Ireland advances to the quarter-finals in the Women’s Rugby World Cup after defeating Spain

Ireland continues its path in the Rugby World Cup with a victory over Spain, demonstrating its character and securing its place in the quarter-finals. The final score was 43-27 in a match played at Franklin’s Gardens.For the second week in a row, the Irish team was forced to give their all to overcome an opponent that was not in the top ten of the world ranking. Spain showed a determination similar to that of Japan, but Ireland, with their solid game, achieved victory, thanks to the outstanding performances of Grace Moore and Anna McGann, who scored two tries each, thus securing the extra point and their pass to the next phase.The match was marked by Spain’s attempts to come back, showing an impressive game on both sides of the field. However, specific mistakes prevented the Spanish women from achieving a surprise.The rivalry between both teams has a history of close encounters, with five of the last nine matches decided by less than three points. This Group C match was no different in terms of intensity, although the final result did not reflect the competitiveness of the game.

Dannah O’Brien opened the scoring for Ireland, and the Irish team extended their lead with a try from Amee-Leigh Costigan. However, Spain reacted with two tries, driven by the strength of their forwards, especially by Eider García. Claudia Pérez and Marieta Roman scored for Spain, momentarily changing the course of the match. Eve Higgins responded for Ireland, bringing them closer again on the scoreboard.After regaining control, Ireland took advantage of Spain’s weakness in the forward line for McGann to score a try.Spain started the second half strongly, achieving a try by Claudia Peña. However, the reaction was short-lived. Moore and McGann extended the Irish lead with two more tries.Lourdes Alameda scored a try for Spain, but McGann responded for Ireland. The match ended with a try by Cristina Blanco in extra time.