Ireland get in mood for Twickenham showdown

IRELAND head to Twickenham on Saturday full of confidence after blowing Wales away with a dominant five-try display.

Scott Bemand’s side climbed to third in the table and ended a run of seven defeats in the competition, while winless bottom side Wales’ nightmare campaign continues after suffering backto-back heavy losses.

Player of the match Aoife Wafer, who scored Ireland’s opening try, said: “This week has been coming for a long time. A lot of hard work goes on behind the scenes and we’ve got great backing from the IRFU and backroom staff.

“We were hurting after the Italy game. We put the work in and this win means so much.”

Ireland were rewarded for some early enterprising rugby when Wafer received the ball 10 metres out after it was worked wide left and the flanker showed power to barge through a series of attempted tackles to dive over in the corner in the 14th minute.

The hosts continued to dominate as they played with speed and intensity and centre Eve Higgins executed a superb carry to breach the defence again and surge over for her side’s second try midway through the half. Scrum-half Aoibheann Reilly made the initial break but when she was hauled down five metres out, the ball was recycled right and Higgins rumbled over.

The Irish were bossing territory and possession and six minutes later they extended their lead when they opted to kick for the corner from a penalty and after winning their line-out a rolling maul led to Neve Jones going over the line for try number three.

Ireland continued the second half in the same vein as soon after the restart teenage wing Katie Corrigan charged down Llecu George’s attempted clearance from her own 22, re-gathered the ball and sprinted over to clinch the bonus-point score and her second international try.

Dannah O’Brien continued her impeccable record from the tee up to that point with a penalty as Ireland continued to control the game.

Beibhinn Parsons was next to cross on the hour mark, the scrum-half accepting a pass from player-of-the-match Wafer and showing pace and strength to race down the left line and touch down.

Wales finally got on the scoresheet in the 66th minute when replacement Gwennan Hopkins marked her debut by burrowing over, the TMO ruling she had managed to ground the ball on the line despite the efforts of O’Brien to hold her up.