Italy beat Ireland for their first win in the 2024 Six Nations
Italy got their first win in the 2024 Women’s Six Nations as they saw off an Irish comeback to take the 27-21 victory in round two.
Tries in the first half from Vittoria Vecchini and Valeria Fedrighi put Italy ahead at the break with Ireland unable to put any points on the board apart from a penalty try after a promising opening ten minutes.
Italy had the first word in the second half as Vecchini scored her second, but Neve Jones replied to narrow the gap on the scoresheet.
Aura Muzzo went on to score the all-important fourth try to give the visitors the try bonus point and eventually, the win, but Katie Corrigan brought the scores to within six points as she intercepted an Italian pass to score Ireland’s third try.
A spirited final ten minutes from a tenacious Ireland side were not enough to overcome an experienced Italian team, but both sides took a bonus point from the match.
Ireland had much of the attacking action early on and their pressure was rewarded with a penalty try in the seventh minute after a deliberate knock-on by Vittoria Ostuni Minuzzi, which saw the Italian fullback yellow-carded by referee Hollie Davidson.
While Ireland had enjoyed 90% of the possession in the opening ten minutes, fortunes changed in the next ten minutes as possession flipped to Italy having 77%, which led to their first try.
Italy got on the scoresheet in the 24th minute through a powerful driving maul which guided Vecchini safely over the line, but Sale Sharks’ Beatrice Rigoni was unable to convert to level the scores.
A second try then followed for the visitors, this time after a strong leg-driving carry from Sara Tounesi moved them to within under a metre before Fedrighi spotted the smallest of gaps from the breakdown to dot the ball over the line, this time converted by Rigoni to give them a five-point lead with just over half an hour played.
Irish fullback Lauren Delany went down with a nasty-looking injury five minutes before the end of the half which put a pause on proceedings as she was stretchered off the pitch and replaced by Nicole Fowley.
The Italians extended their lead through the boot of Rigoni after the pause to then give them the 15-7 lead at the break despite a bright start from Ireland.
Ireland’s second half started with similar intensity to their first with Corrigan almost making it to the line after an Italy kick landed in Irish hands shirts in the first minute.
A brilliant break from Brittany Hogan moved Ireland within five metres, which then gave them the advantage from the passage of play that followed. Ireland worked across the field well after the resulting lineout, but Parsons knocked the ball on which spoiled what would have been an easy run in.
A scintillating break from Alyssa D’Inca sent Italy into the 22 to set up their next fruitful passage of attack, and it was Vecchini who scored their third try in the 56th minute after Italy managed to win the ball back from an Irish turnover to allow the hooker to power over for her second try of the match, again converted by Rigoni.
Ireland fought back to add their second try, much to the delight of the home crowd at the RDS Arena as Jones finished an excellent team try from a steamrolling green maul. With the conversion from Dannah O’Brien, Ireland were now within eight points.
Ilaria Arrighetti burst her way up to the line with a strong carry from the breakdown, but Muzzo’s subsequent score was chalked off as a forward pass stalled the Italian efforts for the bonus point.
Muzzo did eventually get on the scoresheet minutes later as Rigoni threw her the pass to score in the corner despite the best efforts of Corrigan and Higgins to bring her down, earning Italy the bonus point in the process from a well-worked attacking phase after a scrum.
⌚️ Beatrice Rigoni timed her pass to perfection to find the hands of Aura Muzzo to score the bonus point for Italy in Dublin 🤩#Breitling #DefiningMoment @Breitling pic.twitter.com/kQWmnS5CUB
— Guinness Women’s Six Nations (@Womens6Nations) March 31, 2024
A break from Parsons set up an opportunity for a third try for Ireland with four minutes left on the clock, but again a fumbled ball cost them in the red zone.
A moment of brilliance followed from Corrigan as she stole the interception from a pass from Rigoni which saw the 18-year-old stride her way to the line for a well-earned score, importantly placing the ball down under the posts to hand Ireland the bonus point after providing a simple conversion for O’Brien.
After the restart, now with the clock in the red, O’Brien kicked Ireland to the corner to set up a tense finish. Jones nestled her way into the back of the maul in search of a second try, but the ball eventually fell loose and Ireland were unable to string together enough to snatch the victory in the dying moments.
😮💨 Drama right until the very end 🙌
Katie Corrigan with a late score for @IrishRugby 💪#GuinnessW6N #IREITA pic.twitter.com/g2JJRNIPmH
— Guinness Women’s Six Nations (@Womens6Nations) March 31, 2024
The result meant that Italy finished round two in third with five points, while Ireland found themselves in fifth with one point, above Wales in sixth on points difference.
Comments on RugbyPass
A Springbok 2-0 win: haha told you we were champions now shut up An Irish 2-0 win: the referee was under orders from world rugby to cheat us but luckily we don’t care because this is part of Rassie’s grand world Cup plan.
