Match Tracker: Ireland 10 Scotland 11

…Ireland’s Jo O’Sullivan on the burst against Spain during the 2006 Six Nations…

Ireland suffered an agonising defeat overnight in Edmonton as Scotland took their few chances to win a hard-fought 5th-8th place play-off at the IRB Women’s World Cup.

2006 IRB WOMEN’S RUGBY WORLD CUP: Tuesday, September 12

5TH-8TH PLACE PLAY-OFF:

IRELAND 10 SCOTLAND 11, St. Albert RFC, Edmonton, 12am Irish time

Scorers: Ireland: Tries: Germaine Healy, Jeanette Feighery

Scotland: Try: Chris Ovenden; Pen: Paula Chalmers; Drop: Chalmers

Full-Time: Agony for Ireland, the players are distraught at the final whistle. They threw everything they had into this one, and had they been a bit more composed, a bit more clinical, the result would have been different. Their dream of a fifth place finish is over – Scotland hang on for an 11-10 victory. Ireland are left to face Australia in the 7th-8th place play-off at the weekend.

80 mins: IRELAND TRY! The Irish have numbers out on the right with a snappy run by Lynne Cantwell drawing the defenders and right winger Jeanette Feighery gets in for the try! Drama right until the finish here. The conversion, right on the 22-metre line, ten metres in from the right, falls to centre Davitt. Her shot looks good but it tails away to the left. There’s just no luck for the Irish today! Ireland 10 Scotland 11

78 mins: SCOTLAND DROP GOAL! Sucker punch score for the Scots as Chalmers scrambles over a drop goal from just inside the 22. Could that be the defining moment? Ireland 5 Scotland 11

76 mins: IRELAND TRY! The Irish lay siege to the Scottish line and all that pressure eventually pays off – a neat lineout move sees lock Healy barrel over in the left corner. The conversion is a horrible one for Davitt, and unfortunately his brave effort slides away to the left. Game on though! Ireland 5 Scotland 8

72 mins: SCOTLAND PENALTY! Chalmers converts a penalty, awarded after Lynne Cantwell had gone over the top of a ruck 15 metres from the Irish line. That score could be crucial – a powerful run by Petlevannaya initially scattered the Irish defence. Ireland 0 Scotland 8

61 mins: Yvonne Nolan has been brought on at hooker for Ireland, with Lonergan making way.

59 mins: Eimear O’Sullivan is on for Brennan on the blindside of the Irish scrum.

58 mins: Ireland retrieve possession – you guessed it – a knock on after Belton and Jeanette Feighery had linked on the right wing. Ireland will have to get their reward for this good work sooner or later. Patience will be key.

56 mins: Neville picks and goes off the subsequent scrum, but a knock on is spotted by referee Inwood.

54 mins: A lot more menace from Ireland now – excellent lineout take from number eight Joy Neville sees Rosser release big lock Healy in midfield and she makes the hard yards before a Jo O’Sullivan kick up the middle results in Scotland full-back Millard throwing a forward pass.

50 mins: Ireland are the first team into the opposition’s 22 in the second half. A Belton kick out to the right dribbled nicely into touch. Still no breakthrough though.

48 mins: Irish scrum half Rosser is pinged for a high tackle on Millard and the girls in green lose valuable field position. But some tough tackling gets Philip Doyle’s side back into Scottish territory and Karen Findlay is in at the side of a ruck, offering Belton a penalty kick to touch.

43 mins: Another good platform for Ireland to attack – the Scots take out an Irish jumper in the air, Belton opts to kick to touch from 28 metres out. Lonergan’s throw at the lineout is not straight unfortunately.

Second Half: Marie Barrett is on for Gillian McAllister at tighthead prop for the second period.

…Ireland scrum half Tania Rosser…

Half-Time: It’s all to play for as the half ends with Scotland only 5-0 in front. The Irish survived a late onslaught as the Scots took a quick tap penalty in their own half and used their forwards as battering rams for three phases before good hands from Clare Muir and Iona Frickleton gave right winger Shepherd plenty of space to move up through the gears, but, once again, a knock on brings the attack to a close.

38 mins: Irish flanker Brennan makes two sizeable incisions in the Scottish defence, yet her team mates cannot take advantage. Referee Nicky Inwood from New Zealand has a word with Irish captain Belton, pointing out that her forwards were lying offside at the last three rucks. From an unbiased (ahem!) perspective, the Scots have been infringing at the breakdown for the past half hour – plenty of their players in off their feet – Southern Hemisphere referees eh?

36 mins: Nice chip over the top from Chalmers forces Ireland to retreat back past their ten-metre line. Scotland win the subsequent lineout and they had numbers out on the right wing, however a poor pass from Millard to Shepherd sees the Irish line remain intact. Some sterling covering by Ni Chadhain there, the Galwegians winger stood her ground.

