Ireland consigned to Six Nations Wooden Spoon

By Daire Walsh
29/4/23

Ireland were consigned to a wooden spoon finish in the Women’s Six Nations for the first time since 2004 as Scotland produced an outstanding second half performance to earn a final round victory at Edinburgh Rugby Stadium.

Despite some positive moments - including a well-worked try from captain Nichola Fryday - Greg McWilliams’ charges ultimately fell to a fifth successive reversal in this year’s Championship. Their failure to register a win over the course of the spring window also has ramifications for later this year, with Ireland now set to compete in the third-tier of the inaugural WXV tournament that gets underway in the autumn.

Unchanged from the team that lost out 48-0 to England at Musgrave Park seven days earlier, Ireland opened the scoring in the fifth-minute when teenage fly-half Dannah O’Brien comfortably knocked over a 25-metre penalty.

This was the first time that Ireland found themselves in the ascendancy during the 2023 Championship and while Scotland were being roared on by a largely partisan crowd, strong defensive work kept the visitors in front at the start of the second-quarter.

Ireland did appear odds-on to extend their lead when they pushed forward off a line-out maul just shy of the half-hour mark, but Scotland dug deep to secure a penalty close to their own whitewash.

Although their slender cushion remained intact with 40 minutes on the clock, the Irish women suffered a major set-back in first-half stoppage-time. After the hosts kicked a close-range penalty to touch, the ensuing set-piece move was rounded off by a powerful unconverted finish from Meryl Smith.

This was a blow at the end of an encouraging opening period for Ireland, but there was just over seven minutes gone in the second half when a buoyant Scotland doubled their 5-3 cushion. Bryan Easson’s side were starting to get plenty of joy off their attacking line-outs and hooker Lana Skeldon broke free off another incisive maul for her fourth try of the championship.

While Scotland held all the aces at this juncture, Ireland came roaring back into contention. Not for the first time, Fryday - one of two Exeter Chiefs in the Irish squad alongside Clara Nielson - proved to be an effective set-piece target when O’Brien elected to kick to touch on 54 minutes.

The ball was then worked inside from the right-hand touchline for Fryday to power over for her second international try of 2023. O’Brien superbly split the uprights off the resulting bonus strike, only for Scotland to immediately respond at the opposite end with a converted effort from prop Leah Bartlett.

The Scots came into this game off the back of an impressive success over Italy at the same venue a week beforehand and they sealed a bonus point courtesy of Francesca McGhie’s magnificent solo try with 14 minutes still remaining.

This effectively placed the tie beyond Ireland’s reach, but Scotland nevertheless ended the game in style with late five-pointers from team skipper Rachel Malcolm and former Chiefs full-back Chloe Rollie.