103 Go to commentsI hope they didn’t pay Jones fee?
2 Go to commentsTo be fair, the teams he's had to put out are reminiscent of those available to Gatland during his horrible run at the Chiefs in late 2020. Anyway, he's only got a two year contract and Wellingtonian Tamati Ellison will be ready by then, as will a lot of talented youngsters (like the Chiefs Gatland blooded). The Crusaders are planning for the long term.
5 Go to commentsGreat to see more community spending leading to higher participation in the community. It's a long road but that's a good first step.
2 Go to commentsPoetic justice for trying to sell him to Australia as another kiwi saviour coach, not ! Deans was just as bad actually but McCaw and Carter covered up for him. That’s why they didn’t want him as All Black coach, even after Graeme Henry’s bumbling effort in 2007.
5 Go to commentsSACK HIM !
5 Go to commentsSafas are so triggered by Ireland. 3 consecutive losses, incl RWC. 8 losses out of last 12 Tests. Always excuses, of course, with Bok fans. Now Rassie with his “88%” nonsense, the Claytons Excuse is an embarrassment to Bok teams of the past when every test mattered. Their fickle mojo will be on edge for the Ireland tour. Have the referees been appointed yet ? They will need security. Have WR laid out strict guidelines for TMO’s and replays on the stadium screens ? Will the constant stoppages from Bok forwards for cramps and bootlaces be tolerated ? We’re not talking a dominant Springbok team here, they won the LOTTO Cup and they know it whether they admit it or not. The Disney doco has their fans positively fermenting internally, its going to be a nasty hangover if they get beaten on home soil. What will the excuses be then……
103 Go to commentsGreat role model.
2 Go to commentsOne significant tell, not a single Waratahs player stopped to whinge to the ref about Finau’s tackle. They got on with playing the game. Great tackle.
8 Go to commentsWouldn’t be a bad move if Ireland pulled into SA with a young side. Particularly in Pretoria. Invaluable experience getting thumped in the bosveld.
103 Go to commentsIreland. The Princess Diana of Rugby. I never cheered so much for a team as i did for the All Blacks in that QF.
103 Go to commentsWill be great to see the Leinster first XV back in action again after their cotton wool time…
1 Go to commentsLooked up Grant Constable on google and reply was doppelgänger for Ben Smith
103 Go to commentsIt is so good that we now all get excited and debate who is best and emotionally get involved. We all back our teams which is great. Up until about 15-20 years ago, NZ was basically on its own, and then Saffa, Aussie and sometimes French and English were there. We now have at least 5-6 really top sides and another 4 who keep improving. This is so healthy. So we should not resort to rubbish comments and unhealthy debate, but rather all be chuffed that the product we watch is not competitive, exciting and often uncertain. It would be so good if World Rugger could find a way to align the rules to professional players as well as spectators. Live rugby games are SO boring as there is SO much down time as we wait for refs and TMOs and whoever else to look at every small event going back endless phases with the hope of eventually find a minute infringement to then decide cancel what was a wonderful try. This is the ultimate cork back in the bottle moment and feels like every balloon is always being popped. Come on- we must be better with the rules.
103 Go to comments“upon leaving said establishment I tripped over a stool knocking some bottles into the air and as I fell I accidently dislodged a police officer’s teaser who was passing by on an unrelated matter there by landing on said taser which caused it to discharge 50,000 watts into me. Out of shock I shouted Ireland are going to win the world cup. Upon waking up I apologised for the distress caused by my Ireland comment. The matter is closed. If you wish to pursue this matter may I remind you what I told Wayne Barnes when he sent me off. I AM A BIG ASS MAN”. Or was it “I AM A BIG ASS, MAN” or was it “I AM A BIG ASSMAN”?
2 Go to commentsThe only championship the Boks hold are: Great value for the incompetence of referees during the RWC Moaning endlessly and champions of spewing utterly ignorant 💩 at all times. Displaying the dangers of a third world education End of.
103 Go to commentsSouth Africa and Rassie do a phenomenal job of treating the 4 years in between World Cups as nothing more than a training exercise to build squad depth. The Six Nations money that keeps Irish rugby afloat is unfortunately too important to allow the same approach, and basic population size means we'll never get close to matching the depth of South Africa, England and France. That being said, Irish rugby is in a relatively good place and slowly improving inch by inch. If the other three provinces can pull the finger out and actually develop some players it'd be even better.
103 Go to commentsGood on Clarke for taking on the criticism and addressing his deficiencies, principally his laziness.
2 Go to comments“It is the people’s favourite against the actual favourite. It is the people’s champions against the actual champions. I’m joking, but it’s going to be a fantastic series.” Why did Darcy make that joke knowing it would be used as click bait? Why did RP headline it as a serious comment? Anyway, the tired comment isn’t very astute. SA players may have played more games etc. Darcy over estimated as a pundit.
103 Go to commentsNot sure Frisch will ever make the French team with Depoortère and Costes waiting in the wings to take over from Danty and Fickou.
1 Go to comments