Ireland finished their inaugural WXV1 campaign on a high note, coming from behind to secure a 26-14 bonus-point victory against the USA at BC Place in Vancouver. The win, which saw Ireland score three tries in the final quarter, was largely aided by the Eagles’ lack of discipline, as they conceded 19 penalties and three yellow cards in the closing stages.

The match began with Ireland dominating possession, but failing to capitalise on early opportunities. USA struck first through Hope Rogers, who scored two tries on her 50th cap appearance, giving the Eagles a 14-7 halftime lead. Rogers’ first try came in the 18th minute, as she muscled her way over the line after a period of sustained pressure from the USA pack. Her second, on the stroke of halftime, came from another close-range effort, following a break from centre Alev Kelter.

Ireland’s sole first-half score came from Erin King in the 28th minute. The flanker, showcasing quick thinking, caught the American defence off-guard with a tap penalty just metres from the line. King fended off multiple defenders to crash over, continuing her try-scoring form from the earlier match against New Zealand.

The turning point came in the 62nd minute when USA flanker Tahlia Brody was sin-binned for an offside infringement. This resulted in a penalty try for Ireland that levelled the score at 14-14. The penalty try was awarded after Brody intercepted a pass from replacement scrum-half Molly Scuffil-McCabe in an offside position, with the referee deeming a probable try was prevented.

From there, the floodgates opened as Ireland took full advantage of their numerical superiority. Cliodhna Moloney, whose return to the national setup after a two-and-a-half-year absence has been a feel-good story for Irish rugby, scored the go-ahead try in the 72nd minute. This try came from a well-executed lineout maul, with Moloney, at the back of the drive, managing to keep her fingertips on the ball as she grounded it. The try was initially not given but was awarded after a TMO review.

Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe sealed the bonus point with a try in the 75th minute. This score came from a sweeping backline move, with captain Enya Breen providing a long, accurate pass to put Murphy Crowe into space. The sevens specialist showcased her pace and finishing ability, breaking through a tackle to dive over in the corner.

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA – OCTOBER 11: Amee Leigh Murphy Crowe of Ireland celebrates scoring her team’s third try with teammate Ruth Campbell during the WXV 1 2024 match between USA and Ireland at BC Place on October 11, 2024 in Vancouver, British Columbia. (Photo by Rich Lam – World Rugby/World Rugby via Getty Images)

The victory marks a successful debut for Ireland in the top tier of the WXV competition, following their promotion from WXV3 last year. With two wins from three matches, including a memorable victory over world champions New Zealand in the opening round, Scott Bemand’s side have shown remarkable progress and resilience throughout the tournament.

Player of the match Erin King continued her impressive form, following up her brace against New Zealand with another try and strong defensive performance. The introduction of Molly Scuffil-McCabe at scrum-half in the second half proved crucial, as her quick thinking led to the penalty try that swung momentum in Ireland’s favour.

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA – OCTOBER 11: Erin King of Ireland poses for a photo after being awarded Mastercard Player of the Match during the WXV 1 2024 match between USA and Ireland at BC Place on October 11, 2024 in Vancouver, British Columbia. (Photo by Rich Lam – World Rugby/World Rugby via Getty Images)

For the USA, the result caps a disappointing WXV1 campaign in which they lost all three matches. Despite moments of promise, particularly in the first half, their inability to maintain discipline ultimately cost them the game and any chance of finishing the tournament on a positive note.

USA Head Coach Sione Fukofuka commented after the game:”We were really confident, but unfortunately discipline and the yellow cards made it really hard against a really good Irish team. We’ve had four weeks together, a WXV 1 tournament against some of the best teams in the world. We’re really pleased at we’re we’ve grown to, but back in the game we could’ve been a little smarter and our discipline was a challenge.”

As Ireland look ahead to the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup, this performance and overall tournament showing will undoubtedly boost their confidence. The team’s ability to close out games strongly and capitalise on opponents’ mistakes bodes well for their future prospects in international competition.

“The competition doesn’t sit still; things keep getting harder and harder. But we’re starting to now understand and can actually evidence that we can come through hard games, games where we’re out in front, ball-in-hand games, games where we got to show a bit of tenacity” head coach Scott Bemand said as he reflected on the performance.

England’s Red Roses produced a scintillating display of attacking rugby to dismantle world champions New Zealand 49-31 in their WXV1 clash in Vancouver. The victory, spearheaded by a hat-trick from Jess Breach and braces from Abby Dow and Ellie Kildunne, extends England’s winning streak to 19 matches and cements their status as favourites for next year’s World Cup.

