Spain Swoop To Dent Ireland’s World Cup Qualification Hopes

Ireland endured a nightmare start to the Rugby World Cup 2021 Europe Qualifier as they went down 8-7 to Spain at Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi in Parma.

RUGBY WORLD CUP 2021 EUROPE QUALIFIER – ROUND 1: Monday, September 13

SPAIN WOMEN 8 IRELAND WOMEN 7, Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi, Parma
Scorers: Spain Women: Try: Lea Ducher; Pen: Patricia Garcia
Ireland Women: Try: Beibhinn Parsons; Con: Stacey Flood
HT: Spain Women 3 Ireland Women 7

Match Photo Gallery: Spain 8 Ireland 7

Adam Griggs’ side failed to build on an early Beibhinn Parsons try, as an error-strewn performance left the door open for las Leonas to claim a famous victory.

Spain, who trailed 7-3 at half-time, dug deep during centre Amalia Argudo’s sin-binning and preyed on Ireland’s shaky lineout and sloppy general play.

A Kathryn Dane knock-on ruled out an Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe try, and as the mistakes counted to mount, it was the Rugby Europe champions who deservedly snatched the spoils.

Ireland lost replacement lock Sam Monaghan to the bin for collapsing a monster Spanish maul. They defended well initially until Spain slickly used a quick tap to send Lea Ducher over in the 71st minute.

The conversion was narrowly missed by Patricia Garcia, leaving just a point in it. Ireland forced one final chance but replacement Enya Breen missed a penalty in the dying seconds.

This is a massive scalp for Spain to take – they have not beaten Ireland since 2005, the year before they were replaced by Italy in the Women’s Six Nations Championship.

It leaves Ciara Griffin and her team-mates with a huge task on their hands, as they look to keep their World Cup qualification hopes alive next Sunday against in-form hosts Italy, who defeated Scotland 38-13 earlier today.

The team that finishes top in the round-robin tournament in Parma will secure a spot in Pool B at next year’s rescheduled Rugby World Cup. The runners-up will enter the final qualification tournament.

Ireland, who gave a debut from the start to Lucy Mulhall, had an early let-off with Garcia pushing a third-minute penalty onto the left hand post.

The Spanish Sevens star soon made no mistake with an effort from the left, but Ireland were clinical from their first scoring opportunity, working the ball wide from a lineout.

Stacey Flood found Parsons with a long scooped pass and the 19-year-old’s jinking run burned off full-back Iera Echebarria as she flew in from the left corner flag for her sixth international try.

Flood flung over a terrific conversion and Ireland were quick to get Parsons involved again, another purposeful break from the young winger taking her team to five metres out.

Spain had fluffed their lines before that, with a crooked throw at a five-metre set piece, and they were also unable to profit from a promising break by Anne Fernandez de Corres.

Ireland solidified their scrum after some earlier issues, but as the pack prowled for a maul try in the 25th minute, they were penalised for obstruction and Garcia was able to clear her lines.

Going wide with serious intent, Spain relished a high-tempo game and worked a clear overlap. Murphy Crowe came to Ireland’s rescue with a try-saving tackle on Maria Garcia, before Cliodhna Moloney forced a relieving penalty.

Ireland got on top as the interval loomed, Linda Djougang gobbling up a turnover and Flood’s well-angled 50:22 kick earning a lineout. The maul was grounded, though, and Moloney was denied by Laura Delgado from a tap penalty.

Spain coped well while without Argudo, who was binned for infringing close to her own line. They were the more accurate outfit during a scrappy late spell which included a number of knock-ons in the humid conditions.

Barely a minute after the restart, Murphy Crowe cut through for a try, fed by a short Flood pass after an initial Mulhall surge. However, a TMO review spotted a knock-on by Dane and the score was chalked off.

Ireland continued to turn the screw in the scrum, driving Spain backwards and then winning a penalty. Frustratingly, the lineout continued to be problematic with the Spanish stealing one inside their own 22.

The third quarter was particularly error-strewn, Spain’s dogged scramble defence continuing to keep Ireland out and force individual mistakes. IQ Rugby recruit Monaghan entered the fray for the final half an hour.

