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Irish Times
29-04-2025
- Sport
- Irish Times
Gerry Thornley: all four Irish provinces beaten on same weekend for first time since March 2015
All seems even less hunky dory underneath the surface after that weekend. For the first time since March 2015 all four Irish sides lost on the same weekend, on top of which the Ireland women's team suffered their most sobering reality check of the campaign. That said, for those in Clontarf, Nenagh, Trinity, Dungannon, Skerries and Thomond it was the best weekend of the season. The last time all four Irish provinces lost on the same weekend was in the old Pro 12, when the quartet each suffered defeats to Welsh opposition. As then Leinster lost away to the Scarlets, while Munster , beaten in Cardiff on Friday night, lost to the Ospreys a decade ago. Connacht had a fall off in performance after their brave effort in defeat to the Stormers when losing to the Lions last Saturday, while Ulster were worn down by the Sharks' superior physicality and depth on Saturday night. Leinster, of course, could afford just a second defeat of the season, especially as Glasgow were outmuscled at home by the Stormers on Friday night, so maintaining the eight-point gap at the top the table ahead of next Saturday's Champions Cup showdown against a dangerous Northampton. READ MORE Victory at home to Zebre a week later would ensure top seeding in the BKT URC playoffs ahead of their final game at home to Glasgow; additionally helpful if they have reached a fourth successive Champions Cup final a week later. By contrast Munster, Ulster and Connacht have all fallen outside the top eight, and there is a distinct likelihood that Ireland will only have two sides in next season's Champions Cup for the first time ever, with the possibility that this may even be one side. That would be quite a fall. Munster and Ulster meet at Thomond Park next Friday week in what is now a dog-eat-dog scrap for playoff and Champions Cup qualification between two provinces who have been ever-presents in the 30 years of the latter competition. Ireland captain Edel McMahon speaking to the team huddle after the game against Scotland in Edinburgh on April 26th, 2025. Photograph: Ben Brady/Inpho While Munster now sit ninth behind Benetton, with both on 41 points, by dint of winning less matches they have their destiny in their own hands as they also host the Italian outfit at Musgrave Park in the final round six nights later. By contrast an Ulster squad even more lacking in depth sit in 12th on 38 points, and so their need is the more acute in Thomond Park ahead of a trek to Edinburgh, who are 10th, on the ensuing Friday. Connacht's chances of the top eight are more remote as they sit 14th on 35 points and must finish with wins at home to Edinburgh and away to Zebre if they are to have any chance of a top-eight place. Significantly, the Welsh quartet finish their campaigns with two games in South Africa. The fear always lurked that for all the huge improvement in the Ireland women's team in the last 12 months some of it had to be attributed to the return of Olympian Sevens players who were unavailable in last season's Six Nations, and that while they have become a good team they are not yet a good squad. In the absence of the hugely influential Sam Monaghan, Erin King and Aoife Wafer, that lack of depth was further exposed when losing Edel McMahon and Dorothy Wall in the first half of last Saturday's loss to Scotland in Edinburgh. It's still been a campaign of progress, with more competitive displays at home to England and France, as well as the high point of the win in Parma. But Saturday's defeat is a setback psychologically, and certainly gives the first World Cup warm-up match against Scotland in Cork on August 2nd more significance. Either way while a World Cup semi-final is still a viable target, beating New Zealand again in the pool stages or overcoming France in the quarter-final looks a tall order, particularly after the stirring late comeback by Les Bleus in losing 43-42 in Saturday's Grand Slam decider against England. Clontarf's Hugh Cooney against Cork Constitution at the Aviva Stadium on April 27th, 2025. Photograph: Bryan Keane/Inpho Amid all this club rugby was seen at its best on the final weekend of the AIL as UL Bohs and Clontarf secured All-Ireland titles again at the Aviva Stadium. À la the Joey Carbery final when Clontarf beat Cork Constitution in 2016, last Sunday wasn't quite the Hugh Cooney final, but it wasn't far off it either. As a Clontarf centre who came through Blackrock, Cooney is not the first to plot such a journey, and while not wanting to saddle him unduly with comparisons to The Great One, with his leg power, explosiveness, pace and low centre of gravity the 21-year-old has similar attributes. Cooney and Hugh Gavin look like being the first of the new crop of young centres coming through to be capped this summer in Tbilisi or Georgia. Meanwhile Nenagh Ormond became the first Tipperary club to be promoted to Division 1A and Trinity preserved their 1B status with dramatic two-score comebacks at home to wilting UCC and Cashel sides. Dungannon won promotion to 1B by winning in Navan, Skerries stayed in 2B by beating Midleton at home, and Thomond reclaimed their AIL status by winning in Omagh in the only game that wasn't a one-score affair. The league has found a niche. Ten-team divisions and playoffs ensure jeopardy and a dearth of dead rubbers until the very end. But having the finals a week after the semi-finals, which are just a fortnight after the three-game rush to the season's final standings, is just too demanding a load for the mostly amateur and semi-pro players. The best final of recent times was two years ago, when Terenure beat Clontarf 50-24, which was a fortnight after the semi-finals. That's the way it should be. The AIL finals could have been held next Sunday, on the May bank holiday weekend, which would also help rather than hinder clubs outside Dublin such as Cork Constitution in bringing members and fans to Dublin. It would also afford the IRFU, sponsors and finalists two weeks to promote the finals. The May bank holiday weekend should be enshrined in the club calendar as All-Ireland club rugby weekend. If occasionally this clashed with Leinster matches or the finals were lost to either TG4 or from the Aviva to somewhere else nor would that be the end of the world.
