UNDER-21 WOMEN’S SIX NATIONS SERIES – ROUND 1:
Saturday, April 18 –
IRELAND UNDER-21s 55 ITALY UNDER-21s 8, Dexcom Stadium
Scorers: Ireland U-21s: Tries: Chisom Ugwueru, Sarah Delaney 2, Ailish Quinn, Róisín Maher, Katie Corrigan 2, Jemima Adams Verling, Emily Foley; Cons: Ellie O’Sullivan Sexton 3, Niamh Gallagher 2
Italy U-21s: Try: Elena Errichiello; Pen: Lavinia Pratichetti
HT: Ireland Under-21s 36 Italy Under-21s 8
Niamh Briggs’ next generation of international stars produced an impressive team performance in their first competitive game at U-21 level. Sarah Delaney and Katie Corrigan, two of three senior-capped players involved, scored two tries each.
Led by captain Lucia Linn, the Ireland Under-21s had two early scores from Chisom Ugwueru and Delaney before Elena Errichiello got Italy off the mark. Hooker Delaney completed her brace before Italy’s Antonella Maione and Luce Floridia both saw yellow in quick succession.
There was still 10 minutes remaining in the first half at that stage, and Ireland outscored the visitors 19-3 during those sin-binnings. Connacht’s own Ailish Quinn and Róisín Maher crossed before player-of-the-match Corrigan’s excellent solo effort made it 36-8 at half-time.
With some vocal home support in the Galway sunshine, Ireland added three more tries from Jemima Adams Verling, Corrigan, and replacement Emily Foley, who sped over in the 66th minute. Their remaining two fixtures are away trips to England (May 2) and Wales (May 10).
These two nations last met at the Under-20 grade during the 2024 U-20 Six Nations Summer Series in Parma. Italy claimed a 24-17 home victory that day, when Linn, Ellie O’Sullivan Sexton, Niamh Gallagher, and Gráinne Burke were part of Ireland’s starting XV, along with new senior cap Robyn O’Connor.
While this year’s inaugural U-21 Six Nations Series predominately features athletes under the age of 21, the ability to select a limited number of players up to the age of 23, ensures the profile of players who can experience the opportunity to represent their country on the pathway to full international honours is more accessible.
An early run from Elisa Cecati offered promise for Italy, but the hosts avoided conceding thanks to a Corrigan tackle and follow-up penalty. Quinn thwarted two Italian attacks with expertly-timed turnovers before Ugwueru led Ireland’s first breakout from deep.
Corrigan was soon making metres on the opposite wing, set up by an O’Sullivan Sexton cross-field kick. The Irish attack clicked in the sixth minute, a neat line of passes freeing up Corrigan to send fellow winger Ugwueru over from 15 metres out.
The Ireland forwards frustrated Italy’s initial efforts to respond, with Ella Burns and Aoibheann McGrath central to a maul turnover. Adams Verling kept the turnovers coming, being first in at the breakdown, and Sally Kelly carried strongly from a scrum won against the head.
Linn was a pass away from putting Corrigan over from the right wing, but play came back for a penalty, and a well-executed lineout drive saw Delaney open her account, 17 minutes in. O’Sullivan Sexton’s crisply-struck conversion made it 12-0.
This time the Azzurrine were able to hit back in swift fashion. They took the Irish defence through a number of phases off a five-metre scrum. A subsequent penalty allowed them to get their maul moving, and number 8 Errichiello reached over to score from a metre out.
Briggs’ charges cancelled out those five points in the 24th minute, as the pack again caused problems for the Italians. Delaney burrowed over after Maher had been stopped just short from a maul. O’Sullivan Sexton was just short with a difficult conversion.
Italy were forced to infringe as Ballina youngster Quinn used O’Sullivan Sexton’s inviting pass to break the line, and Linn, Adams Verling, and McGrath combined to bring play back into the opposition 22. Maione was too upright in a tackle on Ugwueru, earning a yellow card.
Second row Floridia soon followed her off the pitch for a ‘cynical side entry’, as the Irish maul headed towards the try-line. There was no stopping the resulting drive, flanker Quinn getting the grounding this time for a 22-5 scoreline.
It was end-to-end stuff as the interval approached, a Linn break foiled by a Matilde Cecati interception before Corrigan stole possession back at the breakdown. Nonetheless, Kelly was guilty of a high tackle in the 36th minute, allowing Lavinia Pratichetti to tag on three points for Italy.
Ireland made sure they finished out the first half on top, though, as Maher muscled her way over just two minutes later. Linn rose to win the restart, and her centre partner Niamh Murphy stretched her legs in attack, before Adams Verling’s tap penalty led to her side’s fifth try, converted by O’Sullivan Sexton.
Maher wanted more, and her team-mates responded to the prop’s bustling carry from the restart. Fed by Linn on Ireland’s 10-metre line, Corrigan took off through a gap, her brilliantly-angled run taking her away from the cover and in behind the posts for O’Sullivan Sexton to convert.
The Donard native displayed her defensive qualities early in the second period, covering a dangerous kick from Teresa Blaskovic. Steals from Aoibhe O’Flynn and Linn helped the girls in green to hold Italy at bay, and Corrigan hared after an O’Sullivan Sexton kick to force a five-metre scrum.
The set-piece, with Gráinne Burke now on and Burns switching to tighthead, had to be reset, but the powerful Adams Verling picked from the base to barge her way over in the 53rd minute. O’Sullivan Sexton’s conversion came back off the near right-hand post.
Aoibhe Kelly and Annakate Cournane were both introduced from the bench, the former replacing Navan’s Alex Connor who was sharp in her distribution from scrum half. More replacements entered the fray on the hour mark, including Galwegians duo Síofra Hession and Foley.
