Ireland Beat New Zealand With Stunning Performance

Dannah O’Brien converted Erin King’s second try in the final seconds as the Ireland Women (sponsored by Aon) stunned World champions New Zealand into submission in Vancouver.

WXV1 – ROUND 1:

Sunday, September 29 –

NEW ZEALAND 27 IRELAND 29, BC Place, Vancouver
Scorers: New Zealand: Tries: Atlanta Lolohea, Katelyn Vahaakolo, Mererangi Paul; Cons: Renee Holmes 3; Pens: Renee Holmes 2
Ireland: Tries: Aoife Wafer 2, Neve Jones, Erin King 2; Cons: Dannah O’Brien 2
HT: New Zealand 17 Ireland 17

Ireland outscored New Zealand by five tries to three to win 29-27 and make an unforgettable WXV1 debut. Mastercard player-of-match Aoife Wafer and King both bagged braces, and Neve Jones notching her 11th Test score.

The Black Ferns started and finished the first half’s scoring, with Atlanta Lolohea and Katelyn Vahaakolo both crossing. In between, the all-action Wafer barged over from a tap penalty and a scrum, while Jones reached over in the 37th minute.

At 17-all it was anyone’s game, and Scott Bemand’s side gained further confidence when only coughing up three points during Niamh O’Dowd’s sin-binning. Two New Zealand tries were disallowed during the prop’s absence.

Just like against Australia recently, the Irish bench brought the desired impact. Replacement King burrowed over from two rucks, either side of Mererangi Paul’s 71st-minute effort, and O’Brien’s final conversion, bouncing over off the right hand post, proved decisive.

The thrilling conclusion brought back memories of Niamh Briggs’ match-winning penalty when Ireland defeated New Zealand for the first time at the 2014 Rugby World Cup in Marcoussis.

Since winning WXV3 last year and finishing third in the Guinness Women’s Six Nations to earn World Cup qualification, the girls in green have taken their game up another couple of gears to claim the scalps of Australia and New Zealand.

Captained by Edel McMahon, their barnstorming start to the new season means they have won three straight Tests against top 10-ranked opposition for the first time since 2017. WXV1 hosts Canada await in Langley next Saturday (kick-off 3.45pm local time/11.45pm Irish time).

This was the teams’ first meeting since New Zealand won 38-8 at the UCD Bowl in November 2016, and Clíodhna Moloney was the only member of Ireland’s matchday squad that had previously faced the Haka.

Amy du Plessis made an early break, and Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe and Ruby Tui, old rivals on the Sevens circuit, quickly reintroduced themselves to each other. A free-flowing first Kiwi attack ended with Renee Holmes knocking on inside the Irish 22.

Despite a good clearance from O’Brien, New Zealand continue to press, winning a penalty after Tui was first to a kick from Holmes. Their lineout misfired, though, and O’Brien’s big left boot brought play up to halfway.

Ireland’s penalty count rose further as Allan Bunting’s charges remained on the front foot. This time a well-executed eighth-minute lineout drive landed hooker Lolohea over for the opening points. Holmes converted.

Dorothy Wall followed up on Aoife Dalton’s excellent tackle on Sylvia Brunt to force a penalty at the breakdown. A bloodied nose and HIA for centre Dalton meant an entry entrance for Eve Higgins, and Chelsea Bremner managed to pinch the resulting lineout.

Ireland made sure their next possession counted, as a du Plessis error handed them a five-metre scrum. Wafer tapped a penalty and was unstoppable from there, beating du Plessis’ tackle and muscling her way over despite the presence of three more defenders.

Still leading 7-5, New Zealand were on course for a quick-fire response until Molly Scuffil-McCabe produced a brilliant try-saving tackle on Layla Sae. Stacey Flood won the breakdown battle to win a relieving penalty.

Holmes’ right boot kept the scoreboard moving with an 18th-minute penalty, following another Bremner lineout steal. Ireland began the second quarter in impressive fashion, a McMahon offload putting Enya Breen within five metres of the whitewash.

