The disappointment of Parma being disallowed qualification into the last World Cup due to a Scottish try at the culmination of the match will forever linger, but Kingspan Stadium witnessed the Irish side overcoming a few obstacles last Saturday. Their triumph marked the accomplishment of a pre-tournament goal – a bronze finish, consequently earning themselves a spot in next year’s World Cup in England. This indeed showcased the broad improvements the team made in every aspect of their game throughout the contest.
A striking comeback from the previous week’s demoralising defeat in Twickenham, coupled with overcoming a first half filled with errors that left them lagging at 5-0, testifies to the team’s unyielding tenacity and perseverance. Their passes became consistent, leading to an incredible finish by tournament revelation, the 18-year-old Katie Corrigan, aided by Brittany Hogan just a minute into the restart.
Even trailing at 12-5 – a result of a beautifully executed, poised try by prominent Scottish centre Lisa Thomson – did not shake Ireland’s faith. Stellar performances were seen from key players such as Linda Djougang, Sam Monaghan, Aoife Wafer, Hogan, Aoibheann Reilly, and Beibhinn Parsons. Assisted by Clíodhna Moloney and Niamh O’Dowd, Parsons’s winning try on her day of recompense and the decisive penalty by Dannah O’Brien felt inevitable.
Scots may certainly regret their decision to forego a penalty outside the 22, instead opting to kick for the corner in the 76th minute, as a stalemate could have secured their third-place finish along with its associated benefits. Nevertheless, a strong defence from Ireland in the final set, followed by pressure from Monaghan and O’Dowd’s capture of the loose ball, secured the concluding lineout of the match.
Despite a seemingly favourable match schedule for the Irish team, with all three competitors in the secondary tournament being home games, the record crowd of over 7,000 spectators at each game is an optimistic sign for the team.
Other circumstances likewise favoured the team, including Wales’ victory over Italy in Saturday’s prior match, where a last-minute converted try transformed this game into a direct showdown. Still, with 62% territory and 54% possession, coupled with superior line breaks, carries and forced missed tackles, it was undeniable that Ireland was the deserving champion.
As the prize just came into sight, the conversation around the possibility of securing a spot in the WXV1 instead of the second level for next September emerged as a potential two-edged sword. The precedents of Wales from the previous year can be referred to, who suffered defeats at the hands of Canada (42-22), New Zealand (70-7), and Australia (25-14). However, improvement can only come through playing against the best, and even though he didn’t have many other choices, Scott Bemand gladly acknowledged the more exalted environment of WXV1 that Ireland will inhabit this coming September/October.
“It’s an intriguing conversation,” he concurred. “We’ve always supposed that our learning rate should outpace everyone else’s, so this is a fantastic opportunity for us to test ourselves against New Zealand, Canada, and Australia, akin to the trajectory last year. He continued, “it’s a brilliant opportunity for us and we intend to learn as quickly as possible, learning as much as we can to elevate us towards a World Cup. Many of these opponents are teams we haven’t encountered recently, so it gives us a chance to pit ourselves against potential competitors we could meet at England 2025.”
Clearly, the tournament favorites to win on home turf in the Super Saturday grand finale later that day were the undisputed champions, England. They secured their third consecutive Grand Slam with a victory over France in another thrilling showdown at Stade Chaban Delmas. This also marked England’s fifth straight title and their 29th consecutive win in the Women’s Six Nations, arguably rendering it world’s least competitive international sport.
Meanwhile, the gaps amongst the other four teams were slim indeed. Ireland was victorious over Scotland, who bested Wales, who triumphed over Italy, who defeated Ireland.
Ultimately, Ireland owed their win to their fourth try against Wales, but they were indeed the highest scoring of the foursome, and this exceptional accomplishment signalled a bright future.