Women’s Six Nations 2022: Late Breen heroics give Ireland 15-14 win over Scotland

Enya Breen transformed her personal strive within the final act of the sport to provide Eire a dramatic win and condemn Scotland to the Girls’s Six Nations Wood Spoon.

They led because the clock ticked into the pink thanks largely to a dominant third quarter, however Eire’s relentless stress lastly instructed as Breen surged over earlier than touchdown the essential kick.

It appeared that Scotland had completed sufficient to say their first victory of the match and go away Eire sitting backside of the desk in head coach Greg McWilliams’ first marketing campaign on the helm.

Helen Nelson’s three second half penalties gave them a six-point lead after participant of the match Neve Jones had put Eire in entrance simply earlier than half-time.

Important win in Eire’s quest to show web page

Of their first marketing campaign underneath McWilliams, Eire had been decided to make use of the Six Nations to mark the start of a brand new chapter after a torrid 2021 that got here to a head – a minimum of on the pitch – in a defeat by Scotland that ended their hopes reaching the World Cup.

With one win from their opening 4, the results of the ultimate recreation in Belfast would bear big significance for a facet looking for early momentum of their rebuild.

Regardless of this it was Scotland who began far brighter as they went about making an attempt to ascertain dominance in what would show to be a ferociously contested breakdown battle.

Christine Belisle gained the primary penalty permitting the guests to kick to the nook and maul to inside an inch of the Irish line. Eire’s defence initially repelled Scotland’s efforts however ultimately Gallagher powered over for the opening rating.

Situations made life exceedingly tough for either side who struggled to maintain ball in hand, though ultimately Eire moved via the gears buoyed by an unrelenting residence assist.

Hannah O’Connor’s lengthy distance penalty put them on the scoreboard earlier than magnificent, hard-hitting defence – led by entrance rows Jones and Linda Djougang – pushed Scotland again to additional shift the momentum.

The house strive arrived only a minute earlier than half-time, with Jones touching down in the back of a maul that drove all of 10 metres to achieve the whitewash.

Dogged Scottish defence inches away from sealing win

The primary 20 minutes of the second half seemed to be the sport’s decisive interval as Scotland took management in territory and possession whereas Eire struggled to maintain a lid on their penalty depend.

Because the infringements rose, Nelson took benefit with three penalties to maneuver her facet into the largest lead of the night time.

Eire against this regarded to have misplaced their method in assault, unable to seek out the sting with their quick traces asking few questions of the Scottish defence.

With 10 minutes left they lastly carved out a penalty within the Scottish half and, having initially regarded to have opted for a kick at objective, despatched the ball to the nook.

It might show a good move, as for the rest of the sport they remained virtually solely contained in the 22.

They got here near discovering the very important rating on a number of events however Scotland’s defence refused to buckle – with Emma Orr racing again to beat Jones to a ball bouncing within the in-goal space after the Irish hooker had charged down an tried clearance.

Of their ultimate position of the cube, Eire put collectively their most correct attacking set of the day to maintain ball in hand earlier than discovering Breen, who put right here head down and bulldozed via a deal with and over the road to spark joyous scenes on the terraces.

There was nonetheless the all-important conversion to return and together with her crew stood behind, Breen ship the kick between the posts.

Eire: Irwin; Doyle, Naoupu, Breen, Scuffil-McCabe; Caughey, Dane; Djougang, Jones, Haney, Fryday (capt), Monaghan, Wall, McMahon, O’Connor.

Replacements: Hooban, Pearse, O’Dwyer, McDermott, Moore, Og O’Leary, Hughes, Claffey.

Scotland: Rollie; Lloyd, Thomson, Nelson, Campbell, Regulation, Mattinson; Wright, Skeldon, Belisle, Wassell, Bonar, Malcolm, McLachlan, Gallagher.

Replacements: Rettie, Bartlett, Dougan, McMillan, Donaldson, McDonald, Orr, Gaffney.