Irish ladies are playing a blinder!

 

 (picture http://bit.ly/1kUacbg)

Ireland got going on Saturday with the first match of the day, against Kazakhstan. A simple win would have been enough to get into the semis. With 10 changes from the team that did heroics against New Zealand, there wasn’t going to be the fluidity that we’d seen in the first two matches. And after starting like a house on fire, they lost their way a bit, conceded a try and scraped through at the end of the first half with a lead and work to do. Even in the first 20 minutes of the first half, they weren’t looking too flash, until a few subs added the quality and the organisation so they ran away with a good victory in the end. Jackie Shiels and Sharon Lynch were the stand out players for me. Fair play to the Ladies from Kazakhstan for hanging in to the end, some achievement to be there at all. Another fab post match interview from Lynn Cantwell too, these ladies are playing a blinder!
So at that stage, a 3rd place finish looked on the cards.

But there more surprises on the way – England and Canada drew, which meant they both finished below Ireland, eliminating the Black Ferns in the process. And in the final match, a tough gritty affair, France eliminated the Australians. So next up for the final is Ireland England , France Canada. Any team can win it now, and quietly confident, the Irish ladies are honest enough to say they can win it. In the top two after the pools, not too shabby!

09 Aug 2014
09/08 - 13:00 Ireland  40 - 5  Kazakhstan FFR HQ
09/08 - 15:00 Spain  41 - 5  Samoa FFR HQ
09/08 - 15:45 England  13 - 13  Canada FFR HQ
09/08 - 17:00 Wales  35 - 3  South Africa FFR HQ
09/08 - 18:00 New Zealand  34 - 3  USA FFR HQ
09/08 - 20:45 Australia  3 - 17  France FFR HQ

13 Aug 2014
13/08 - 14:00 South Africa   -   Samoa FFR HQ
13/08 - 15:45 New Zealand   -   Wales Stade Jean Bouin
13/08 - 16:15 Spain   -   Kazakhstan FFR HQ
13/08 - 18:00 Ireland   -   England Stade Jean Bouin
13/08 - 18:30 Australia   -   USA FFR HQ
13/08 - 20:45 France   -   Canada Stade Jean Bouin

Ladies first - Ireland beat the Black Ferns!

 

 (picture http://bit.ly/1kpoyzR)

Ireland’s biggest triumph over New Zealand in rugby ever, and I didn’t even get to watch it! The ladies powered home on Tuesday – I didn’t see it, but followed it online and through radio reports. The picture I got was of a dominant Irish perfromance – turning down several penalty opportunities to go for lineouts and scrums early on in the match, being a tad unlucky not to get a penalty try, going behind against the run of play, but scoring a deserved try in the first half to bring it close again. But then keeping the pressure on in the second half, getting another try, kicking the penalties, and closing out a tight match with defence and discipline. I thought in the USA match that their set piece work, with lineouts and driving mauls was excellent, and their scrumming in this match must have been top notch too. And their phase play is great, topped off by a good kicker in Niamh Briggs, why wouldn’t they have won? Brilliant to see the support they got from all over Ireland in the wake of their famous victory! Fiona Coghlan gave great post match interviews – self belief was the key, a good game plan and fitness. Get in there the ladies!

They face Kazakhstan next on Saturday, who have suffered two heavy defeats, and Ireland should get the bonus point win with relative ease, while being able to rest a few players from this punishing turnaround of matches. The big matches will be England/Canada, New Zealand/USA – (squeaky bum time for the Black Ferns) and Australia/France.  After this, the seeding will be decided for the final matches.  I reckon the seedings will look like this, if NZ get a bonus point, otherwise Canada will be 4th, which means Ireland could face the formidable French team next. ‘Mon the ladies!
1 England 2 France 3 Ireland 4 New Zealand

And for all the Munsterites and other rugby fans, details of the Limerick 7’s here: http://thomondpark.ie/limerick-world-club-7s/

09/08 - 13:00 Ireland   -   Kazakhstan
09/08 - 15:00 Spain   -   Samoa
09/08 - 15:45 England   -   Canada
09/08 - 17:00 Wales   -   South Africa
09/08 - 18:00 New Zealand   -   USA
09/08 - 20:45 Australia   -   France

Pool A
Team         P  W   D    L   PF    PA    TF TA  BP  PTS
England    2    2    0    0    110    8    16    1    2    10
Canada     2    2    0    0    73    12    10    2    2    10
Spain       2    0    0    2    10     76     2    10    0    0
Samoa      2    0    0    2    10    107   1    16    0    0

Pool B
Team                 P   W  D    L    PF    PA  TF   TA  BP  PTS
Ireland              2    2    0    0    40    31    4       3    0    8
New Zealand    2    1    0    1    93    22    14    3     2    6
USA                 2    1    0    1    64    30    10    3     2    6
Kazakhstan      2    0    0    2    12    126    2    21    0    0

Pool C
Team                P    W  D    L   PF   PA  TF  TA BP  PTS
France              2    2    0    0    81    3    13    0    2    10
Australia          2    2    0    0    51    6    6      0    0    8
Wales               2    0    0    2    3    51    0      7    0    0
South Africa    2    0    0    2    6    81    0    12    0    0