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Ireland Women get Six Nations campaign up and running

By PA
Lucy Mulhall of Ireland with supporters after the Tik Tok Women's Six Nations Rugby Championship match between Ireland and Italy at Musgrave Park in Cork. (Photo By Eóin Noonan/Sportsfile via Getty Images)

Ireland Women kick-started their Six Nations campaign with a comfortable 29-8 victory over Italy in Cork.

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Greg McWilliams’ side, who led 10-3 at half-time, scored four tries at Musgrave Park through Lucy Mulhall, Neve Jones, Eve Higgins and replacement Katie O’Dwyer and were awarded a second-half penalty try.

Hooker Melissa Bettoni went over for Italy’s late consolation try, but Ireland’s first win after defeats to Wales and France was never in doubt.

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Will Skelton on the Ronan O’Gara slap and Australia vs England | Le French Rugby Podcast | Episode 24

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    Will Skelton on the Ronan O’Gara slap and Australia vs England | Le French Rugby Podcast | Episode 24

    The guests keep getting bigger, literally, as big Will Skelton joins us to talk Ronan O’Gara v Christophe Urios, the slap, the trilogy against Bordeaux, how he hasn’t heard from the Wallabies despite reports he isn’t being considered for the series against England, life in La Rochelle, who the team jokers are and wait for it… how he’s the smallest of three brothers! Plus, we look ahead to all of the Champions Cup Round of 16 ties and we pick our MEATER Moment of the Week…
    Use the code FRENCHPOD10 at checkout for 10% off any full price item at Meater.com

    Beatrice Rigoni’s penalty gave Italy an early lead, but Ireland ran in an outstanding try in the 25th minute, with fly-half Nicole Cronin delivering the final pass out wide for full-back Mulhall to score.

    Ireland went over for a deserved second try before the interval through hooker Jones and although both tries went unconverted, the Irish made a flying start to the second half.

    Centre Higgins gathered scrum-half Kathryn Dane’s kick ahead to race over and Cronin converted to put the home side 17-3 ahead.

    Ireland moved further ahead when awarded a penalty try in the 52nd minute as Italy were penalised at a five-metre scrum and after Bettoni went over for the visitors, O’Dwyer gathered from a line-out to score the game’s final try.

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    H
    Head high tackle 3 hours ago
    Can Samoa and Tonga ever become contenders when their top talent is skimmed?

    I think you have gone in the wrong direction here Nick. I think you need to delve down into the rules etc around Moana Pacifica’s selection policies and then you need to understand that a lot of KIWI BORN rugby players have PI heritage. It appears ok for the 4 home nations to pillage NZ born players constantly without retribution but you want to question whether NZ BORN players should be eligible for NZ? Seems a real agenda in there.

    Go back and look at the actual Aims and agenda for MP becoming a entity and you see lots of things enshrined in policy that you arnt mentioning here. EG there is an allowance for a percentage of MP to be NZ eligible. This was done so MP could actually become competitive. Lets be real. If it wasnt this way then MP would not be competitive.

    There also seems to be some sort of claim ( mainly from the NH ) that NZ is “cashing in” on MP, which , quite frankly is a major error. Are you aware of how much MP costs NZR Financially?

    39 NZ born rugby players played at the last world cup for Samoa or Tonga. PLUS plenty for Scotland, England, Ireland and Wales.

    Taumoefolau is a BORN AND BRED NZer. However I very strongly doubt he will be an AB, but who do you believe he should be allowed to play for? Levi Aumua is ALSO a born and bred Kiwi.

    Aumua was eligible to represent Samoa and Fiji for the Pacific Nations Cup in July that year but ended up playing for neither. He IS eligible for his nation of Birth too Nick

    He is a Kiwi. Are you saying an NZ born, raised Kiwi cant play for NZ now?

    Sorry Nick Kiwi born and bred actually qualify for NZ.

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