New Zealand held firm but their defensive workload increased following two solid Irish mauls, coupled with an Eimear Considine penaltywin. Scuffil-McCabe’s movement at a scrum caught the defence out, allowing Wafer to break to the blindside for her second try of the night.

O’Brien tucked away the conversion from the right, before Brittany Hogan broke onto a Breen charge-down, putting the wheels in motion for a robust bout of carrying which ended with Ireland leading 17-10.

McMahon had carried up close, and then Jones’s pick, amid a pile of bodies, saw her touch down. The TMO review went in the Ballymena native’s favour, with Kennedy Tukuafu going off her feet as she went for the poach.

New Zealand closed out the opening 40 minutes on level terms, though, as winger Vahaakolo showed her pace to score from Ireland’s 10-metre line, invited through a gap by Maia Joseph’s pass back inside. Holmes slotted over the extras from the left.

Sylia Brunt had a try ruled out early on the resumption, the ball just falling out of her grasp, but the world’s second-ranked outfit were looking the more threatening. A forward pass foiled a promising outside break.

Du Plessis found a way through the midfield traffic on the 50-minute mark, by which stage both benches were being utilised. Paul missed out on a try due to a prior knock-on, and TMO Ian Tempest’s involvement saw O’Dowd carded for collapsing the maul in the build-up.

Obstruction from Maiakawanakaulani Roos also saw a subsequent maul try from Luka Connor cancelled out. Holmes took the points on offer in the 56th minute, firing over a central kick to make it 20-17.

Having combined with Breen to drive Paul into touch, Murphy Crowe increased her influence with a defence-splitting burst when running back a Holmes kick. Just as Iritana Hohaia led a New Zealand surge, Hogan blocked a Demant kick and Wafer swooped on turnover ball.

Siobhán McCarthy then paired up with Murphy Crowe to earn a timely turnover penalty, just before making way for the returning O’Dowd. O’Brien kicked to the corner twice in quick succession, and a smart maul move duly paid dividends.

King’s dummy carry to the right coincided with Wafer breaking to the short side, and the recent debutant followed up on a Moloney charge to burrow over for the bonus point score. O’Brien’s conversion attempt from out wide bounced away off the woodwork.

New Zealand gained ground out wide, moving the ball at pace for Vahaakolo and replacement Lucy Jenkins to make inroads. Hogan intercepted a Hohaia pass, but a costly lineout infringement allowed the Black Ferns to strike for a neatly-crafted third try.

Brunt carried hard, getting away from O’Brien and Breen to race up into the Irish 22, and the supporting Liane Mikaele-Tu’u put Paul powering over to the right of the posts. Holmes’ conversion opened up a 27-22 advantage.

Possession was at a premium now, entering the cagey closing stages. Wafer continued to catch the eye, grabbing a turnover penalty and then tidying up a loose lineout.

Looking to creating an opening out wide, O’Brien’s long pass was intercepted by Holmes, only for opposite number Flood to swiftly bring her down and force a penalty at the breakdown.

Ireland’s continued variation kept the Black Ferns guessing, this time a short lineout from Moloney had her front row colleague O’Dowd threatening a try in the left corner. It came soon after, King doubling her tally when driving in low from a 78th-minute ruck.

O’Brien’s coolly-struck conversion from the left went over with the aid of the far post this time, moving Ireland back in front with only seconds remaining.

Hoping to make her kick a contestable one, Holmes failed to make 10 metres with her restart. Replacement Emily Lane quickly got the ball in and out of the final scrum, allowing O’Brien to find touch and confirm a famous victory.