Teenage out-half Hession was immediately involved in a terrific first-phase try from the scrum, combining with Murphy to release Linn on a run past halfway. She supplied her second try assist, giving the ball to Corrigan some 40 metres out, and she neatly stepped around Rubina Grassi to score.
Gallagher nailed the conversion from a few metres in from the right touchline, putting 40 points between the teams. The Irish bench was emptied with Saoirse Crowe, IQ Rugby lock Gabby Brown, and Grace Simati all brought on by Briggs, who must have been pleased with her squad’s cohesion and clinical edge.
They followed up with a final try that started from inside their own half. Italy were caught narrow in defence, and Hession and Corrigan worked the ball out to the fleet-footed Foley whose 50-metre run-in from the left saw her dot down closer towards the posts. Gallagher added the extras.
Ireland’s ability to pick off turnovers saw them frustrate Italy late on, with Murphy, Brown, and Quinn, who put in a superb shift at openside, all showing their breakdown skills. They went close to extending their lead in the last minute, but prop Burke’s close-range try was disallowed for a double movement.
The other results on the U-21 Six Nations Series’ opening day saw England emerge as 51-12 winners over Scotland in Edinburgh, while France were in dominant form against Wales, scoring 12 tries to triumph 76-5 at Cardiff Arms Park.
TIME LINE: 7 minutes – Ireland Under-21s try: Chisom Ugwueru – 5-0; conversion: missed by Ellie O’Sullivan Sexton – 5-0; 17 mins – Ireland Under-21s try: Sarah Delaney – 10-0; conversion: Ellie O’Sullivan Sexton – 12-0; 24 mins – Italy Under-21s try: Elena Errichiello – 12-5; conversion: missed by Lavinia Pratichetti – 12-5; 27 mins – Ireland Under-21s try: Sarah Delaney – 17-5; conversion: missed by Ellie O’Sullivan Sexton – 17-5; 30 mins – Italy Under-21s yellow card: Antonella Maione; 30 mins – Italy Under-21s yellow card: Luce Floridia; 31 mins – Ireland Under-21s try: Ailish Quinn – 22-5; conversion: missed by Ellie O’Sullivan Sexton – 22-5; 36 mins – Italy Under-21s penalty: Lavinia Pratichetti – 22-8; 38 mins – Ireland Under-21s try: Róisín Maher – 27-8; conversion: Ellie O’Sullivan Sexton – 29-8; 40 mins – Ireland Under-21s try: Katie Corrigan – 34-8; conversion: Ellie O’Sullivan Sexton – 36-8; Half-time – Ireland Under-21s 36 Italy Under-21s 8; 53 mins – Ireland Under-21s try: Jemima Adams Verling – 41-8; conversion: 61 mins – Ireland Under-21s try: Katie Corrigan – 46-8; conversion: Niamh Gallagher – 48-8; 66 mins – Ireland Under-21s try: Emily Foley – 53-8; conversion: Niamh Gallagher – 55-8; Full-time – Ireland Under-21s 55 Italy Under-21s 8
IRELAND U-21: Niamh Gallagher (Trailfinders Women/IQ Rugby); Katie Corrigan (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster), Niamh Murphy (Galwegians RFC/Leinster), Lucia Linn (UL Bohemian RFC/Munster) (capt), Chisom Ugwueru (UL Bohemian RFC/Munster); Ellie O’Sullivan Sexton (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster), Alex Connor (Navan RFC/Leinster); Ella Burns (Galwegians RFC/Connacht), Sarah Delaney (Blackrock College RFC/Leinster), Róisín Maher (Gloucester-Hartpury/IQ Rugby), Aoibhe O’Flynn (UL Bohemian RFC/Munster), Aoibheann McGrath (Ballincollig RFC/Munster), Sally Kelly (Ennis RFC/Munster), Ailish Quinn (Galwegians RFC/Connacht), Jemima Adams Verling (Galwegians RFC/Connacht).
Replacements: Saoirse Crowe (UL Bohemian RFC/Munster), Gráinne Burke (UL Bohemian RFC/Munster), Grace Simati (Letterkenny RFC/Cooke RFC/Ulster), Gabby Brown (Trailfinders Women/IQ Rugby), Annakate Cournane (Shannon RFC/Munster), Aoibhe Kelly (Loughborough Lightning/Leinster), Síofra Hession (Galwegians RFC/Connacht), Emily Foley (Galwegians RFC/Connacht).
ITALY U-21: Kristin Kone (CUS Milano Rugby); Matilde Cecati (Volvera Rugby), Sofia Catellani (Section Paloise Rugby), Elisa Cecati (Stade Rennais Rugby), Lucie Moioli (Montpellier Herault Rugby); Lavinia Pratichetti (Unione Rugby Capitolina), Nicole Mastrangelo (Unione Rugby Capitolina) (capt); Angelica Cittadini (Stade Rennais Rugby), Desiree Spinelli (Benetton Rugby Treviso), Antonella Maione (Neapolis Campania Felix), Luce Floridia (Volvera Rugby), Margherita Carraro (CUS Milano Rugby), Margherita Tonellotto (Valsugana Rugby Padova), Greta Copat (Villorba Rugby), Elena Errichiello (Unione Rugby Capitolina).
Replacements: Silvia Fent (Benetton Rugby Treviso), Laura Lina Foscato (CUS Milano Rugby), Maddison Spampanato (Hartpury RFC), Diana di Franco (Neapolis Campania Felix), Elisa Burchielli (US Roma Rugby), Rubina Grassi (RCTPM Toulon), Vittoria Zeni (Valsugana Rugby Padova), Teresa Blaskovic (Villorba Rugby).
Referee: Amber Stamp-Dunstan (WRU)