Flood And Murphy Crowe Guide Ireland To Third Place Finish

Stacey Flood and Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe played leading roles as Ireland carved out a 25-5 play-off win over Italy to finish third in the Women’s Six Nations.

With Energia Park bathed in sunshine, the Sevens pair impressed with Flood marking her first start with a player-of-the-match performance and Murphy Crowe crossing for two tries on her full debut.

Dorothy Wall’s second try of the Championship, coupled with a penalty from influential out-half Flood, had a territorially-dominant Ireland 8-0 in front at half-time.

They were able to negotiate the first-half setbacks of losing captain Ciara Griffin to a head injury and Sene Naoupu to the sin-bin for a high tackle.

Tries from Murphy Crowe and Cliodhna Moloney, in a seven-minute spell, put 20 points between the sides, and although Melissa Bettoni replied for the Azzurre, a last-minute score from the elusive Murphy Crowe completed her brace.

Ireland were first to threaten, Brittany Hogan’s turnover penalty getting them into range but Italy held out from the maul and a second Irish lineout opportunity went abegging.

However, the hosts showed their clinical edge in the ninth minute when Flood tapped a penalty in the 22 and released flanker Wall to crash over in the left corner, past Italy veteran Sara Barattin.

The game’s opening try went unconverted and handling errors thwarted both sides towards the end of the first quarter. Ilaria Arrighetti broke the defensive line past halfway, but Ireland quickly regrouped to foil a promising attack.

Arrighetti was then caught high in a tackle by Naoupu, who was captaining Ireland with Griffin off for her HIA. Referee Sara Cox produced a yellow card following the TMO review, yet Italy continued to struggle for territory.

Flood and Linda Djougang stood out as the visitors’ eagerness to go wide was getting little return. The girls in green defended smartly and were rewarded in the 29th minute, Flood forcing a penalty at the breakdown and left-footing a lovely kick through the posts.

There were further scrappy phases approaching the break, Italy still pinned in their own half with a stiffening wind in their faces. The conditions mattered little for Ireland on the resumption, though, as they quickly extended their lead.

Off a Hogan-won lineout, Sevens star Murphy Crowe showed terrific acceleration to dart away from two defenders on a weaving run to the try-line. Flood knocked over a well-struck conversion to make it 15-0.

Moloney followed up with her fourth try in two games, piling over from her own quick tap as she powered in between two defenders. Flood pulled the conversion wide but Ireland were now in a very strong position.

Italy hit back with a prolonged purple patch, setting up camp near the Irish line on the back of a couple of scrum penalties. With Grace Moore on for her debut and Leah Lyons returning to front row duty, Ireland dug their heels in.

Lyons had a key involvement in holding up Bettoni in the 64th minute, but there was no denying the Italian hooker five minutes later when she deservedly reached over from close range for an unconverted score.

The error count was high as the 80-minute mark drew closer, with a series of knock-ons making for stop-start exchanges. Still, Ireland had enough time for replacement Laura Feely to feed Murphy Crowe for a comfortable finish from the right wing.

The result, coming a week on from a heavy home defeat to France, leaves Adam Griggs’ side with a two-out-of-three return from their shortened Six Nations campaign. Next up will be the Rugby World Cup qualifiers with Italy one of their main rivals.

TIME LINE: 9 minutes – Ireland try: Dorothy Wall – 5-0; conversion: missed by Stacey Flood – 5-0; 21 mins – Ireland yellow card: Sene Naoupu; 29 mins – Ireland penalty: Stacey Flood – 8-0; Half-time – Ireland 8 Italy 0; 44 mins – Ireland try: Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe – 13-0; conversion: Stacey Flood – 15-0; 51 mins – Ireland try: Cliodhna Moloney – 20-0; conversion: missed by Stacey Flood – 20-0; 69 mins – Italy try: Melissa Bettoni – 20-5; conversion: missed by Michela Sillari – 20-5; 80+3 mins – Ireland try: Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe – 25-5; conversion: missed by Stacey Flood – 25-5; Full-time – Ireland 25 Italy 5

IRELAND WOMEN: Eimear Considine (UL Bohemians/Munster); Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe (Railway Union/Munster), Eve Higgins (Railway Union/Leinster), Sene Naoupu (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Beibhinn Parsons (Ballinasloe/Blackrock/Connacht); Stacey Flood (Railway Union/Leinster), Kathryn Dane (Old Belvedere/Ulster); Lindsay Peat (Railway Union/Leinster), Cliodhna Moloney (Wasps/IQ Rugby), Linda Djougang (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Aoife McDermott (Railway Union/Leinster), Nichola Fryday (Blackrock/Connacht), Dorothy Wall (Blackrock/Munster), Brittany Hogan (DCU/Old Belvedere/Ulster), Ciara Griffin (UL Bohemians/Munster) (capt).

Replacements used: Hannah O’Connor (Blackrock/Leinster) for Griffin (13 mins), Hannah Tyrrell (Old Belvedere/Leinster) for Parsons (61), Grace Moore (Railway Union/IQ Rugby) for McDermott, Emily Lane (Blackrock/Munster) for Dane (both 63), Neve Jones (Malone/Ulster) for Moloney, Laura Feely (Blackrock/Connacht) for Peat, Leah Lyons (Harlequins/IQ Rugby) for Djougang (all 64), Enya Breen (UL Bohemians/Munster) for Higgins (73), Higgins for Considine (80).

ITALY WOMEN: Vittoria Ostuni Minuzzi (Valsugana Rugby Padova); Manuela Furlan (Arredissima Villorba) (capt), Michela Sillari (Valsugana Rugby Padova), Beatrice Rigoni (Valsugana Rugby Padova), Maria Magatti (CUS Milano); Veronica Madia (HBS Colorno), Sara Barattin (Arredissima Villorba); Erika Skofca (Valsugana Rugby Padova), Melissa Bettoni (Stade Rennais), Lucia Gai (Valsugana Rugby Padova), Valeria Fedrighi (Stade Toulousain), Giordana Duca (Valsugana Rugby Padova), Ilaria Arrighetti (Stade Rennais), Francesca Sgorbini (ASM Romagnat), Elisa Giordano (Valsugana Rugby Padova).

Replacements used: Sofia Stefan (Valsugana Rugby Padova) for Barattin (48 mins), Gaia Maris (Valsugana Rugby Padova) for Skofca, Sara Tounesi (ASM Romagnat) for Fedrighi (both 64), Aura Muzzo (Arredissima Villorba) for Ostuni Minuzzi, Lucia Cammarano (Rugby Belve Neroverdi) for Sgorbini (both 73). Not used: Isabella Locatelli (Rugby Monza 1949), Michela Merlo (Kawasaki Robot Calvisano), Beatrice Veronese (Valsugana Rugby Padova).

Referee: Sara Cox (England)