented 25-year-old from Kilcock, who slotted over the conversion for good measure as the interval loomed.
It remained 7-0 for the turnaround as Stacey Flood and Elmes Kinlan got back to deny Camille Grassineau a quick-fire response, forcing a knock-on close to the Irish whitewash.
With Carla Neisen’s crooked lineout throw handing Ireland possession early on the resumption, Burns grasped the opportunity to step off her left and accelerate past halfway, giving her side some hard-earned front-foot ball.
However, Pelle’s physicality at the breakdown disrupted the Irish attack, allowing France to counter from the left wing where Okemba’s pace was too much for Higgins. Caroline Drouin convered to make it seven points apiece.
Okemba then used her footballing skills to secure possession after it had gone loose following a midfield carry from Higgins. France swiftly converted it into their second seven-pointer, as crisp passing released captain Neisen to go over on the right.
Knock-ons from Lane and Anne-Cécile Ciofani made for a stop-start spell, before replacement Kathy Baker’s determined run took Ireland back into French territory.
Replacement Lou Noel’s fresh legs reeled in Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe, allowing France to stay in front. They broke from deep off the resulting scrum, and despite Higgins’ try-saving tackle on Yolaine Yengo, a quick recycle led to Okemba sealing the result.
Kathy Baker (Blackrock College RFC)
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)
Vicky Elmes Kinlan (Wicklow RFC)
Emily Lane (Blackrock College RFC)
Ashleigh Orchard (Cooke RFC)
Béibhinn Parsons (Blackrock College RFC)
Lucy Mulhall Rock (Wicklow RFC) (capt)
Travelling Reserves:
Claire Boles (Railway Union RFC)
Amy Larn (Athy RFC)
Sunday, July 28 –
POOL B:
IRELAND 12 GREAT BRITAIN 21, Stade de France
Scorers: Ireland: Tries: Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe 2; Con: Lucy Mulhall Rock
Great Britain: Tries: Isla Norman-Bell, Jasmine Joyce, Emma Uren; Cons: Isla Norman-Bell 3
HT: Ireland 12 Great Britain 7
Time Line: 3 minutes – Ireland try: Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe – 5-0; conversion: missed by Lucy Mulhall Rock – 5-0; 4 mins – Great Britain try: Isla Norman-Bell – 5-5; conversion: Isla Norman-Bell – 5-7; 7+3 mins – Ireland try: Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe – 10-7; conversion: Lucy Mulhall Rock – 12-7; Half-time – Ireland 12 Great Britain 7; 8 mins – Great Britain try: Jasmine Joyce – 12-12; conversion: Isla Norman-Bell – 12-14; 10 mins – Great Britain try: Emma Uren – 12-19; conversion: Isla Norman-Bell – 12-21; Full-time – Ireland 12 Great Britain 21
Team: Béibhinn Parsons, Stacey Flood, Erin King, Emily Lane, Lucy Mulhall Rock (capt), Megan Burns, Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe.
Replacements used: Eve Higgins for King (half-time), King for Burns (13 mins). Not used: Ashleigh Orchard, Vicky Elmes Kinlan, Alanna Fitzpatrick, Kathy Baker.
IRELAND 38 SOUTH AFRICA 0, Stade de France
Scorers: Ireland: Tries: Béibhinn Parsons 2, Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe, Stacey Flood, Vicky Elmes Kinlan, Eve Higgins; Cons: Lucy Mulhall Rock, Stacey Flood 3
South Africa: –
HT: Ireland 7 South Africa 0
Time Line: 6 minutes – Ireland try: Béibhinn Parsons – 5-0; conversion: Lucy Mulhall Rock – 7-0; Half-time – Ireland 7 South Africa 0; 8 mins – Ireland try: Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe – 12-0; conversion: Stacey Flood – 14-0; 10 mins – Ireland try: Stacey Flood – 19-0; conversion: Stacey Flood – 21-0; 12 mins – Ireland try: Béibhinn Parsons – 26-0; conversion: Stacey Flood – 28-0; 14 mins – Ireland try: Vicky Elmes Kinlan – 33-0; conversion: missed by Eve Higgins – 33-0; 14+1 mins – Ireland try: Eve Higgins – 38-0; conversion: missed by Eve Higgins – 38-0; Full-time – Ireland 38 South Africa 0
Team: Béibhinn Parsons, Stacey Flood, Erin King, Emily Lane, Lucy Mulhall Rock (capt), Megan Burns, Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe.