Las Leonas had a grip on the breakdown, winning some key penalties to break up Irish momentum. Flood, who appeared to pick up a knock, made way for Breen in a rejigged midfield axis.

Murphy Crowe sprung to life past the hour mark, weaving past a couple of defenders and then heaping pressure on a kick chase which led to an Irish penalty, deep inside the Spanish 22.

Disappointingly, the errors continued to mount and Ireland’s lead was looking increasingly vulnerable. Then came Monaghan’s yellow in the 66th minute, for collapsing a barnstorming Spanish drive.

A few phases later, Ireland captain Griffin rallied her troops, helping to earn a clear penalty as Spanish replacement Carmen Castellucci was guilty of going off her feet at a ruck.

But Ireland soon blotted their copybook again, Mulhall being whistled up for offside. Spain tapped the penalty and whipped the ball wide – with Eimear Considine shooting up in defence – for Ducher to crash over.

Garcia missed the conversion on near side, but Ireland could not respond on the scoreboard, losing another lineout in the Spanish 22 and then Breen’s last-minute kick, from 35 metres out, fell short.

TIME LINE: 3 minutes – Spain penalty: missed by Patricia Garcia – 0-0; 7 mins – Spain penalty: Patricia Garcia – 3-0; 8 mins – Ireland try: Beibhinn Parsons – 3-5; conversion: Stacey Flood – 3-7; 35 mins – Spain yellow card: Amalia Argudo; Half-time – Spain 3 Ireland 7; 66 mins – Ireland yellow card: Sam Monaghan; 71 mins – Spain try: Lea Ducher – 8-7; conversion: missed by Patricia Garcia – 8-7; 80 mins – Ireland penalty: missed by Enya Breen – 8-7; Full-time – Spain 8 Ireland 7

SPAIN WOMEN: Iera Echebarria (Eibar RT); Bea Dominguez (Sanse Scrum RC), Amaia Erbina (Jugadora FER), Amalia Argudo (Stade Toulousain), Maria Garcia (CR Majadahonda); Anne Fernandez de Corres (Eibar RT), Patricia Garcia (Exeter Chiefs); Saioa Jaurena (AS Bayonnaise), Marga Rodriguez (Universitario de Sevilla CR), Laura Delgado (Exeter Chiefs) (capt), Anna Puig (UE Santboiana), Monica Castelo (CRAT A Coruna), Olivia Fresneda (CR Cisneros), Maria Calvo (CR Cisneros), Lourdes Alameda (Sanse Scrum RC).

Replacements used: Isabel Rico (Olimpico de Pozuelo CR) for Jaurena (46 mins), Carmen Castellucci (AC Bobigny 93) for Castelo (54), Maika Brust (AS Bayonnaise) for Delgado (65), Eva Aguirre (CR Majadahonda) for Argudo, Lea Ducher (Universitario de Sevilla CR) for Fernandez de Corres (both 68), Cristina Blanco (Olimpico de Pozuelo CR) for Rodriguez (73). Not used: Carmen Rodera (CR Majadahonda), Lucia Diaz (CR Majadahonda).

IRELAND WOMEN: Eimear Considine (UL Bohemians/Munster); Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe (Railway Union/Munster), Lucy Mulhall (Rathdrum/Leinster), Sene Naoupu (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Beibhinn Parsons (Ballinasloe/Blackrock College/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 College/Connacht), Dorothy Wall (Blackrock College/Munster), Ciara Griffin (UL Bohemians/Munster) (capt), Brittany Hogan (DCU/Old Belvedere/Ulster).

Replacements used: Sam Monaghan (Wasps/IQ Rugby) for McDermott (52 mins), Lauren Delany (Sale Sharks/IQ Rugby) for Parsons, Edel McMahon (Wasps/IQ Rugby) for Hogan (both 54), Enya Breen (UL Bohemians/Munster) for Flood (56), Neve Jones (Malone/Ulster) for Moloney, Laura Feely (Blackrock College/Connacht) for Peat, Leah Lyons (Sale Sharks/IQ Rugby) for Djougang (all 65), Emily Lane (Blackrock College/Munster) for Naoupu (74).

Referee: Nikki O’Donnell (England)