BBC News
26-04-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Wins more important than standings for Ireland
Co-captain Edel McMahon believes three away victories are more important than Ireland's finishing position in the Women's Six had been without an away victory in the Six Nations since 2021 but take on Scotland on Saturday after wins in Italy and of the result in Scotland, the Irish look set to finish the tournament as they are five points clear of Italy with a vastly superior points difference. "Three wins away from home is what we targeted as a squad," said McMahon, who is co-captain with the injured Sam Monaghan. "We want to be getting wins away from home, and that builds confidence heading into the World Cup."Scotland, who have just one victory in this year's Six Nations, won 36-10 in Edinburgh in 2023 while Dannah O'Brien's late penalty handed Ireland a 15-12 win last year. Ireland will head into the game without injured back row Aoife Wafer, but Niamh O'Dowd returns in the front row after sitting out the 40-14 win in Wales."Our history with Scotland has been a bit tit-for-tat, so we're just focused on the game and we'll worry about the table after that," added McMahon."We respect Scotland and they know they will give us a good fight."We know it's not going to be enough to turn up."
Irish Examiner
26-04-2025
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Expectations raised as McMahon and Ireland target third away victory
Twelve months since Ireland edged Scotland to third place in the Six Nations with a narrow win in Belfast. Now they meet again on the Championship's last day, this time in Edinburgh. Evidence suggests the gap has widened. The hosts have lost their last three whereas Ireland have shown continued signs of progress in defeats to the Big Two of France and England and two away wins, against Italy and Wales, by a combined margin of 68 points. A second consecutive thir-,place finish is basically guaranteed already, and their two wins mirror the number of victories attained in 2024, but captain Edel McMahon has reiterated the squad's goal of three wins on the road. Do that and they can return for pre-World Cup camp at the start of June with momentum behind them. It's all a far cry from a wooden spoon showing in 2023 and the failure to make the last global get-together. 'I've always said that the country has talent,' said McMahon. 'We've a lot of structure and coaching put around the squad now, we have a lot of resources pumped into us, and we can see that.' Head coach Scott Bemand has built a solid core of dependables. Aoife Corey makes her debut at full-back while the number of players used in this campaign will rise to just 28 if Jane Clohessy does likewise off the bench. The Scots boast 718 caps to Ireland's 327 but the visitors' ceiling is so much higher with young talent like Dannah O'Brien at out-half, Aoife Dalton in midfield and Aoife Wafer up front destined for huge careers. The sense of evolution was clear again as they poked holes in a 40-14 defeat of Wales last week. Good isn't nearly good enough anymore having beaten world champions New Zealand and Canada in the WXV1, and Australia in Belfast. 'This time last year we would have been over the moon with some of those games and some of those wins,' said McMahon. 'Now we're pushing to be better and to be more clinical because we want to be top contenders and we want to compete at the World Cup. 'And that's coming from the likes of 21-year-olds. That's pretty impressive.' The trajectory of the team is huge. The growth even in the last six months from where we were in Vancouver [WXV1]. Take the lineout. That's grown exponentially and we have revolutionised that.' All told, eleven of this matchday 23 have less than 20 XVs caps to their name. This year's World Cup will not be the peak of this collective's performance – that should come further down the track – but they look primed to impress. Whatever the result in Scotland this weekend, the priority once done will be to make full use of the few weeks off that follow after a ten-week bloc that has been enjoyable and rewarding but undeniably intense with it. 'We have to prep and be in the best shape that we can be as a team coming into the World Cup preparations,' said McMahon. 'So having that time away is just as important as the time we put on the field. 'It is very hard because when you're on a high and a campaign is running well, you can be like, 'okay I need to be fitter, I need to be stronger' and you think, 'attack those first five weeks' but the staff have been quite clear. 'Those first two weeks are a complete shut-off, do something that you enjoy, get out. It is such an important switch-off period and then you can put in the hard work come those three weeks coming into the campaign.' Scotland: C Rollie; R Lloyd, E Orr, L Thomson, F McGhie; H Nelson, L Brebner-Holden; L Bartlett, L Skeldon, E Clarke; J Konkel, S Bonar; R Malcolm, R McLachlan, E Gallagher. Ireland: A Corey; V Elmes Kinlan, A Dalton, E Breen, AL Costigan; D O'Brien, M Scuffil-McCabe; N O'Dowd, N Jones, L Djougang; R Campbell, F Tuite; D Wall, E McMahon, B Hogan. Referee: N Ganley (New Zealand).
