Ireland U-20 Women Take Plenty Of Positives From Summer Series Debut

Hannah Clarke showed her footballing skills to strike for a closing 70th-minute try as the Ireland Under-20 Women (sponsored by PwC) gave a very good account of themselves in a 33-10 defeat to England.

2024 SIX NATIONS WOMEN’S SUMMER SERIES:

Thursday, July 4 –

ENGLAND UNDER-20s 33 IRELAND UNDER-20s 10, Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi, Parma
Scorers: England: Tries: Tori Sellors, Lilli Ives Campion 2, Reneeqa Bonner, Lia Green; Cons: Lia Green 4
Ireland: Tries: Chisom Ugwueru, Hannah Clarke
HT: England 26 Ireland 5

This was the first international match played by the Ireland U-20 Women, who are coached by 2013 Grand Slam winner Niamh Briggs, and with this experienced England team being one of the standard bearers at this age-grade, it was always going to a difficult challenge.

The inaugural Women’s Six Nations Summer Series kicked off in sweltering Italian heat. Led by two-try captain and player-of-the-match Lilli Ives Campion, England built a 26-5 half-time lead.

UL Bohemian duo Kate Flannery and Chisom Ugwueru combined for a slick 21st-minute try, with the winger, one of three U-23 players permitted in the matchday squad, displaying her Energia All-Ireland League-honed finishing abilities.

Ireland had a number of purple patches in the second half, and the full squad contributed to a fine effort which saw them score through Clarke to cancel out an earlier Lia Green score.

Flannery, Ugwueru, Ruth Campbell, and Ivana Kiripati, who all have experience of the Ireland senior set-up, led by example, and there were bright moments from some of the Under-19-eligible players, including Beth Buttimer, Clarke and Kelly Burke, who won a late turnover penalty.

While disappointed with the lopsided scoreline, the collective performance augurs well for the rest of the tournament which sees Briggs’ youngsters play hosts Italy next Tuesday (kick-off 9am Irish time), and Scotland in the final round on Sunday week.

England were quick to profit from Green’s 50:22 kick, as Lucy Calladine attacked off the lineout maul and offloaded for scrum half Tori Sellors to crash over inside 80 seconds. Full-back Green swept over the conversion for a 7-0 lead.

Ireland drew encouragement from the next few phases, with Ugwueru swooping on a loose pass. Lucia Linn carried well on the right, breaching the English 22, and Brianna Heylmann agonisingly knocked on when Flannery opened up some space in midfield.

Despite winning turnover ball off a scrum, Ireland lost field position and needed a brilliant tap tackle from Campbell to prevent Sophie Hopkins from scoring. Shortly afterwards, the England winger almost dotted soon from Amelia MacDougall’s cross-field kick.

With Ireland leaking a scrum penalty in their own 22, England’s well-drilled forwards kept the pressure on. A 10-metre maul drove Calladine over, but TMO Giuseppe Vivarini ensured the try was ruled out for obstruction.

However, there was no denying Ives Campion after an Irish lineout had gone out the back. Having earned successive penalties, and from a close-in ruck, the England skipper rumbled over. Green’s accurate right boot made it 14-0.

Following a scheduled water break, Ireland began the second quarter in tremendous fashion. Flannery ghosted through a gap on the edge of the English 22, aided by Ellen Boylan’s decoy run, and she connected with Ugwueru who handed off Hopkins to touch down.

As England came hunting for a quick response, Clarke made a crucial cover tackle on the advancing Reneeqa Bonner. Campbell’s excellent maul defence then led to a turnover, but Ireland were struggling for territory, with a swiftly-taken penalty leading to a fumble.

A rare error from Kiripati saw her lose possession, and her opposite number Annabel Meta carried well to set up a midfield ruck. Fed on the left wing, Bonner evaded the clutches of both Clarke and Robyn O’Connor to score.

Ireland showed signs of breaking through with some chinks in the English defence. O’Connor and Sophie Barrett, who narrowly missed out on linking up with the supporting Campbell, both gained promising ground.

Frustratingly for the girls in green, Carmela Morrall forced a late penalty at the breakdown, and Ives Campion, picking from a ruck five metres out, surged in under the posts for Green to convert.

Two charge-downs from Heylmann and replacement Clíodhna Ní Chonchobhair lifted Ireland on the resumption, as did the sight of 18-year-old hooker Buttimer slipping through from a ruck to carry deep into the English 22.

Nonetheless, England boxed clever in defence to avoid conceding, and when Briggs’ charges came again, Campbell were penalised for obstruction at a maul just a few metres out.

When the English outfit got on the front foot, Clarke chased down Millie Hyett to foil a midfield break. Boylan fumbled a pass near her own line, though, and off the resulting scrum, Morrall put Green over from close range for a seven-pointer.

As both benches began to be emptied, Ulster prop Barrett picked up a loose ball to power back up towards halfway. Ireland upped the tempo in attack with Buttimer’s inviting short pass putting Kiripati storming past halfway on a straight line.