Replacements used: Eve Higgins for Mulhall Rock (7 mins), Vicky Elmes Kinlan for Parsons, Kathy Baker for Flood (both 12), Ashleigh Orchard for King, Alanna Fitzpatrick for Murphy Crowe (both 14).
Monday, July 29 –
POOL B:
AUSTRALIA 19 IRELAND 14, Stade de France
Scorers: Australia: Tries: Faith Nathan, Teagan Levi, Maddison Levi; Cons: Teagan Levi, Tia Hinds
Ireland: Tries: Eve Higgins 2; Cons: Eve Higgins 2
HT: Australia 12 Ireland 7
Time Line: 1 minute – Australia try: Faith Nathan – 5-0; conversion: Teagan Levi – 7-0; 6 mins – Ireland try: Eve Higgins – 7-5; conversion: Eve Higgins – 7-7; 7+1 mins – Australia try: Teagan Levi – 12-7; conversion: missed by Teagan Levi; Half-time – Australia 12 Ireland 7; 9 mins – Australia try: Maddison Levi – 17-7; conversion: Tia Hinds – 19-7; 12 mins – Australia yellow card: Tia Hinds; 14 mins – Ireland try: Eve Higgins – 19-12; conversion: Eve Higgins – 19-14; Full-time – Australia 19 Ireland 14
Team: Béibhinn Parsons, Erin King, Eve Higgins, Emily Lane, Stacey Flood, Megan Burns, Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe (capt).
Replacements used: Kathy Baker for Burns (10 mins). Not used: Ashleigh Orchard, Vicky Elmes Kinlan, Alanna Fitzpatrick, Amy Larn.
QUARTER-FINAL:
AUSTRALIA 40 IRELAND 7, Stade de France
Scorers: Australia: Tries: Maddison Levi 3, Faith Nathan, Isabella Nasser, Bienne Terita; Cons: Tia Hinds 4, Dominique du Toit
Ireland: Try: Stacey Flood; Con: Eve Higgins
HT: Australia 26 Ireland 0
Time Line: 1 minute – Australia try: Maddison Levi – 5-0; conversion: missed by Tia Hinds – 5-0; 4 mins – Australia try: Maddison Levi – 10-0; conversion: Tia Hinds – 12-0; 6 mins – Australia try: Maddison Levi – 17-0; conversion: Tia Hinds – 19-0; 7 mins – Australia try: Faith Nathan – 24-0; conversion: Tia Hinds – 26-0; Half-time – Australia 26 Ireland 0; 9 mins – Australia try: Isabella Nasser – 31-0; conversion: Tia Hinds – 33-0; 12 mins – Ireland try: Stacey Flood – 33-5; conversion: Eve Higgins – 33-7; 14 mins – Australia try: Bienne Terita – 38-7; conversion: Dominique du Toit – 40-7; Full-time – Australia 40 Ireland 7
Team: Béibhinn Parsons, Erin King, Eve Higgins, Emily Lane, Stacey Flood, Megan Burns, Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe (capt).
Replacements used: Vicky Elmes Kinlan for Parsons (8 mins), Kathy Baker for Burns (10), Amy Larn for Murphy Crowe, Ashleigh Orchard for King (both 13). Not used: Alanna Fitzpatrick.
Tuesday, July 30 –
5TH PLACE SEMI-FINAL:
FRANCE 19 IRELAND 7, Stade de France
Scorers: France: Tries: Séraphine Okemba 2, Carla Neisen; Cons: Caroline Drouin 2
Ireland: Try: Eve Higgins; Con: Eve Higgins
HT: France 0 Ireland 7
Time Line: 6 minutes – Ireland try: Eve Higgins – 0-5; conversion: Eve Higgins – 0-7; Half-time – France 0 Ireland 7; 9 mins – France try: Séraphine Okemba – 5-7; conversion: Caroline Drouin – 7-7; 11 mins – France try: Carla Neisen – 12-7; conversion: Caroline Drouin – 14-7; 14 mins – France try: Séraphine Okemba – 19-7; conversion: missed by Yolaine Yengo – 19-7; Full-time – France 19 Ireland 7
Team: Erin King, Vicky Elmes Kinlan, Eve Higgins, Emily Lane, Stacey Flood, Megan Burns, Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe (capt).
Replacements used: Kathy Baker for Elmes Kinlan (10 mins). Not used: Ashleigh Orchard, Alanna Fitzpatrick, Claire Boles, Amy Larn.
7TH PLACE PLAY-OFF:
GREAT BRITAIN v IRELAND, Stade de France, kick-off 6pm local time/5pm Irish time
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