D’Incà Double Ensures Ireland Women Remain Winless

Beatrice Rigoni pulled the strings for Italy as Alyssa D’Incà’s brace of tries saw them register only their second ever TikTok Women’s Six Nations win over Ireland in Parma.

TIKTOK WOMEN’S SIX NATIONS CHAMPIONSHIP – ROUND 3:

Saturday, April 15 –

ITALY WOMEN 24 IRELAND WOMEN 7, Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi
Scorers: Italy: Tries: Sofia Stefan, Alyssa D’Incà 2; Cons: Michela Sillari 3; Pen: Michela Sillari
Ireland: Try: Penalty try; Con: Penalty try con
HT: Italy 7 Ireland 0

Greg McWilliams’ Ireland side were unable to repeat last year’s home victory as Rugby World Cup quarter-finalists Italy bookended the second half with winger D’Incà’s scores to run out 24-7 winners.

Their captain Sofia Stefan had opened the scoring in the 28th minute, leaving the visitors trailing 7-0 at half-time. Ireland were kept scoreless despite a number of visits to the home 22.

Although they had lineout issues, McWilliams’ charges made inroads with their maul and scrum – the latter earning them a penalty try – but a Rigoni kick played in D’Incà to settle the issue in the 77th minute.

Italy gave an early glimpse of their quick-witted attack, with centre Rigoni’s pass off the shoulder sending D’Incà up into the Irish 22. But they were unable to get on the scoreboard off a lineout platform.

Neve Jones’ turnover penalty followed up on an important tackle by Aoife Dalton on Rigoni, and Italy also blew another gilt-edged opportunity after Rigoni had put her centre partner Michela Sillari through a gap.

It was a shaky start for teenage out-half Dannah O’Brien who mishandled and kicked out on the full, yet strong counter-rucking from Dorothy Wall and Grace Moore, in particular, led to turnover ball for the visitors.

Ireland’s lineout malfunctioned inside the Italian 22, ruining some promising phase-building as they were unable to punish Italy who leaked six penalties inside the opening quarter.

Linda Djougang brought Ireland within metres out the try-line with two punchy carries, but the Italians scrambled well for a timely turnover and Giada Franco soon showed her ball-carrying ability off the back of a scrum.

It was from a 27th-minute scrum that the hosts turned first phase ball into the opening try. Rigoni’s distribution was key, setting the back-three free on the left, and the supporting centre – felled by O’Brien’s tap tackle – offloaded for Stefan to finish off.

Converted by Sillari, that score settled the Italians into more of a rhythm. They managed to isolate Deirbhile Nic a Bháird for a clearing penalty and survived a late Irish onslaught with some robust defending.

Ireland failed to convert pressure into points again, the initial damage caused by Dalton and Jones both flooding forward and their scrum also won a close-in penalty. Natasja Behan was denied a try in the left corner by D’Incà, though.

Opting for a scrum from another penalty, the visitors let Italy off the hook when Moore knocked on a couple of phases later. Regularly pressurising Nichola Fryday at lineout time, it was Italy who seized the initiative when the second half started.

With Aura Muzzo barrelling up out of a tackle, Giovanni Raineri’s well-drilled team created numbers on the right where locks Giordana Duca, who had stolen the initial lineout, and Sara Tounesi set up D’Incà to step inside Lauren Delany and make it 14-0.

Both lineouts were struggling to win clean ball, Fryday getting her own back and Nic a Bháird and Dalton combining at the breakdown to force a penalty. The Irish pack battered away again but to no avail.

With 17 minutes remaining, Italy opted for the posts as Sillari punished Moore for side-entry at a ruck. Nonetheless, a powerful maul from the edge of the Italian 22 saw Ireland respond in encouraging fashion, drawing a penalty.

Their scrum, with Kathryn Buggy brought on for her second cap, was rewarded with that penalty try as Italy were guilty of collapsing a few metres out from their own line. It made it a 10-point deficit (17-7) with a dozen minutes remaining.

