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

The Irish women’s rugby team continues its journey in the group stage of the World Cup with a crucial victory over Spain, with a final score of 43-27 at Franklin’s Gardens stadium. For the second consecutive week, the Irish women were forced to show their character and overcome an opponent considered an “underdog”, who is outside the top ten in the world ranking. Spain showed great determination, similar to that displayed by Japan in the previous match. However, Ireland, with a solid performance, managed to prevail thanks to the outstanding performance of Grace Moore and Anna McGann, who scored two tries each, thus securing their place in the quarter-finals. The Spanish women showed their worth on the field, but concentration errors prevented them from achieving victory. The rivalry between both teams has been historic, with several matches decided by very close margins. Despite the competitiveness of the match, the final score did not reflect the intensity of the game.

Dannah O’Brien opened the scoring for Ireland, and the team extended their lead thanks to Amee-Leigh Costigan. However, Spain reacted with two tries, demonstrating the strength and determination of their forwards, especially Eider García. Despite the Spanish reaction, a series of defensive errors allowed Ireland to get closer to the try line, scoring a try by Eve Higgins. Ireland regained control of the match, and McGann extended the lead with a new try. Spain tried to react in the second half with a try by Claudia Pena, but the comeback was short-lived. Moore stood out again with a second try, and McGann scored his second try. The match ended with a try by Cristina Blanco in added time.