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IRELAND ARE STILL looking for their first points of the 2023 Women’s Six Nations after Greg McWilliams’ side fell to a 24-7 defeat to Italy in Parma.
While this game was seen as an opportunity for Ireland to finally put some points on the table following defeats to Wales and France in the opening rounds of the championship, a blunt Ireland attack struggled in the Italian sunshine, with the visitors not scoring their first points of the game until the 67th minute.
The build-up to this fixture was dominated by an in-depth report in The Telegraph published earlier this week, in which the IRFU was accused of sexism.
McWilliams had urged his players to help break the ‘negative momentum’ around the group but they now face a difficult challenge to avoid the wooden spoon – they remain rooted to the bottom of the table with games against England (home) and Scotland (away) to come.
The Ireland head coach made three changes to his team for this round three fixture, with Sale fullback Lauren Delany coming in for Méabh Deely, while Railway Union centre Anna McGann and scrum-half Ailsa Hughes replaced Vicky Irwin and Molly Scuffil-McCabe.
And while Ireland will take encouragement from some of their play at the Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi, their lineout faltered throughout and promising attacking play repeatedly broke down through unforced errors and a lack of cohesion in possession.
A tense start saw Ireland survive some early Italian pressure and slowly grow into the game across a tight opening 20 minutes, where the visitors failed to make the most of some encouraging attacking phases, their loose work around the lineout proving costly in the Italy 22.
Italy – who were also looking for their first win of the championship – were managing to frustrate Ireland at the breakdown although their discipline was an issue, coughing up five penalties in the opening quarter alone.
Ireland’s discipline was much better, although unforced errors again crept into their game with poor handling a recurring issue.
Italy looked much sharper with ball in hand and finally broke the deadlock when they struck with a clinical attacking move down the left wing just before the half hour mark.
After smart hands by the lively Beatrice Rigoni and Alyssa D’Inga, the ball was moved wide to Aura Muzzo, who carried into the Ireland 22 before playing the return pass to Rigoni, who beat two defenders and found the support run of Sofia Stefan. Michela Sillari added the extras to hand the home side a 7-0 lead.
Ireland continued to threaten in flashes – Aoife Dalton making an excellent break only to find herself with no support, before Natasja Behan went close in the corner with the clock in the red.
Just before half time, following an Ireland scrum under the posts, Lauren Delaney was stopped short of the line before a Grace Moore knock-on brought a frustrating opening period to a close.
Despite trailing at the break and being held scoreless, Ireland were managing to ask questions of Italy, but the second half got off to a desperately disappointing start.
After Ireland lost possession from another lineout, Italy managed to strike from their own half with D’Inca applying the finish to score her second try of championship. Sillari kicked the conversion and just three minutes into the second half, Italy had stretched their lead out to 14-0.
While those lineout struggles continued, Ireland enjoyed long periods of possession and managed to piece together some good passages of attack but ultimately couldn’t break down a well-organised Italian defence, with the home side always looking a threat on the counter-attack as Ireland began to tire.
Italy added another three points just after the hour mark when Moore was pinged for a side entry, Sillari’s penalty making it a three-score game.
Sixty-seven minutes in, Ireland finally found some reward for their efforts.
After avoiding another lost lineout thanks to an Italy knock-on, a big shove at the scrum from five metres out resulted in a penalty try, as Hannah O’Connor quickly made her presence felt just minutes after entering the action.
Ireland pushed for a second score, with a brilliant Deirbhile Nic a Bháird break carrying them deep into the Italy half and leading to an Ireland penalty. Ireland kicked to the corner, and while this time they claimed the ball from the lineout, some dogged work by Giordana Duca killed the maul as the home side survived another Ireland trip to the 22.
As the game entered the final minutes, Italy sealed the win with a well-executed third try, D’Inca collecting a chip kick from Rigoni to step inside and score her second of the evening.
Sillari’s conversion pushed the score out to 24-7 as Italy recorded just their second Six Nations win against Ireland from 17 meetings.
Italy scorers:
Tries – Stefan, D’Inca (2)
Conversions – Sillari [3/3]
Penalty – Sillari [1/1]
Ireland scorers:
Try – Penalty
ITALY: Beatrice Capomaggi; Aura Muzzo, Michela Sillari, Beatrice Rigoni; Alyssa D’Inca; Veronica Madia (Emma Stevanin 64), Sofia Stefan (captain); Gaia Maris, Vittoria Vecchini, Lucia Gai ( Sara Seye 68); Sara Tounesi, Giordana Duca; Francesca Sgorbini (Valeria Fedrighi 57), Isabella Locatelli (Alissa Ranuccini 71), Giada Franco.
