Ireland Women Secure Seven-Try Win Over Wales
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The Ireland Women made a whirlwind start to the Six Nations with a 45-0 bonus point victory over Wales at Cardiff Arms Park.
Beibhinn Parsons and Eimear Considine weighed in with two tries each, and Sene Naoupu also crossed as Ireland - in their first game in six months - built a 31-0 half-time lead.
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Influential out-half Hannah Tyrrell, the player-of-the-match, finished with a try and five crisply-struck conversions. A scrappy second half also saw Dorothy Wall dot down for the first time at this level.
It was a record winning margin for Ireland in a Championship fixture against Wales, and their Pool B opener also saw Sevens regulars Eve Higgins, Stacey Flood and Emily Lane make their 15s international debuts.
It took Ireland just 127 seconds to get on the scoreboard, as Tyrrell broke two tackles through the middle and, with the defence opened up, full-back Considine was able to nip over near the left corner.
Tyrrell was short with the difficult conversion but split the posts in the 11th minute, topping off a terrific 65-metre solo try from Parsons. The 19-year-old winger shrugged off two defenders and sliced inside a third to go in underneath the posts.
Considine claimed the bonus point by the end of the opening quarter, coasting past two poor tackles and used a dummy and a neat burst of pace to weave her way to the try-line from halfway. Tyrrell converted for a 24-0 lead.
Wales continued to struggle, particularly at set piece time, and off a strong Irish scrum, Kathryn Dane drew in a couple of defenders and released Naoupu for a powerful finish to the right of the posts. Tyrrell made it the full seven points.
The second half deadlock was finally broken in the 71st minute, good hands from Lane and McDermott setting up the ever-willing Wall to smash her way over in the left corner despite shipping a high tackle.
Tyrrell landed a pinpoint conversion from out wide, and it was the 30-year-old who fittingly had the final say, taking advantage of a missed tackle on a 40-metre run-in and converting to complete her 15-point haul.
