Ireland Women ground out a hard fought 14 – 6 win against a resilient Welsh side at a wet and windy Ashbourne RFC on Friday night.

Heather O’Brien, who has seized her chance admirably following the retirement of Joy Neville, scored the decisive try mid way through the second half and Niamh Briggs added three penalties in difficult conditions.

Ireland started brightly with a with a couple of early penalties putting them into the Welsh 22 but a turnover and a penalty allowed the visitors to clear.

Wales pushed Ireland deep into their own half but the home side were able to clear through their dominant scrum and, indeed, a scrum penalty and resultant line out saw Alison Miller cut inside to feed Briggs on the charge. The Welsh had obviously done their homework and you could feel the ground shake as the well marshalled defence smacked into Briggs knocking the ball clear. The tone of this game was set early!

The Welsh began to get on top after the early skirmishes as out half Elinor Snowsill played the conditions well. Centre pairing Rebecca de Filippo and Robyn Wilkins stopped any breakout at source with an exceptionally aggressive and well timed defence. (I’d singled out young de Filippo as a possible weakness for Jenny Murphy to exploit in my preview but the young Welsh center had an outstanding game in defence.)

With Ireland struggling to get out of their own half the pressure eventually told and a 16th minute penalty by Wilkins put the visitors 0 – 3 in front.

Wilkins doubled their lead eight minutes later with her second penalty and it was a question of damage control for Ireland as they struggled to make any headway against the strong wind and organised defence.

However, the defending champions found the spark when it mattered most, and they set down a marker for the second half, when a break out down the centre of the park gave Briggs her first kick-able penalty in the closing minutes of the first half. Briggs duly obliged and the teams turned round with the score reading Ireland 3 Wales 6.

With the wind behind them the territorial advantage was now with the home side but the Welsh continued to defend resolutely with centre pairing, de Filippo and Wilkins, together with their captain Rachael Taylor outstanding.

Ireland sent in wave after wave of attack and the pressure told with a yellow card for Lowri Harries after a high tackle on Lynne Cantwell. Briggs knocked over the resultant penalty and the teams were level at 6 – 6 with 50 minutes played.

The crucial try came ten minutes later when O’Brien showed great power and pace of the back of a scrum to leave the Welsh defence trailing in her wake. Briggs missed the conversion from out wide but Ireland were in front for the first time with an 11 – 6 lead.

Wales regrouped and battled their way into the Irish 22 but the home defence held firm and it was Ireland who had the last word with Briggs slotting over a late penalty to secure the win 14 – 6.

IRELAND WOMEN: Niamh Briggs, Hannah Casey, Lynne Cantwell, Jenny Murphy, Alison Miller, Nora Stapleton, Larissa Muldoon, Heather O’ Brien, Claire Molloy, Siobhan Fleming, Marie Louise Reilly, Sophie Spence, Ailis Egan, Stacey Lea Kennedy, Fiona Coghlan. Replacements: Gill Bourke, Fiona Hayes, Kerrie Ann Craddock, Paula Fitzpatrick, Amy Davis, Ashleigh Baxter, Grace Davitt, Jackie Shiels.

WALES WOMEN: Dyddgu Hywel, Elen Evans, Robyn Wilkins, Rebecca de Filippo, Philippa Tuttiett, Elinor Snowsill, Amy Day, Megan York, Lowri Harries, Catrin Edwards, Jenny Hawkins, Shona Powell Hughes, Catrina Nicholas, Nia Davies, Rachael Taylor. Replacements: Carys Phillips, Jenny Davies, Caryl Thomas, Sian Williams, Sioned Harries, Sian Moore, Laurie Harries, Ffion Bowen.