Ireland 21 Wales 3
A familiar-looking pack ultimately delivered a clear-cut victory in the rain but it was Sene Naoupu who provided the spark for Ireland's defence of their Six Nations title.
In 2011 the Naoupus settled near the sea in Oranmore just outside Galway. Sportsground regulars would be familiar with George, the husband, a New Zealand-born number eight of Samoan descent, and decent servant to the Connacht cause.
“George is very shy, we’re the opposite,” smiled Sene, in a drenched Donnybrook after the Kiwi’s championship debut in green.
“You know what? I thought I had retired from rugby when we left New Zealand. I had been playing since I was 13 and I’m in my early 30s now. But when I came to Ireland I saw an opportunity with the Sevens. Then this came along. So the retirement was only a sabbatical!”
Naoupu’s rugby intellect immediately brings a new dimension to an Irish backline decimated by Sevens commitments.
“I played for Otago in the NPC, got a trial with the Black Ferns [New Zealand] back then but didn’t make the cut so I really wanted to make it with Ireland.”
Even before Naoupu cut through the Wales midfield and sprinted around fullback Adi Taviner for a sumptuous individual try after 23 minutes, she made her presence felt with three bone-shuddering tackles.
Niamh Briggs kept adding any extras for a 10-3 cushion.
Victory looked certain when World Player of the Year nominee Sophie Spence was driven over by Ailis Egan for the second try six minutes before half-time.
“Those girls are the most humble I have ever met,” said Naoupu of the dominant pack. “That’s what I love about Irish rugby. Those girls are some of the best players in the world and you would never hear it from them. It’s such a pleasure to play with these girls.”
This was a must-win game for Tom Tierney’s squad ahead of trips to Perpignan and Twickenham.
Calm direction
The concern beforehand was that a largely inexperienced three-quarters would be exposed by supposedly more skilful Welsh opponents. Naoupu immediately rubbished that theory while Larissa Muldoon and Briggs brought the necessary calm direction behind each breakdown.
New outhalf Nikki Caughey proved the value of her selection over Nora Stapleton with some eye-catching half breaks but this victory was firmly built on Heather O'Brien's forwards where Spence was the first among equals. Claire Molloy a close second. They knew when to hold the ball, work through phases and so drain the life from their visitors.
The captain did the rest. Briggs made it 18-3 with a second penalty early in the second half and 21-3 off her fourth successful strike, which allowed Tierney to empty the bench.
Naoupu didn’t disappear either; her quality so obvious approaching the hour mark when she ran crossfield, drawing two red jerseys yet all the while signalling for Aine Donnelly to run an inside line for the hole she was about to create. When her team-mates get used to what she’s doing the tries will follow.
“We are playing her now at 12, in her best position,” said Tierney. “She’s our second playmaker. She’s going to get better and better, she only has two or three caps.”
Now Ireland face the huge test of a seven-day turnaround before a journey to Perpignan.
“Because of the conditions the girls are understandably tired. We couldn’t do it any other way.”
You get him. Not that the pack were going to abdicate responsibility. Not after Molloy, Egan, Spence and Reilly captured a Grand Slam in freezing north Italian conditions. This was tropical in comparison.
And the showers in Bective Rangers ran hot, presumably (Claire Molloy is immune to hypothermia now anyway).
Dr Molloy went about her steals, Egan was quietly imposing, Paula Fitzpatrick threatened to fling an outrageous offload, a skill honed this winter on soft Toulouse grass, but the blindside thought better of it.
They all carried and cleared, and tackled with precision. Ireland know how to win in these conditions but France will provide a far more physical test.
“Very experienced up front,” Tierney added. “That’s going to be a battle in itself. We are going to have to move their big forwards around.”
They are beatable, and have been beaten by Ireland, just never down in the Catalan city.
Another chance to break new ground.
Scoring sequence – 4 mins: R Wilkins pen, 0-3; 8 mins: N Briggs pen, 3-3; 23 mins: S Naoupu try, 8-3; N Briggs con, 10-3; 34 mins: S Spence try, 15-3. Half-time. 43 mins: N Briggs pen, 18-3; 64 mins: N Briggs pen, 21-3.
IRELAND: N Briggs; E O'Byrne White, A Donnelly, S Naoupu, M Coyne; N Caughey, L Muldoon; R O'Reilly, Z Grattage, A Egan; S Spence, M Reilly; P Fitzpatrick, C Molloy, H O'Brien. Replacements: N Stapleton for N Caughey (39-40 mins, 60 mins), C Moloney for Z Grattage (49 mins), C Griffin for H O'Brien (60 mins), F Reidy for A Egan (61 mins), A Egan for F Reidy (65-79 mins), C Cooney for M Reilly, J Shiels for A Donnelly (both 70 mins), L Peat for R O'Reilly (75 mins), M Healy for L Muldoon (78 mins).
WALES: A Taviner; E Evans, K Lake, H Jones, B Dainton; R Wilkins, K Bevan; M York, C Phillips, A Evans; R Rowe, S Harries; R Taylor, S Williams, S Powell-Hughes. Replacements: A Price, C Edwards C Hale, S Lillicrap, A Butchers, E Snowsill, G Rowland, D Hywel. Replacements: C Edwards for B Dainton (18-26 mins), D Hywel for K Lake (33 mins), S Lillicrap for R Rowe (55 mins), C Edwards for A Evans (60 mins), D Hywel for B Dainton (70 mins), C Hale for M York, A Price for C Phillips (both 78 mins).
Referee: L Berard (USA).
