Jenny Murphy crossed in the last play of the game to give Ireland Women a bonus point win against their Scottish counterparts in a hard fought game at Broadwood Stadium last night. 

Ireland were somewhat fortunate to escape with a full points haul, Sene Naoupu, Alison Miller and Lindsay Peat, scoring the earlier tries, but one game down and their RBS Six Nations campaign is up and running with that all important bonus point win. 

Scotland applied the early pressure and the hosts were ahead inside five minutes, the impressive Jade Konkel crashing over for the opening score. Sarah Law added the extras to give the Scots a 7 – 0 lead. 

Ireland responded immediately, hemming the hosts in their 22 and Naoupu ploughed in at the corner after Scotland coughed up possession. Stapleton missed the conversion from out wide but Ireland continued to press and, despite messing up a couple of 5m scrums, Ireland finally got their noses in front when Miller crossed in the same corner. 

Stapleton was again short with the conversion but it looked as though Ireland would push on with the score now reading Scotland 7 Ireland 10. 

However, this was a much improved Scottish side and they exposed more than a few defensive frailties in the Irish side to storm up field for Konkel to cross for her second. Law missed the conversion but she was on target minutes later to push the hosts lead to 15 – 10 with a successful penalty. A score the teams took into the break. 

It looked as though the game was finally going to go Ireland’s way when Lindsay Smith was yellow carded for a lineout infringement and within minutes Peat was racing through to score. The conversion was missed leaving it a tied game at 15 all. 

The Scots enjoyed the better of the final quarter but couldn’t convert their chances and as the clock ticked past the 80 minute mark up stepped Murphy to crash over for the winning score. Nora Stapleton converted to give Ireland a 15 – 22 win. 

Ireland Women: Mairead Coyne, Niamh Kavanagh, Jenny Murphy, Sene Naoupu, Alison Miller, Nora Stapleton, Ailsa Hughes, Lindsay Peat, Leah Lyons, Ailis Egan, Orla Fitzsimons, Marie Louise Reilly, Ciara Griffin, Claire Molloy, Paula Fitzpatrick. Replacements: Jennie Finlay, Ilse van Staden, Ciara O’Connor, Elaine Anthony, Nichola Fryday, Mary Healy, Claire McLaughlin, Eimear Considine.

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Photo Credit Adrian Henry, rugbypeople.net