Ireland continued their rapid progression towards the Rugby World Cup this summer with a 54-12 hammering of Italy in the Guinness Women's Six Nations in Parma.
Scott Bemand’s side are up to third in the championship table following their eight-try victory, which included an Anna McGann hat-trick, and a dominant display in the centre from player of the match Aoife Dalton.
Dalton crossed for the opening Irish try inside two minutes, capitalising on an early Italian yellow card for second row Valeria Federighi, and was a constant threat on both sides of the ball, making nine carries and 15 tackles.
While Ireland did struggle in the first half on setpiece defence, their attack was flowing, and tries for Dalton and McGann gave them a 14-0 inside seven minutes, and although Italy hit back with a try from Sofia Stefan, another McGann try and one for Amee-Leigh Costigan brought up the bonus-point before the break.
And after keeping Italy out with a big defensive set on the stroke of half time, Ireland kicked on further with Linda Djougang, Dorothy Wall and Brittany Hogan all barging their way in from close range for tries, before McGann wrapped up her hat-trick in the final play of the game to move her side past a half-century.
Along with the eight tries, Dannah O’Brien found her touch off the tee. Having missed all three of her conversions in Belfast a week ago, the out-half answered her critics in some style, making seven conversions out of eight.
The 54 points scored is Ireland’s highest tally in a single game since 2015 when they hammered Scotland 73-3 in Cumbernauld.
Having started slowly against France last week, Ireland made no such mistake in Parma, although they were aided by the Italians losing Federighi to a yellow card inside a minute for a head-high tackle on Edel McMahon.
Kicking to the corner, Ireland gained ground with their maul before penalty advantage arrived, and after moving the ball wide, Dalton found space to squeeze in for a try on two minutes, which O’Brien converted from the touchline to make it 7-0.
It would get even better after just seven minutes when Aoibheann Reilly was the first to pounce on a loose ball near the touchline, and after spotting a gap in the Italian backline, Ireland moved it towards Eve Higgins who broke clear, passing wide for McGann to score in the corner, and it became 14-0 when O’Brien landed the conversion.
The home side were looking dangerous from their setpiece attack, and they deservedly pulled a score back after a quarter of an hour when scrum-half Sofia Stefan sniped off a scrum, beating Reilly and McMahon for pace and getting the first Italian try.
It would only be a brief reprieve, as Ireland extended their lead five minutes later. The try was a mirror image of McGann’s score, as they got the ball to Higgins from a midfield turnover, and the centre galloped clear before passing to Costigan on the left wing, before the Sevens international turned on the gas to get around the last Italian defender, running in her side’s third try.
The Italian heads were starting to drop, and by the 27th minute Ireland were in again to wrap up a bonus-point.
Starting with a scrum in the Italian 22, big carries from Aoife Wafer and Djougang gave them go-forward ball, before quick hands from O’Brien and Stacey Flood, as well as a perfect dummy line from Dalton, created space for McGann to score her second, again converted by O’Brien to make it 28-5.
Italy ended the half strongly, but Ireland came up with a big defensive stop to end the half as Dalton held Vittoria Vecchini over the line, and Italy never looked the same team after that deflating missed chance.
After a cagey start to the second half, Djougang buffed up Ireland’s advantage when she crashed over from close range, although the tighthead’s day took a turn for the worse on 58 minutes when she was yellow-carded for a high-tackle on out-half Emma Stevanin.
She needn’t have worried too much about how her card would impact the game, and Ireland soon extended their lead further when a series of impactful carries from replacements Hogan and Wall led to the latter clattering her way in for her side’s sixth try, although for the first time in the game O’Brien’s radar was off as she missed the conversion, leaving the score at 40-5.
The Italians would pull back a try when Beatrice Rigoni got in under the posts, although it was perhaps a fortunate score after the centre appeared to play the ball on the ground in the build-up.
It wouldn't dampen Ireland’s win though, and they looked hungry for further scores in the final 10 minutes, as Hogan scored from a tap-penalty with two minutes left, before McGann rounded off her hat-trick with the final play of the game, both converted by O’Brien to seal a dominant Ireland win.
Stiffer tests await though, with England set to visit Cork on Saturday 12 April in their next Six Nations outing.
Scorers
Italy: Tries: Sofia Stafan, Beatrice Rigoni
Cons: Beatrice Rigoni
Ireland: Tries: Anna McGann (3), Aoife Dalton, Amee-Leigh Costigan, Linda Djougang, Dorothy Wall, Brittany Hogan
Cons: Dannah O'Brien (7)
Italy: Francesca Granzotto; Aura Muzzo, Michela Sillari, Beatrice Rigoni, Alyssa D'inca; Emma Stevanin, Sofia Stefan; Silvia Turan, Vittoria Vecchini, Gaia Maris; Valeria Federighi, Giordana Duca; Sara Tounsei, Francesca Sgorbini, Elisa Giordano.
Replacements: Laura Gurioli (for Vecchini, 57), Vittoria Zanette (for Turanni, 58), Sara Seye (for Maris, 42), Beatrice Veronese (for Sgorbini, 555), Alissa Ranuccini (for Fedrighi, 62), Alia Bitonci (for Stefan, 59), Sara Mannini (for Sillari, 59), Beatrice Capomaggi (for Muzzo, 20-29, HIA and for D’Inca, 63)).
Ireland: Stacey Flood; Anna McGann, Aoife Dalton, Eve Higgins, Amee-Leigh Costigan; Dannah O'Brien, Aoibheann Reilly; Niamh O'Dowd, Neve Jones, Linda Djougang; Ruth Campbell, Fiona Tuite; Edel McMahon (capt), Erin King, Aoife Wafer.
Replacements: Clíodhna Moloney (for Jones, 61), Siobhán McCarthy (for O’Dowd, 57), Christy Haney (for McMahon, 58-68, and for Djougang, 68), Grace Moore (for Campbell, 58), Dorothy Wall (for Tuite, 50), Brittany Hogan (for Wafer, 50), Emily Lane (for Reilly, 57), Enya Breen (for Higgins, 57).
Referee: Ella Goldsmith (RA)
