Australia’s rugby women were handed a 36-10 hammering by Ireland in Belfast, just a week after their male counterparts suffered a similar chastening loss at the hands of Argentina.
Seven days since the Wallabies were caned 67-27 by Argentina in Santa Fe, it was the turn of the Wallaroos to endure a thrashing on the road, as Ireland, four places below them in the world rankings, made a nonsense of the standings by running in six tries at Ravenhill Stadium.
A couple of tries from Maya Stewart, bookending the comprehensive loss, proved mere consolations for the world’s No 5 ranked side as Ireland had the Aussies on the back foot from the moment the centre Aoife Dalton darted over through a gap to score after just five minutes.
Though electric winger Stewart then wafted through to beat two tacklers four minutes later to touch down, the flanker Aoife Wafer quickly ignited her player of the match display with the first of her two tries in the 13th minute.
Eimear Considine, back in Ireland’s XV for the first time in two years, put Ireland 17-5 ahead before the break, only for Eve Higgins and Wafer to rub in Irish superiority after half-time with further tries in a dominant performance.
Stewart did scoot over for a second on the right-wing in the 73rd minute but the replacement hooker Cliodhna Moloney’s final-minute score ensured the Irish had the final word on a big day for the IRFU as they began Irish Rugby’s 150th anniversary celebrations with the 26-point drubbing.
“We’re still building a new team and combination. We’re just still trying to work on that connection at the moment,” the Wallaroos’ captain Siokapesi Palu said. “Our attacking breakdown needs to improve because we can’t unleash our backline without securing that ball.
“We’re still building and there were positives in how we’re scanning. The next part is just the execution of it.”
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Palu was putting on a brave face but it was a harsh lesson for a team which had been hoping to enjoy a statement win after their disappointing Pacific Four series this year when their winless campaign relegated them to the second-tier WXV 2 tournament.
The Wallaroos will have to regroup quickly before their next challenge on Saturday against Wales in Newport. They then go on to Cape Town for the WXV 2 event where they will face Wales again, hosts South Africa and Scotland.
