Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025
Ireland battle past Spain to secure early quarter-final spot
Ireland booked their place in the Women’s Rugby World Cup quarter-finals with a seven-try victory over Spain at Franklin’s Gardens, though Scott Bemand’s much-changed side were made to work harder than expected by a spirited Spanish performance that belied their heavy opening defeat to New Zealand. The 8,834 crowd witnessed a thrilling encounter that saw 12 tries shared between the sides on a sun-drenched afternoon in Northampton.
Key moments:
7′ – Dannah O’Brien breaks Spanish defence for opening try, O’Brien converts (Ireland 7-0)
18′ – Amee-Leigh Costigan finishes flowing move in corner, O’Brien hits post (Ireland 12-0)
23′ – Claudia Perez responds with brilliant finish after 50:22 kick, Argudo misses conversion (Ireland 12-5)
28′ – Marieta Roman powers over from maul, Argudo converts to level scores (Ireland 12-12)
35′ – Eve Higgins breaks through middle to restore Irish lead, O’Brien converts (Ireland 19-12)
38′ – Anna McGann claims bonus point try in corner, O’Brien misses conversion (Ireland 24-12)
43′ – Claudia Pena strikes back early in second half, Argudo misses conversion (Ireland 24-17)
46′ – Grace Moore exploits defensive gap for instant response, O’Brien hits post (Ireland 29-17)
56′ – Grace Moore adds second try after Spanish error, O’Brien converts (Ireland 36-17)
60′ – Lourdes Alameda awarded try after lengthy TMO review, Argudo misses conversion (Ireland 36-22)
70′ – Anna McGann seals victory with second try, Breen converts (Ireland 43-22)
80′ – Cristina Blanco Herrera scores consolation try for Spain, conversion wide (Ireland 43-27)
The Irish went into this Pool C encounter having made seven changes from their 42-14 triumph over Japan, with co-captain Edel McMahon among those rested as Bemand kept one eye on next week’s showdown with the Black Ferns. Linda Djougang marked her 50th cap by leading the team out on a sun-drenched afternoon in Northampton, becoming only the 15th Irish woman to reach the milestone.
Two from two! 👊#WeAreIreland pic.twitter.com/cKhd8zOXCu
— Irish Rugby (@IrishRugby) August 31, 2025
Ireland’s attacking intent was evident from the outset, with Dannah O’Brien’s perfectly weighted kick creating the space for the opening try after seven minutes. The out-half spotted the opportunity behind Spain’s defensive line, and when Zahia Perez misjudged the bounce, Amee-Leigh Costigan pounced to set up a flowing move that culminated in O’Brien diving over near the posts.
The visitors looked to be in cruise control when Costigan crossed for Ireland’s second try on 18 minutes. A dominant scrum platform allowed the backs to stretch Spain’s defence, with Stacey Flood’s delayed pass creating the overlap for Costigan to finish clinically in the corner, though O’Brien’s conversion attempt struck the upright.
Spain, however, refused to buckle under the early pressure. Their response came through a moment of individual brilliance from Zahia Perez, whose exceptional 50:22 kick pinned Ireland deep in their own territory. The resulting lineout was executed with precision, and after patient build-up play drew in the Irish defence, quick hands released Claudia Perez to dive over in the corner for Spain’s opening try.
The momentum shift was palpable as Spain began to find their rhythm. Their forward pack, marshalled by captain Lourdes Alameda, started to match Ireland’s physicality, with giant tighthead prop Eider Garcia proving a force at close quarters. Two big carries from Garcia drew in the green shirts before they pulled the trigger by feeding wing Claudia Perez, who crossed with a flourish. Full-back Amalia Argudo’s superb touchline conversion tied the scores at 12-12, sparking wild celebrations among the Spanish contingent.
Ireland’s response demonstrated their championship pedigree. Eve Higgins, starting at inside centre, showed her class by brushing aside two defenders to crash over from close range five minutes before the break. The conversion restored a seven-point cushion at a crucial juncture.
NORTHAMPTON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 31: Eve Higgins of Ireland celebrates scoring her team’s third try during the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 Pool C match between Ireland and Spain at Franklin’s Gardens on August 31, 2025 in Northampton, England. (Photo by Morgan Harlow – World Rugby/World Rugby via Getty Images)
The bonus point was secured just before half-time through Anna McGann’s opportunistic finish. The forwards provided the platform with their relentless carrying, before Flood’s perfectly timed pass put McGann away in the corner for her first try of the tournament.