Grainne Burke misdirected an offload as England regained possession into their own 22, only for fellow replacement, IQ Rugby recruit May Goulding, to break from a 63rd-minute ruck, keeping the opposition on the retreat.

With 10 minutes remaining, Ireland chalked up a deserved second try. Replacement Ellie O’Sullivan Sexton’s clever right-footed kick had England in trouble in the back-field, and Clarke swooped to nudge the ball on and pick up for a classy finish.

A free-kick at a lineout prevented Ireland from building for another potential score, and they needed IQ Rugby duo Niamh Gallagher and Goulding to race back and put in two terrific try-saving tackles to keep England out before the end.

TIME LINE: 1 minutes – England try: Tori Sellors – 5-0; conversion: Lia Green – 7-0; 17 mins – England try: Lilli Ives Campion – 12-0; conversion: Lia Green – 14-0; 21 mins – Ireland try: Chisom Ugwueru – 14-5; conversion: missed by Kate Flannery – 14-5; 31 mins – England try: Reneeqa Bonner – 19-5; conversion: missed by Lia Green – 19-5; 40+1 mins – England try: Lilli Ives Campion – 24-5; conversion: Lia Green – 26-5; Half-time – England 26 Ireland 5; 56 mins – England try: Lia Green – 31-5; conversion: Lia Green – 33-5; 70 mins – Ireland try: Hannah Clarke – 33-10; conversion: missed by Ellie O’Sullivan Sexton – 33-10; Full-time – England 33 Ireland 10

ENGLAND U-20: Lia Green (Loughborough Lightning/Winscombe RFC); Sophie Hopkins (Sale Sharks/Fullerians RFC), Millie Hyett (Gloucester-Hartpury/Worcester Girls RFC), Carmela Morrall (Loughborough Lightning/Dubai Hurricanes), Reneeqa Bonner (Bristol Bears/Clevedon RFC); Amelia MacDougall (Saracens/Old Albanian Saints), Tori Sellors (Saracens/Sevenoaks RFC); Chloe Flanagan (Saracens/Old Albanian Saints), Lucy Calladine (Loughborough Lightning/Burton RFC), Hannah Sams (Exeter Chiefs/Kingsbridge RFC), Tyla Shirley (Harlequins/Hove RFC), Lilli Ives Campion (Loughborough Lightning/Telford Hornets RFC) (capt), Anna Richardson (Exeter University/Tynedale RFC), Joia Bennett (Saracens/Old Albanian Saints), Annabel Meta (Trailfinders Women/Wimbledon RFC).

Replacements used: Ellie Roberts (Loughborough Lightning/Basingstoke RFC) for Meta (50 mins), Amelia Williams (Loughborough Lightning/Medway RFC) for Flanagan, Millie David (Bristol Bears/Reading RFC) for Hopkins (both 53), Samantha Shiels (Trailfinders Women/Grasshoppers RFC) for Bonner (54), Jorja Battishill (Gloucester-Hartpury) for Shirley (59), Shirley for Richardson, Niamh Swailes (Sale Sharks/Ryton RFC) for Calladine, Kira Leat (Trailfinders Women/Havant RFC) for Sams (all 64), Alex Wilkinson (Henley Hawks) for Sellors (67).

IRELAND U-20: Robyn O’Connor (Wexford Wanderers RFC/Leinster); Hannah Clarke (Tuam/Oughterard RFC/Connacht), Lucia Linn (Loughborough University/IQ Rugby), Ellen Boylan (Blackrock College RFC/Munster), Chisom Ugwueru (UL Bohemian RFC/Munster); Kate Flannery (UL Bohemian RFC/Munster), Jade Gaffney (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster); Hannah Wilson (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster), Beth Buttimer (UL Bohemian RFC/Munster), Sophie Barrett (Enniskillen RFC/Railway Union RFC/Ulster), Ruth Campbell (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster), Jane Neill (Galwegians RFC/Leinster) (capt), Brianna Heylmann (UL Bohemian RFC/Munster), Éadaoin Murtagh (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster), Ivana Kiripati (American International College/Connacht).

Replacements used: Clíodhna Ní Chonchobhair (Blackrock College RFC/Leinster) for Murtagh (34 mins), Grainne Burke (Ennis/Kilrush RFC/UL Bohemian RFC/Munster) for Wilson, Aoibheann Hahessy (Ennis/Kilrush RFC/UL Bohemian RFC/Munster) for Heylmann, Ellie O’Sullivan Sexton (Mullingar RFC/Leinster) for Boylan (all 55), Niamh Gallagher (Saracens/IQ Rugby) for Clarke (57), May Goulding (Saracens/Old Albanian Saints/IQ Rugby) for Gaffney (61), Lily Morris (Killarney RFC/Munster) for Barrett (64), Kelly Burke (Mullingar RFC/Leinster) for Buttimer (68), Murtagh for Kiripati (72).

Referee: Berenice Bralley (France)