Rejuvenated Briggs relishing new role
EVEN at 33, and into her 10th season playing international rugby, Niamh Briggs is still learning.
Yet it very nearly didn’t get to this point as two career threatening injuries saw the veteran contemplate hanging up the boots.
Now she finds herself in a new position and pulling the strings for an Ireland team that is trying to reinvent themselves under the stewardship of Adam Griggs.
Making the switch from outhalf to full-back has added to Briggs’ rejuvenation and, while her role has changed, her desire to succeed has never wavered.
“It’s like a new lease of life,” the Waterford native admits.
“I’m learning loads. Having been out for so long and then coming back into a new position, it was almost like my first cap again.
“I definitely fell out of love a bit with the game after the World Cup. I wasn’t sure if I was going to continue playing. To come back and to come into the 10 jersey is really exciting.”
Briggs had a brief stint at outhalf back around the time she made her debut in 2008, but the game has moved on a lot since those days.
The fact she only got back running in December has meant that there was some rustiness.
“I think every game has been a bit better,” she maintains. “I’d love to be fitter and sharper in terms of rugby but I’m using this one now for what it is.”
Briggs is in her new role again tomorrow as Ireland look to maintain their good run against Scotland.
“They’ve had some dark days,” she adds.
“In terms of them as a squad, and where women’s rugby was in Scotland, but they’re on the right track now.”
IRELAND: K Flood; M Williams, F Fitzhenry, S Naoupu, H Tyrrell; N Briggs, A Hughes; L Peat, C Moloney, L Lyons; A McDermott, O Fitzsimons; C Griffin, (capt), C Molloy, P Fitzpatrick. Reps: C O’Connor, L Feely, F Reidy, A Baxter, E McMahon, N Cronin, M Claffey, L Galvin. JACK O’Sullivan scored two tries as Ireland edged a dramatic battle with Scotland in the U20s Six Nations.
The Munster No.8 also took the man of the match award as the hosts claimed a 30-25 victory, their second win from four games in the championship.
Noel McNamara’s team treated the crowd at a rainy Donnybrook to another edge of the seat ride that combined some excellent passages of play and individual skills with defensive errors.
Scotland played their part and refused to lie down, claiming a losing bonus point.
“For large parts of the game we were in control but unfortunately we managed to find a way to allow the Scots back in to it. They really took their opportunities,” McNamara said.
“You can’t get bored of doing the simple things and we didn’t in the first half. The message at half-time was to do the same again but unfortunately we did make an error.”
But there was plenty of positives to be drawn from the match, not least the performance of UCC man O’Sullivan who scored the first try after just three minutes.
Harry Byrne added eight points with the boot and the hosts lead by 13 points with 18 minutes gone. Scotland landed two penalties of their own before another O’Sullivan break from a scrum led to flanker Matthew Agnew going over to hand Ireland a 18-6 lead at the break.
A defensive error by Angus Kernohan allowed Kyle Rowe to touch down for the Scots before Ulster’s Matthew Dalton finished off a multi-phase move to push the Ireland lead out to 23-18.
Once again Ireland failed to secure the restart and Martin Hughes scored the visitors’ second.
Play moved from end to end before O’Sullivan produced a moment of magic to break the line and coast over for what turned out to be the winning score.