Leading 24-12 at the interval, Ireland’s comfortable advantage was quickly eroded when they failed to gather the second-half restart cleanly. Spain capitalised immediately, with Claudia Pena showing excellent awareness to exploit the confusion and dive over within two minutes of the resumption. The gap was suddenly down to seven points, and Spain sensed an upset was possible.
NORTHAMPTON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 31: Claudia Pena Hidalgo of Spain is challenged by Amee Leigh Costigan of Ireland before scoring her team’s third try during the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 Pool C match between Ireland and Spain at Franklin’s Gardens on August 31, 2025 in Northampton, England. (Photo by Morgan Harlow – World Rugby/World Rugby via Getty Images)
Ireland’s response was swift and decisive. Grace Moore, operating at number eight, demonstrated her ball-handling skills by taking a superb line off the lineout to split the Spanish defence and race clear for a crucial try. O’Brien’s conversion attempt again found the woodwork, but the 12-point margin provided welcome breathing space.
Moore’s second try on 56 minutes effectively sealed the contest. Another Spanish handling error under pressure gifted Ireland possession, and the Wicklow native showed her pace and power to cut through two defenders for her brace. This time O’Brien found the target with the conversion to extend the lead to 19 points.
Spain continued to battle gamely, earning their reward on the hour mark when Alameda was awarded a try after lengthy TMO consultation. The captain appeared to be held up initially, but referee Kat Roche determined that Alameda had used her one permitted movement to ground the ball legally.
The closing stages saw Ireland put the result beyond doubt through McGann’s second try, a well-worked score that highlighted their superior fitness levels. The winger showed neat footwork to beat two defenders before diving over, with replacement kicker Enya Breen adding the extras.
Spain’s determination was rewarded with a final try in the dying moments, Cristina Blanco Herrera finishing a clever short lineout move to give the scoreline a more respectable appearance.
The victory ensures Ireland’s passage to the knockout stages with a game to spare, though Bemand will have concerns about his side’s defensive frailties and handling errors. Ireland accumulated 14 errors throughout the match, while the lineout struggled for consistency throughout, and the failure to deal cleanly with three restart kicks offered Spain unnecessary attacking opportunities.
Sam Monaghan’s early departure through injury added to Ireland’s concerns. The co-captain suffered what Bemand later described as “a bang to a hip” after taking a heavy tackle midway through the first half, and was replaced by Brittany Hogan as a precautionary measure with next week’s crucial encounter in mind.
O’Brien’s kicking display will also need improvement before facing New Zealand. The out-half struck the posts four times during the match, leaving valuable points on the field that could prove costly against superior opposition.
Spain can take enormous credit from this performance after their chastening experience against New Zealand. Juan González’s side showed genuine attacking threat and will believe they can trouble Japan in their final pool fixture. Captain Lourdes Alameda and the pack’s forward dominance, particularly from the maul, offered glimpses of what made them capable of shocking Ireland in Parma four years ago.
For Ireland, this victory maintains their perfect start to the tournament and confirms their status as genuine title contenders. However, the defensive lapses that allowed Spain to score 27 points will need urgent attention before they face the three-time world champions in Brighton next Sunday.
“What a tough game,” reflected prop Linda Djougang, who marked her 50th cap in memorable fashion. “Spain really put it up to us. It’s definitely not what we wanted, definitely not how we trained, but we knew Spain were good. We’re happy with the win, but it’s a little bit bittersweet, especially conceding in the last minute.”
Grace Moore, who claimed two crucial tries in the third quarter, embraced the challenge despite the defensive concerns. “It’s Test-match rugby. You want a battle,” she said. “We knew that they’d come out fighting and we knew that they’d never give up. [But] we don’t want to be conceding as many points as we have, and there are lessons to learn from that performance.”
Ellena Perry, who was named player of the match on her first World Cup start, provided the platform with her dominant scrum work that earned Ireland valuable territory throughout the contest.
Out-half Dannah O’Brien, who scored Ireland’s opening try and converted three others, acknowledged the scrappy nature of the victory. “It wasn’t pretty at times, but just happy to get over the line as a squad and getting into the quarter-final as well is huge for us. Some small errors, maybe handling errors or discipline with the ref. Just us compounding errors, and letting Spain back in the game.”
Head coach Scott Bemand remained upbeat despite the performance concerns. “That’s exactly where we want to be,” he said. “We’ve got our two wins, we’ve got two bonus-point wins, all roads lead to Brighton now, and we want to go and challenge a World Cup contender.”
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