Whitewash rather than white wedding for player of the match Hannah Tyrell as Ireland trounce sorry Wales

Ireland out-half Hannah Tyrrell delivered a player of the match performance in a trouncing of rudderless Wales and then revealed that she had been planning to get married the day before.

“I was supposed to be getting married yesterday but unfortunately Covid put an end to that and pushed it out a little and now I’m here doing what I love with my team-mates so what more can I ask for.

“We were raring to go. It was a long build-up and we got the nerves out of the way and it was good to get a few points on board. France will be a tough challenge and we can’t wait to have more games.”

Aoife McDermott had claimed her side were the “fittest, fastest and strongest” they have ever been after months in lockdown.

They only had to be fitter, faster and stronger than rudderless Wales as rusty Ireland they opened their 2021 Guinness Six Nations in sensational style.

Ballinasloe flyer Béibhinn Parsons continued her astonishing development with a brace of tries, including one sensational solo effort.

“Béibhinn is an old head on young shoulders,” said captain Ciara Griffin. “She works really hard for us. We can’t wait for the French now. It was a good team performance, we came out here wanting to get a win and we’re happy with that.”

Ireland were slick, quick and composed in a dominant first-half, Parsons’ two tries matched by Eimear Considine, as well as one from Sene Naoupu easing Ireland to a 31-0 half-time lead.

Perhaps understandably the second-half disintegrated into a messy affair.

But given the concerns about potential rust in only their third outing in 12 months, the first-half blitzing of a side who won easily here two years ago will imbue them with much confidence ahead of the visit of the French semi-professionals next weekend.

Wales’ second successive heavy defeat represents another concern for a tournament whose competitiveness is already exposed by the alarming gap that has developed between England – rampant winners again yesterday – France, and the rest.

Ring-rust had been the Irish fear but an early blow removed any doubts when after just two minutes Eimear Considine’s neat dummy and evasion offered her side the perfect platform.

Tyrrell, retained for her second start in a troublesome position for Ireland since the retirement of Nora Stapleton, had initially created the space from the first phase, punching a gaping hole in the Welsh dog-leg defence before Nichola Fryday effected the ruck clearance.

The ease with which Considine slipped through two red shirts was an ominous portent of the evening’s events.

Even though the Welsh enjoyed some possession from the second restart, Ireland’s remorseless linespeed and brutish tackling – Dorothy Wall notching up and early bruising hat-trick – bundled the home side on to the back-foot.

With a dominant set-piece, Ireland were set fair for a much easier evening than anyone might have anticipated.

Parsons was the primary benefactor, a quick-fire three-minute double imprinting her status as an Irish star in the making and someone who must surely be on the radar of the leading clubs in England.

Even at just 19, the Ballinasloe girl already deals in trademark tries and her first here in the 11th minute was a sensational addition to a burgeoning canon.

From a set scrum on their own 10-metre line on the right-hand side, Irish hands seamlessly shifted the ball wide, Sene Naoupu’s skip pass finding Considine who moved it to Parsons.

Standing tight to the touchline just inside the Welsh half, Parsons rocketed in-field, cannoned off Rachel Wilkins and then gleefully gambolled unchallenged under the posts.

Power, pace and physicality.

A couple of moments later, she snaffled her second, a different score but also one typical of a winger.

After captain Ciara Griffin blocked down Cara Hope’s shoddy clearance kick, Ireland advanced menacingly and created so much space with their forward carries that when Tyrrell dinked a clever left-footed cross-kick to the left, there were two green jerseys marking one lone Welsh woman.

Considine politely deferred to her junior partner. Perhaps she knew this was a day for making hay as, four minutes later, she sashayed through the cigarette paper-thin Welsh defence from her own ten-metre line to ensure Ireland had collected the bonus point before the end of the first quarter.

Scoring at the rate of a point a minute, Ireland could afford to take somewhat of a breather between tries, content to watch the woeful Welsh contribute to their inevitable downfall with some appalling decision-making and scarcely believable basic errors, including 14 missed tackles.

In the 28th minute, Ireland added their fifth try, scrum-half Kathryn Dane pounced from the base of a ruck, drawing enough defenders to be distracted by the on-rushing Naoupo who barrelled over from reasonably close range. Lindsay Peat was then denied from close range.

Tyrrell, who was enjoying an armchair ride, varying her game in tune with the confidence oozing from her side, knocked over three of the conversions as the side enjoyed their half-time oranges with a 31-point cushion.

Sadly, as the wind whipped around the Arms Park, Ireland’s standards deteriorated although the scoreboard did allow them introduce another Sevens star in Stacey Flood, with Tyrrell moving to the wing to replace Lauren Delany.

The game disintegrated into a bit of a rabble, Irish errors multiplying as they descended to the level of their hapless opponents and they coughed up numerous chances to add to their score.

Eventually, Wall claimed her side’s sixth in the 72nd minute before Tyrrell capped a fine display with the seventh try in the final play.

France, if they’re in the mood, will not be so accommodating next week if Ireland don’t retain theirs for an entire 80 minutes.

Scorers –

Ireland: Tries: Parsons, Considine two each, Naoupo, Wall, Tyrrell. Cons: Tyrrell 4.

Wales: R Wilkins; L Neumann, H Jones, K Lake (N Terry 42), C Keight; E Snowsill, J Roberts; C Hope, K Jones (M Kelly 38), C Hale, N John (T Wyn Davies 56), G Crabb, G Evans, M Johnes (B Dainton 56), S Lillicrap (capt).

Ireland: E Considine; L Delany (S Flood 54), E Higgins, S Naoupu, B Parsons; H Tyrrell, K Dane (E Lane 63); L Peat (K O’Dwyer 57), C Moloney, L Djougang (L Feely 70), A McDermott, N Fryday (B Hogan 58), D Wall, C Molloy, C Griffin capt (H O’Connor 64).

Referee: H Davidson (Scotland)

Online Editors