Job done in Langley 🫡

One more to go. #NZLvENG | #WXV pic.twitter.com/eLtAbPDU1O

— Red Roses (@RedRosesRugby) October 6, 2024

The Black Ferns, smarting from their opening round defeat to Ireland, started with intent. Number eight Kaipo Olsen-Baker powered over from a five-metre scrum after just six minutes, brushing off Natasha Hunt’s tackle attempt. Renee Holmes added the conversion to give New Zealand an early 7-0 lead.

However, England’s response was swift and clinical. Abby Dow showcased her blistering pace and strength, fending off Renee Holmes with a powerful hand-off to level the scores just two minutes later.

The Red Roses then began to assert their dominance, with their back three proving particularly lethal. Jess Breach crossed for her first try in the 18th minute, finishing off a slick backline move that saw Hunt ship a flat pass to Rowland, who shimmied the ball sideways to Breach in the corner.

Ellie Kildunne, the world’s leading try-scorer in 2024, added to her tally with two tries before halftime. Her first came after a dropped high ball by Hannah King gifted England an attacking scrum, from which Kildunne exploited space on the 15-metre line to score. Her second, on the stroke of halftime, came from a brilliant piece of improvisation by Breach, who offloaded while being tackled to find Kildunne on the inside.

New Zealand managed to stay in touch through a well-worked try from Ayesha Leti-I’iga, who finished expertly in the corner after a pinpoint pass from Ruahei Demant, but England’s 22-12 halftime lead was a fair reflection of their superiority.

The second half saw England shift through the gears, with three tries in quick succession after the break. Dow grabbed her second, benefiting from quick hands across the backline to find space on the wing. Natasha Hunt then showed her opportunism, charging down Renee Holmes’ clearance kick and winning the race to ground the ball over the tryline.

Breach added her second, finishing off a flowing move that typified England’s attacking intent. Dow’s initial break created a two-on-one situation, with her inside pass finding Breach for an easy run-in.

To their credit, the Black Ferns refused to capitulate. Tries from Georgia Ponsonby, who crashed over from close range, and Maia Roos, who shrugged off defenders after an Olsen-Baker interception, briefly threatened to make a contest of it.

Fittingly, it was Breach who had the final say for England, completing her hat-trick with a superb finish that left Ruby Tui clutching at thin air. Zoe Harrison added England’s ninth try, stepping inside to score after sustained forward pressure, before Maama Vaipulu grabbed a consolation score for New Zealand in the dying seconds.

England’s back three of Breach, Dow, and Kildunne were simply unstoppable, contributing seven of the team’s nine tries. Their pace, power, and clinical finishing epitomised the evolution of England’s attacking game under coach John Mitchell.
“Our intent was really good,” Mitchell said post-match. “We are a team that has evolved and we are coming together cohesively, we can play both sides of the ruck.”

Player of the match Breach echoed her coach’s sentiments: “To score three tries against this team is credit to the team for putting me in those positions. We needed to front up physically, that’s what we’ll be working on for next week.”

LANGLEY, BRITISH COLUMBIA – OCTOBER 06: Jess Breach of England poses for a photo after being awarded the Mastercard Player of the Match during the WXV1 match between New Zealand and England at Langley Events Center on October 06, 2024 in Langley, British Columbia. (Photo by Rich Lam – World Rugby/World Rugby via Getty Images)

For New Zealand, this defeat marks their third consecutive loss, a worrying trend for the world champions. Captain Ruahei Demant acknowledged England’s superiority: “Full credit to England, they consistently executed and finished their opportunities. We were not clinical enough today.”

The result sets up a tantalising finale to the WXV1 tournament, with England set to face hosts Canada in what could be a title decider. Based on this performance, the Red Roses will take some stopping as they look to defend their WXV crown and lay down a marker ahead of next year’s World Cup on home soil.

In a stunning upset that echoed their famous 2014 Rugby World Cup victory, Ireland produced a remarkable performance to defeat world champions New Zealand 29-27 in the opening round of WXV1 in Vancouver. Flanker Aoife Wafer was the standout performer, scoring two tries and causing havoc at the breakdown, as Ireland secured their second-ever win against the Black Ferns.

AN EPIC WIN! 💚#IrishRugby pic.twitter.com/Qzi0BoUt5k

— Irish Rugby (@IrishRugby) September 30, 2024

The match, played at BC Place, was a pulsating affair that went down to the wire. With just 72 seconds left on the clock, replacement Erin King crashed over for her second try of the night, levelling the scores at 27-27. Fly-half Dannah O’Brien then held her nerve to slot the conversion, which kissed the inside of the right upright before going over, sealing a famous victory for the Irish.