TIME LINE: 8 minutes – New Zealand try: Atlanta Lolohea – 5-0; conversion: Renee Holmes – 7-0; 13 mins – Ireland try: Aoife Wafer – 7-5; conversion: missed by Dannah O’Brien – 7-5; 18 mins – New Zealand penalty: Renee Holmes – 10-5; 31 mins – Ireland try: Aoife Wafer – 10-10; conversion: Dannah O’Brien – 10-12; 37 mins – Ireland try: Neve Jones – 10-17; conversion: missed by Dannah O’Brien – 10-17; 40 mins – New Zealand try: Katelyn Vahaakolo – 15-17; conversion: Renee Holmes – 17-17; Half-time – New Zealand 17 Ireland 17; 51 mins – Ireland yellow card: Niamh O’Dowd; 56 mins – New Zealand penalty: Renee Holmes – 20-17; 66 mins – Ireland try: Erin King – 20-22; conversion: missed by Dannah O’Brien – 20-22; 71 mins – New Zealand try Mererangi Paul – 25-22; conversion: Renee Holmes – 27-22; 78 mins – Ireland try: Erin King – 27-27; conversion – Dannah O’Brien – 27-29; Full-time – New Zealand 27 Ireland 29

NEW ZEALAND: Renee Holmes (Chiefs Manawa/Waikato); Ruby Tui (Chiefs Manawa/Counties Manukau), Logo-i-Pulotu Lemapu-Atai’i (Sylvia) Brunt (Blues/Auckland), Amy du Plessis (Matatū/Canterbury), Katelyn Vahaakolo (Blues/Auckland); Ruahei Demant (Blues/Auckland) (co-capt), Maia Joseph (Matatū/Otago); Marcelle Parkes (Matatū/Canterbury), Atlanta Lolohea (Matatū/Canterbury), Amy Rule (Matatū/Canterbury), Chelsea Bremner (Chiefs Manawa/Canterbury), Maiakawanakaulani Roos (Blues/Auckland), Layla Sae (Hurricanes Poua/Manawatū), Kennedy Tukuafu (nee Simon) (Chiefs Manawa/Waikato) (co-capt), Liana Mikaele-Tu’u (Blues/Auckland).

Replacements used: Luka Connor (Chiefs Manawa/Bay of Plenty) for Lolohea, Chryss Viliko (Blues/Auckland) for Parkes, Tanya Kalounivale (Chiefs Manawa/Waikato) for Rule (all 44 mins), Alana Bremner (Matatū/Canterbury) for C Bremner, Lucy Jenkins (Matatū/Canterbury) for Tukuafu, Mererangi Paul (Chiefs Manawa/Counties Manukau) for Tui (all 51), Iritana Hohaia (Hurricanes Poua/Taranaki) for Joseph (56), Hannah King (Hurricanes Poua) for Demant (71).

IRELAND: Stacey Flood (Railway Union RFC); Eimear Considine (UL Bohemian RFC/Munster), Aoife Dalton (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster), Enya Breen (Blackrock College RFC/Munster), Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe (Railway Union RFC/Munster); Dannah O’Brien (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster), Molly Scuffil-McCabe (Leinster); Niamh O’Dowd (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster), Neve Jones (Gloucester-Hartpury), Linda Djougang (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster), Dorothy Wall (Exeter Chiefs/Munster), Fiona Tuite (Old Belvedere RFC/Ulster), Aoife Wafer (Blackrock College RFC/Leinster), Edel McMahon (Exeter Chiefs/Connacht) (capt), Brittany Hogan (Old Belvedere RFC/Ulster).

Replacements used: Eve Higgins (Railway Union RFC) for Dalton (10-23 mins), Clíodhna Moloney (Exeter Chiefs) for Jones, Erin King (Old Belvedere RFC) for McMahon, Higgins for Dalton, Emily Lane (Blackrock College RFC) for Scuffil-McCabe (all 48), Siobhán McCarthy (Gloucester-Hartpury/Munster) for Tuite (53-63), Grace Moore (Trailfinders Women/IQ Rugby) for Tuite (68). Not used: Andrea Stock (Trailfinders Women/IQ Rugby), Vicky Elmes Kinlan (Wicklow RFC).

Referee: Sara Cox (England)