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England obliterate Ireland in front of record Women's Six Nations crowd
By PA
England reclaimed top spot in the TikTok Women’s Six Nations after a 69-0 win over Ireland. A record crowd of 15,836 at Leicester’s Mattioli Woods Welford Road were treated to 11 tries as depleted Ireland were overwhelmed.
England, who gave Emily Scarratt a guard of honour as she took to the field for her 100th cap, scored the opening try inside two minutes by driving Lark Davies over.
Abbie Ward had a try chalked off for a forward pass but Sarah Bern found a gap to break Ireland’s resistance for the second after 16 minutes.
Ireland should have got on the scoreboard midway through the first half but Nicole Cronin sliced a penalty horribly wide from in front of the posts.
It had been a scrappy first half from the hosts but they began the second eager to make amends with Marlie Packer showing her pace to score in the first minute.
Scarratt landed her first conversion and kicked her second after Davies bundled her way through again.
Ireland, who had Dorothy Wall in the sin-bin, were opened up again when Lydia Thompson finished off a flowing England move.
Poppy Cleall came off the bench to power through for try number six and another rolling maul sent fellow replacement Hannah Botterman over.
Cleall grabbed her second and Ellie Kildunne zig-zagged her way across before Ireland were reduced to 14 when Sene Naoupu saw red for a dangerous tackle.
Kildunne evaded two Irish defenders to get the ball down one-handed for her second try and Thompson rounded off the scoring.
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Latest Comments
But he chose rightly or wrongly to play for Tonga. If he wanted to play for the ABs why didn’t he hold off?
Go to comments“A succession of recent ex-players going straight back into the game as coaches in their early 40’s would prob be enough to kill it stone-dead. Innovation would die a death.”
Would it? I do think one of the major differences between rugby and most other sports - which we’ve been overlooking - is the degree to which players are expected to lead team meetings & analysis sessions and the like. Someone like Owen Farrell has basically been an assistant coach already for ten years - and he’s been so under a variety of different head coaches with different expectations and playing styles.
“The most interesting ppl I have met in the game have all coached well into their sixties and they value the time and opportunity they have had to reflect and therefore innovate in the game. That’s based on their ability to compare and contrast between multiple eras.”
I don’t doubt that that’s true. But having interesting insights doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be the best able to inspire a team, or the best at managing the backroom staff.
“Wayne Smith winning the WWC in his mid sixties three years ago prob means nothing to you but it meant a lot to him. It took him back to the roots of is own coaching journey.”
I don’t doubt that! But I don’t think coaches should be hired on the basis that it means a lot to them.
“The likes of Carlo Ancelotti and Wayne Bennett and Andy Reid all have a tale to tell. You should open your ears and listen to it!”
I agree! Never have I ever suggested otherwise!
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