Nic a Bhaird lifted Ireland further with a weaving break which led to another penalty, only for veteran scrum half Sara Barattin – in her 17th Six Nations campaign – to get over a ball at the breakdown and win the decision.

Only moments after the stadium announcement of her player-of-the-match award, D’Incà collected Rigoni’s deft chip and cut inside Delany to complete her brace. Sillari’s conversion was the final scoring act.

TIME LINE: 28 minutes – Italy try: Sofia Stefan – 5-0; conversion: Michela Sillari – 7-0; Half-time – Italy 7 Ireland 0; 41 mins – Italy try: Alyssa D’Incà – 12-0; conversion: Michela Sillari – 14-0; 63 mins – Italy penalty: Michela Sillari – 17-0; 67 mins – Ireland try: Penalty try & conversion – 17-7; 77 mins – Italy try: Alyssa D’Incà – 22-7; conversion: Michela Sillari – 24-7; Full-time – Italy 24 Ireland 7

ITALY WOMEN: Beatrice Capomaggi (Villorba Rugby); Aura Muzzo (Villorba Rugby), Michela Sillari (Valsugana Rugby Padova), Beatrice Rigoni (Valsugana Rugby Padova), Alyssa D’Incà (Villorba Rugby); Veronica Madia (Rugby Colorno), Sofia Stefan (Valsugana Rugby Padova) (capt); Gaia Maris (Valsugana Rugby Padova), Vittoria Vecchini (Valsugana Rugby Padova), Lucia Gai (Valsugana Rugby Padova), Sara Tounesi (Sale Sharks), Giordana Duca (Valsugana Rugby Padova), Francesca Sgorbini (ASM Romagnat), Isabella Locatelli (Rugby Colorno), Giada Franco (Rugby Colorno).

Replacements used: Valeria Fedrighi (Stade Toulousain) for Sgorbini (56 mins), Emma Stevanin (Valsugana Rugby Padova) for Madia (63), Sara Seye (Transvecta Calvisano) for Gai (67), Sara Barattin (Villorba Rugby) for Capomaggi (68), Alissa Ranuccini (Rugby Colorno) for Locatelli (70), Emanuela Stecca (Villorba Rugby) for Maris, Laura Gurioli (Villorba Rugby) for Tounesi (both 79). Not used: Alice Cassaghi (Cus Milano Rugby).

IRELAND WOMEN: Lauren Delany (Sale Sharks/IQ Rugby); Aoife Doyle (Railway Union RFC/Munster), Aoife Dalton (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster), Anna McGann (Railway Union RFC/Connacht), Natasja Behan (Blackrock College RFC/Leinster); Dannah O’Brien (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster), Ailsa Hughes (Railway Union RFC/Leinster); Linda Djougang (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster), Neve Jones (Gloucester-Hartpury/Ulster), Christy Haney (Blackrock College RFC/Leinster), Nichola Fryday (Exeter Chiefs/Connacht) (capt), Sam Monaghan (Gloucester-Hartpury/IQ Rugby), Dorothy Wall (Blackrock College RFC/Munster), Grace Moore (Saracens/IQ Rugby), Deirbhile Nic a Bháird (Old Belvedere RFC/Munster).

Replacements used: Kathryn Buggy (Gloucester-Hartpury/IQ Rugby) for Haney (52 mins), Molly Scuffil-McCabe (Railway Union RFC/Leinster) for Hughes (56), Brittany Hogan (Old Belvedere RFC/Ulster) for Wall (59), Méabh Deely (Blackrock College RFC/Connacht) for Behan (61), Hannah O’Connor (Blackrock College RFC/Leinster) for Moore (65), Clara Nielson (Exeter Chiefs/IQ Rugby) for Jones (70), Vicky Irwin (Sale Sharks/Ulster) for Dalton (76), Sadhbh McGrath (City of Derry RFC/Cooke RFC/Ulster) for Djougang (79).

Referee: Aurélie Groizeleau (France)