BBC News
18-04-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Captain McMahon returns as Ireland make five changes
Women's Six Nations: Wales v IrelandVenue: Rodney Parade Date: Sunday, 20 April Kick-off: 15:00 BSTCoverage: Watch on BBC One Wales, BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport online, listen on BBC Sounds, BBC Radio Wales and BBC Radio Cymru Ireland captain Edel McMahon's return is one of head coach Scott Bemand's five changes for Sunday's Women's Six Nations game against Wales. McMahon missed last week's defeat by England through injury, but is recalled to the back row to replace Erin King, who earlier this week announced she will miss the rest of the tournament and the World Cup because of a serious knee injury. Elsewhere in the pack, Siobhan McCarthy makes her first Test start as she replaces Niamh O'Dowd at loose-head prop. Ruth Campbell is named in the second row as Fiona Tuite drops to the bench. Enya Breen, who also missed the England game, returns to partner Aoife Dalton in midfield while Molly Scuffil-McCabe makes her first appearance of the tournament at scrum-half ahead of Emily Lane. Ulster's Sadhbh McGrath and Claire Boles are recalled to the bench. Wales have recalled back row Alex Callender following her return from a foot injury. Ireland are third in the table with one win from three games, while Wales are hoping for their first victory after defeats by Scotland, England and France. The Irish won last year's meeting 36-5 in Cork. Line-ups Wales: Jasmine Joyce; Lisa Neumann, Hannah Jones (capt), Courtney Keight, Carys Cox; Kayleigh Powell, Keira Bevan; Gwenllian Pyrs, Kelsey Jones, Jenni Scoble, Abbie Fleming, Georgia Evans, Kate Williams, Bethan Lewis, Alex Carys Phillips, Maisie Davies, Donna Rose, Natalia John, Alaw Pyrs, Sian Jones, Lleucu George, Catherine Stacey Flood; Anna McGann, Aoife Dalton, Enya Breen, Amee-Leigh; Dannah O'Brien, Molly Scuffil-McCabe; Siobhán McCarthy, Neve Jones, Linda Djougang, Ruth Campbell, Dorothy Wall, Brittany Hogan, Edel McMahon (capt), Aoife Cliodhna Moloney, Sadhbh McGrath, Christy Haney, Fiona Tuite, Claire Boles, Emily Lane, Eve Higgins, Vicky Elmes Kinlan.
BBC News
28-03-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
McMahon returns to captain Ireland against Italy
Women's Six Nations, Italy v IrelandDate: Sunday 30 March Venue: Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi, Parma Kick-off: 15:00 BSTCoverage: Live on BBC Two NI, BBC iPlayer and BBC Sport website from 14:45 Edel McMahon will lead Ireland out in Sunday's Six Nations game against Italy as coach Scott Bemand makes three changes for the Parma started on the bench in last weekend's 27-15 defeat by France in the opener but is named at blindside flanker in place of Brittany Reilly comes in at scrum-half for Emily Lane and Fiona Tuite takes over from Dorothy Wall in the second says his side are "in good health" ahead of the match at the Stadio Sergio Lanfranchiir. Ireland came close to causing an upset in Belfast but in the end lost to France, who won despite a 20th-minute red card for Gabrielle started their campaign with a 38-5 away defeat by England last Flood; McGann, Dalton, Higgins, Costigan (capt); O'Brien, Reilly; O'Dowd, Jones, Djougang, Campbell, Tuite, McMahon, King, Moloney, McCarthy, Haney, Moore, Wall, Hogan, Lane, Breen.