32 mins: Ireland miss out on a glorious try-scoring opportunity. They did all the hard work, winning two lineouts on the left flank and setting up mauls. The final one, after a Mahon lineout take, saw them edge right up close to the Scottish line but the ball was just lost forward.

30 mins: Cries of ‘well done Belto!’ go up as Irish skipper Belton finds a good touch after Karen Findlay was found guilty of lying offside at a ruck.

28 mins: It’s error strewn so far, simply too many knocks on and no pattern to the game at all. Ireland should be on the scoreboard at this stage. Scotland are forcing the issue at the moment, but a great steal by Healy at a lineout sets the Irish back on the front foot. A rolling maul gains ten metres – great stuff from the pack!

20 mins: SCOTLAND TRY! Great presentation from the Scots’ pack as Kerr is given the platform to burst up through Ireland’s middle and numbers out wide on the left sees winger Chris Ovenden nip in at the corner. Scottish captain Paul Chalmers misses the difficult conversion. Ireland 0 Scotland 5

18 mins: Sizzling speed off the mark from Millard sees the Scots attack Ireland’s left flank again, but flanker Orla Brennan gets back to disrupt their momentum.

16 mins: It’s Scotland’s opportunity to press with Petlevannaya making great strides up through the middle, the ball eventually finds it way out to Rhona Shepherd on the right wing, but a knock on spoils what looked a good set-up from the Scots.

14 mins: Scrappy stuff so far, but Ireland nearly make a breakthrough when scrum half Tania Rosser snipes through and flicks a reverse pass but the move peters out, 15 metres from the Scottish try line.

10 mins: Camped near the Scots’ 22, Ireland are really pushing for a score. Great lineout take by Caroline Mahon sets up a drive, there’s a Scottish player lying offside. Penalty to Ireland, 30 metres out. Full-back Belton kicks for touch, but unfortunately it goes long and the chance is lost.

6 mins: Plenty of pressure on the Scots – Ireland are completely dominating in the territory stakes and captain Sarahjane Belton puts a lovely chip kick in to the left corner for Nuala Ni Chadhain to chase – the cheers go up but Lucy Millard does well to collect the loose ball and run it back.

4 mins: Jean Lonergan’s first lineout throw, aimed at Healy, is knocked on. The Scots bring play into the Irish half, but a great tackle by Grace Davitt on Rimma Petlevannaya brings the attack to a shuddering stop.

2 minutes: The Irish succeed in shoving Scottland off their own scrum, but out-half Erin Kerr kicks to touch just near the Scots’ 10-metre line.

First Half: The teams are out on the pitch for the anthems, there are no late changes. Scotland get the game underway – nice take by Germaine Healy and a relieving kick by Jo O’Sullivan, bringing play into the Scottish 22.

Team News: There have been three changes made to the Ireland team that beat South Africa 37-0 win for tonight’s play-off clash with the Scots.

Left winger Nuala Ni Chadhain, tighthead prop Gillian McAllister and lock Germaine Healy all return, with Suzanne Fleming, Marie Barrett and Rosie Foley the players to make way. Cork ladies footballer Mairead Kelly has retained her place on the bench after scoring a try as a replacement against South Africa.

Scotland have also made a total of three changes, two of which are positional, to the side that lost 21-0 to New Zealand last time out.

Veronica Fitzpatrick comes off the bench to start at inside centre, meaning Rimma Petlevannaya moves across to outside centre and Chris Ovenden will wear the number 11 jersey. The pack remains the same. Scottish coach Gil Stevenson admitted that the starting XV picked is “the strongest available to play Ireland – we’re expecting a very competitive contest against them.”

Ireland: Sarahjane Belton (capt); Jeanette Feighery, Lynne Cantwell, Grace Davitt, Nuala Ni Chadhain; Jo O’Sullivan, Tania Rosser; Fiona Coghlan, Jean Lonergan, Gillian McAllister, Caroline Mahon, Germaine Healy, Orla Brennan, Rachel Boyd, Joy Neville.

Replacements: Yvonne Nolan, Marie Barrett, Rosie Foley, Eimear O’Sullivan, Shannon Houston, Mairead Kelly, Suzanne Fleming.

Scotland: Lucy Millard; Rhona Shepherd, Rimma Petlevannaya, Veronica Fitzpatrick, Chris Ovenden; Erin Kerr, Paula Chambers (capt); Lynne Reid, Iona Frickleton, Karen Findlay, Jilly McCord, Lindsay Wheeler, Susie Brown, Donna Kennedy, Clare Muir.

Replacements: Gail Russell, Heather Lockhart, Sarah Mee, Shona Watt, Elizabeth Dalgliesh, Lynsey Douglas, Rachael Nicholson.

Referee: Nicky Inwood (New Zealand)
Touch Judges: Debbie Innes (England), Tood Van Vliet (Canada)