IRELAND: Lauren Delany; Aoife Doyle (Vicky Irwin 77), Aoife Dalton, Anna McGann, Natasja Behan (Méabh Deely 62); Dannah O’Brien, Ailsa Hughes (Molly Scuffil-McCabe 57); Linda Djougang, Neve Jones (Clara Nielson 71), Christy Haney (Kathryn Buggy 52); Nichola Fryday (captain), Sam Monaghan; Dorothy Wall (Brittany Hogan 59), Grace Moore (Hannah O’Connor 66), Deirbhile Nic a Bháird.
Referee: Aurélie Groizeleau [FFR].
Written by Ciarán Kennedy
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At some point, our politicians are going to have to accept that we’ve lost the “war” on drugs and try a different approach. Cocaine use is rampant and goes hand in hand with alcohol abuse. It’s so common now that it has been normalised across every level of society. Likewise, Cannabis is so common that it’s as socially acceptable as alcohol, more so in many circles because alcohol is increasingly being seen as the dirty, antisocial, cancer causing drug that it is. We should be legalising cannabis along with a growing list of countries and use the revenue generated to educate and help people struggling with addiction. But instead our government are hounding companies like Little Collins who sell CBD products and hauling elderly patients through the courts for having a few grams of weed to help them with their ailments. A major change of approach is needed.
@Declan Doherty: While i agree that the approach needs to change. It maybe common but that doesn’t make it socially acceptable or normalised for everyone. I don’t want my children seeing people taking drug’s openly in public, in the same way I don’t subject them to drunk people. Unfortunately the public are more resigned than accepting because there is nothing that we can do. The huge under resourcing of the Garda means they won’t respond to calls about open drug taking. Children need the chance to be carefree and hidden for the problems of the adult world.
@Declan Doherty: haven’t heard about CBD selling companies being hounded by government. Haven’t really heard of elderly patients be hauled through the courts either. One swallow doesn’t make a swallow Declan. I don’t want my child exposed to people openly taking drugs etc – things haven’t normalised, not by a long shot.
@Declan Doherty: I’ve seen cannabis ruin the lives of many people more so than alcohol.
@TomTraubert: Just because you haven’t heard about something doesn’t mean it isn’t happening. Google Little Collins and you’ll find multiple news sources reporting the raids and the legal action that they’ve been forced to take against the state. Gardai have even gone as far as raiding their customers following a delivery. Likewise there have been numerous court cases reported recently where pensioners have been dragged over the coals for minuscule amounts of cannabis. You may not have read about them but again, that doesn’t mean it isn’t happening.
I have never seen anyone advocate for open drug use or drug use around children so I’m not sure what your point is on that. More progressive countries that have already legalised cannabis have made provision for people to consume it in licensed premises or in their own homes just as we do with alcohol.
And whether you like it or not, whether you agree or not, cocaine and cannabis use has become normalised for vast swathes of society. I haven’t touched it myself for many years, I don’t even drink, but I can see it everywhere around me and “getting a bag” is now as normal as “going for a pint”.
@Cian: Alcohol directly kills 1000 people every year in this country. That’s 3 people every day. In over 10,000 years of use, not one person has ever died from cannabis. Every single one of us has either been affected, or knows someone who’s been affected by alcohol.
Alcohol is a contributory factor in 97% of public order offences, 50% of murders and 76% of rapes. It’s responsible for the majority of violent assaults both in and out of the home and it has destroyed countless lives and families up and down the country.
Alcohol crime costs the state €1.2b every year while alcohol related harm costs €3.2b.
Cannabis isn’t harmless, no drug is, but it doesn’t compare in anyway with the harm caused by alcohol. Not even close.
@Cian: I think you’re lying!
@Cian: “I’ve seen cannabis ruin the lives of many people more so than alcohol.”
You’ve seen more people ruin themselves with cannabis then with alcohol?
In Ireland?
What’s that smell? (it ain’t weed)
Let’s be honest if the locals know who is dealing this stuff so do the Garda, these people are holding huge communitys to ransom, it cant be so difficult to even stop it short term.
@Valentine Kane: Part of the problem is that if Gardai step in to close down one pusher/organisation, another will appear in its place quickly. Sometimes law enforcement prefer to keep tabs on known existing drug sellers, instead of having to try to quickly adapt to new networks.
