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IRELAND WOMEN HAVE clinched qualification for the 2024 Paris Olympics with a nerve-wracking 10-5 win over Fiji at the Toulouse Sevens.
Two first-half tries from Amee-Leigh Murphy-Crowe stamped Ireland’s ticket and ensured the final automatic qualification place for next summer’s tournament.
It was a landmark moment for this side, who missed out on qualification for both Rio and Tokyo since Rugby Sevens was introduced to the Olympic programme two cycles ago.
“It’s been a journey for us,” elated captain Lucy Mulhall said immediately afterwards. “I’m just so grateful to have a team like that around us: players, family, staff.
“It’s been an amazing year. Our goal is just to grow Sevens in Ireland. There are some young kids here this weekend wearing an Ireland Sevens jersey.
“We do it for our families. Rugby has become a family, and then all of our families have joined it so they’ve all got to know each other and have a great weekend. I’m just so glad we could make them happy again.”
Allan Temple-Jones’s side arrived in Toulouse this week vying with Fiji and Great Britain for qualification.
After all three sides lost in Saturday’s quarter-finals, Ireland knew that victory over the Tokyo Olympic bronze medallists this morning would be enough to send them to Paris.
Those high stakes were reflected in a tense opening but Ireland struck first in the second minute when Stacey Flood put Murphy-Crowe in the clear, and she skipped away down the wing to score.
A determined Ireland tried to press home their early advantage by forcing Fiji into a mistake deep in their own territory.
But they were undone by a slick wraparound move which allowed Ilisapeci Delaiwau to get away from Eve Higgins and race the length of the pitch to touch down under the posts.
Ireland then benefitted from a huge let-off as Fiji’s seemingly straightforward conversion came back off the upright, leaving it level at 5-5 as half time approached.
There was time for one more piece of Murphy-Crowe magic before the siren. Ireland did well to recover from an untidy scrum on their own put-in, and Murphy-Crowe had the power to hold off Ana Maria Naimasi and make it 10-5.
Both sides had their chances as the tension rose in the second half, and as the clock ticked into the red, Younis Bese launched one final Fijian attack as she kicked from inside her own half and gave chase.
Bese was quick, but Flood was quicker, winning clean possession and the penalty which sparked joyous Irish celebrations.
Their qualification now secure, Ireland will look to finish the Sevens Series on a high when they take on Japan in the fifth-place final at 1.47pm this afternoon.
Written by The 42 Team and posted on the42.ie
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‘Customers urge Ulster Bank to go f themselves and will do what they like with their money’. The audacity of it, I understand like why they wouldn’t obviously want people to, but really they can’t dictate about how or when people solve a problem they created.
Can we just remember a few months back Ulster Bank said “don’t worry, we’ll sort it for you”.
Some of the comments here, and general Irish opinions, reminds me of the frog in a pot as the water boils. Right now, there is absolutely no competition in banking in Ireland, the major banks that remain are very high cost and offer no customer service. They will slowly close more branches, cut costs and increase fees and the Irish will have no option but to pay high costs while also saying “good riddance” to their only competition. Or, even more confusingly, the Irish will say “we will use credit unions” or “the post office”, showing a total and utter lack of understanding of banking and financial acumen. This is fast going the way of a Main Street banking crisis in Ireland and it’s being supported by the people who will be most effected by it, crazy stuff.
@Local Ore: This bank has been a complete disaster for years, as others have said good riddance.
@Ballybough Marcus: What are you talking about? The bank has had no more issues that the big 2, they are pulling out because NatWest thinks there’s no money to be made in the Irish market. Ulster Bank is a subsidy of NatWest who have over €1BN in Assets. As I said, frogs in boiling water, you are bidding good riddance but don’t know the consequence – Irelands banking is now consolidated to 2 banks (PTSB is no where near the other 2) who can apply massive upward pressure, they can increase fees and lower services, exactly like the insurance companies have. Irish people should be outraged and looking for reform in the sector but instead every ordinary joe on the street is celebrating their own misfortune.
@Local Ore: you’re right it is not competitive a d there is very little option. However, much of that is down to the fact that larger multi national banks would rather focus their attention on bigger markets or bigger potential, that isn’t here right now and it’s been well publicised that it’s an issue, can’t force banks to open here and until one sees it as an opportunity more than a risk or their other options then it’s likely to continue. As for saying good riddance to Ulster Bank, they’ve closed a long time before they announced it, was impossible to do any sort of business with them. The others are bad but they’d shit up shop long before they announced it.
@This time its personable!: My town of 10,000 hasn’t had a physical bank branch of any kind in donkeys years. But the Ulster Bank App has been excellent and the times I’ve had to travel to the nearest Ulster Bank branch have always resulted in excellent customer service so I’m sorry to see it go.
@Local Ore: i know what you mean. But there is Revolut for free accessible day-to-day banking. Just can’t do loans or mortgages with them.
More bank arrogance… Good riddance to them.
Would help if you could do it online instead of visiting branches or writing letters.
What happens if you close your account and still owe personal loan and overdraft?
@paul christopher cox: The bad loans will be sold to a recovery agency. What little peace a person has from a bad loan with a bank is nothing when compared to the recovery agencies. If you’re thinking this, I would reconsider.
I wonder if the other banks will start competing for the accounts.
@Sandra Duffy: since there’s only a handful left now Sandra I wouldn’t be at all surprised if their offer was a special one off – you to pay them to join as well as the other normal charges!
@Sandra Duffy: It would be nice but it won’t happen—–They’re a cartel —just like the meat factories and the Legal system!
I could have sworn i heard people having to get accounts quickly ….could just be rumors though
All them running out of the market as there won’t be any bail outs next time things go bust..
now we are stuck with three banks that the government will support. But will leave us, the customer frustrated from lack of customer service and branches and p*ssed off with the charges and interests they will charge.
Hmmmm maybe money in the mattress is the only option here…
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