New Zealand started strongly, with hooker Atlanta Lolohea scoring the opening try from a well-executed lineout drive in the ninth minute. The Black Ferns secured clean ball at the front, set a powerful maul, and Lolohea controlled it perfectly to dive over the line.

However, Ireland’s response was swift and emphatic. Wafer, who would go on to be named player of the match, scored her first try just four minutes later. After winning a penalty five metres out, Wafer took a quick tap and showcased her strength by powering through three defenders to plant the ball down.

The Black Ferns briefly regained the lead through a Renee Holmes penalty, but Wafer was far from finished. The 21-year-old scored her second try on the half-hour mark, breaking off the back of a steady scrum to crash over and put Ireland in front. Her explosive pace from the base of the scrum caught the New Zealand defence off-guard, allowing her to burst through a gap and score.

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA – SEPTEMBER 29: Aoife Wafer of Ireland is presented with the Mastercard Player of the Match trophy at full-time following the team’s victory in the WXV1 Pool match between New Zealand and Ireland at BC Place on September 29, 2024 in Vancouver, British Columbia. (Photo by Rich Lam – World Rugby/World Rugby via Getty Images)

Neve Jones extended Ireland’s lead with a try just before halftime. Following a series of pick-and-goes near the New Zealand line, Jones spotted a gap and burrowed over from close range. The try was awarded after a TMO review confirmed the legality of her grounding.

New Zealand levelled the scores at 17-17 on the stroke of halftime when wing Katelyn Vahaakolo finished off a sweeping move initiated by scrum-half Maia Joseph. Joseph’s clever switch pass created space, and Vahaakolo’s blistering pace saw her beat multiple defenders on a 30-metre run to the line.

The second half was a tense affair, with both teams trading blows. New Zealand had three tries disallowed by the TMO, while Ireland’s resilience was tested when prop Niamh O’Dowd was sent to the sin bin. Despite being a player down, Ireland conceded only three points during this period, showcasing their defensive mettle.

King’s first try in the 67th minute put Ireland back in front. It came from a well-executed lineout move, with King receiving the ball off the back of a maul and powering over from short range.

It seemed their efforts might be in vain when Mererangi Paul scored for New Zealand with just seven minutes remaining. Paul finished a flowing move that began with a powerful break from Sylvia Brunt, who offloaded to Liana Mikaele-Tu’u before Paul received the final pass to score in the corner.

However, the Irish refused to yield, and King’s last-gasp try set the stage for O’Brien’s match-winning conversion. In the dying moments, Ireland won a lineout five metres out. They executed a clever play, with O’Dowd claiming possession unmarked at the front. Despite brave defence from Iritana Hohaia, King managed to muscle over the line for the crucial score.

Throughout the match, Ireland’s breakdown work was vastly superior, forcing 11 turnovers to New Zealand’s three. The Black Ferns struggled with handling errors, making 15 compared to Ireland’s eight, which proved costly in the end.

Ireland captain Edel McMahon was ecstatic after the match, saying, “I’m lost for words, that was unbelievable. The girls got stuck in right from the get-go and that went to the wire. We had belief in each other and ourselves, it was absolutely amazing…it was unreal.”

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA – SEPTEMBER 29: Members of Team Ireland celebrate winning the WXV1 Pool match between New Zealand and Ireland at BC Place on September 29, 2024 in Vancouver, British Columbia. (Photo by Rich Lam – World Rugby/World Rugby via Getty Images)

For New Zealand, this defeat is a significant setback as they prepare to face defending WXV1 champions England next weekend. Black Ferns co-captain Ruahei Demant reflected on the loss, stating, “Pretty gutted for our group. Full credit to Ireland, they deserved that win, but it’s a bitter pill to swallow at the moment.”

The victory is particularly sweet for Ireland, who just last year were competing in the third-tier WXV3 competition. Their rapid rise and this stunning result against the world champions will undoubtedly boost their confidence as they look ahead to their next match against hosts Canada, who defeated France 46-24 earlier in the day.

As for the Black Ferns, they will need to regroup quickly and address their shortcomings before facing an England side that earlier extended their winning streak to 18 matches with a comprehensive 61-21 victory over the USA. With two tough matches remaining against England and France, New Zealand’s path to WXV1 glory has suddenly become much more challenging.