@Valentine Kane, drug dealers don’t hold any communities to ransom, they don’t trick or force people to buy what they sell. The Beatles, Rolling Stones took cocaine, Kate Moss was photographed taking a\ snort, Nigella Lawson admitted taking it. They’re high-achieving adults, not kids in the Santa Claus queue.
@Tomaldo: That is a candidate for most ludicrous comment I have ever seen posted on this website. What is the business model of drug dealing?
@Tomaldo: sniffing the odd line is very different to being strung out on crack. Coke is a privileged person’s drug and too expensive to develop a habit with. Crack is more addictive and is what this article is referring too. Dealers thrive in areas where disadvantage is rife, happy people do not generally get strung out. Lack of investment, facilities, lack of mental health treatment and access all fuel addiction. Crack has never made anyone more successful and crack is not something you generally can do at the odd party. Once people cross that line to rock, they don’t tend to stop. It is far more expensive than heroin and it’s impact on communities is tremendous.
@Maggie Corrigan: That’s a good comment.
@Tomaldo: you do actually live on Planet Earth dont you?
@Tomaldo: Ok two things there; number one, the people you mentioned do not for one second represent average society, and number two, big difference in snorting coke with a rolled up 100 dollar bill in some millionaires mansion and getting hooked up fpr crack by some low life criminal. Get real!
More investment in community, less investment in jobs for the boys and the banks please. Miracles will then happen, when people have things to do when they wake up in the morning rather than hitting the pipe. If I lived in some of these places that are so underfunded crack would be a solution too.
@Mr Jerry Curtin: No, there has already been millions given to each of the drugs task force areas each year for years with no change. Invest money in proper residential detox facilities and mental health services instead. As for having things to do when they wake up, well they could get a job, they could take part in education/training, they could volunteer. It shouldn’t be the government or taxpayers job to hold your hand throughout your life, you’re an adult make your own decisions and then live with the consequences.
You don’t become a crack addict without first choosing to take it. Same with heroin etc. Therefore addicts should not be entitled to state medical assistance. If they have to pay for one or the other, they won’t last too long.
@Kevin Geraghty: There is no such thing as a “free” choice. We all have different brains, different genes and have had different life experiences.
@Damon16: Yes, we all have different life experiences etc but it is a free choice to take any drug. If addicts are not capable of making a free choice in relation to drugs then they shouldn’t be left raise children, vote, drive etc, it’s another example of “I want my rights but don’t want to take any responsibility for my decisions”.
@Kevin Geraghty: Wow didn’t know Leo Varadkar/Fine Gael made comments in the Journal.
What a backward individualistic mindset you have. Do you have any idea what some of the less privileged communities in Tallaght are like? Maybe you do, maybe you grew up there, but nobody’s experience = your experience. If people are going down such a path, there are obviously reasons for that. Personal, economic, education, societal, etc. For one, we should decriminalise ALL drugs so if you’re found with a joint, you don’t get a criminal record and lose access to employment, welfare, and education and go down a rabbit hole.
@Kevin Geraghty: What about alcoholics, or gambling addicts, or people addicted to prescription medications? Should they receive no state help either? None of us know if addiction is in our future until it happens. When you take your first drink you’re taking that gamble because nobody ever sets out to become an addict. If that crack addict never crossed paths with crack in their lives, they probably would have ended up addicted to something else. If it was a legal substance like booze, would you then be OK with them receiving state help? Would the pain they’re going through be worthy of help then?
@David A Murray, Paul McCartney and Mick Jagger took drugs, they both made millions from their music, dated the most beautiful women on the planet, received knighthoods and are still alive in their late seventies
@Tomaldo: Why do you keep mentioning celebrities that have taken drugs? It’s such a weak argument in this context. Paul McCartney wasn’t smoking crack cocaine as a teenager. You’re not making sense.
@Tomaldo: Rich people dabbling in cocaine is NOT the same as being addicted to crack. And what exactly are you saying, that if its good enough for them its ok? what are YOU on?
Will you just click on the arrow in a persons comment to reply to them directly. We’ve no idea who you are responding too. ;-)
@Jason Ebbs: Will you just click on the arrow in a persons comment to reply to them directly. We’ve no idea who you are responding too. ;-)
@ David A Murray, your opinion is even more ludicrous, drug dealers don’t have a special sales technique, they don’t need to, people enjoy using what they sell. Were you in the special class in school or did u ever go?
@Tomaldo: yea, that crack cocaine is very moreish is what all me celeb friends tell me
have your say