Nora Stapleton was Player of the Match as the Ireland Women’s team defeated Wales to set up a Grand Slam showdown with England on St Patrick’s Day.
The Fahan woman starred as Ireland overcame Wales 12-7 in Cardiff.
It means a St Patrick’s Day joust with England in Donnybrook with the Grand Slam up for grabs.
“It’s going to be huge,” Stapleton said.
“We’re looking forward to seeing the crowd that will come out to see us. We can’t wait to play it.”
Prop Lindsay Peat’s second try of the Championship, converted with aplomb by Stapleton, broke the deadlock towards the end of an evenly-contested first half at the Arms Park.
Shona Powell-Hughes’ seven-pointer then saw Wales capitalise on a Peat yellow card, but Ireland did likewise when a sin-binning preceded winger Hannah Tyrrell’s decisive try – her second in as many games – with 17 minutes remaining.
Into the dying minutes, Stapleton’s perfectly-weighted kick deep into the Welsh 22 was swiftly chased by Tyrrell. A subsequent penalty allowed Ireland to end the game on the attack and Cappry woman Larissa Muldoon – on as a replacement in the second half – booted the ball to touch to confirm a tense but deserved triumph.
Stapleton said: “It was really hard in both halves, We were slow to start. Credit to the girls, they kept going with those mauls. Our last try was excellent. Our accuracy was there at times and we kept going to the very end.”
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