O"Brien and Guest starred for Irish rugby side

Mary White

Women’s rugby 

Ireland 23
USA 17

CORK’S Heather O’Brien and Laura Guest both played their part in Ireland’s six-point win over the USA in their opening World Cup game in France on Friday.

Playing in 30-degree heat at the Marcoussis venue, 20 miles south of Paris, Philip Doyle’s side ticked off an important box in overcoming the States, given that they also share pool B with the reigning champions, New Zealand.

The All-Blacks are next on Tuesday, with both Sky Sports and TG4 showing the game live (5pm), and it’s likely that O’Brien will start again having done so yesterday at number eight.

The Churchtown woman had a solid performance and played the full duration, and despite picking up a knock on her shoulder in the second-half, it’s likely she’ll start against the Kiwis in what is her first World Cup campaign.

Her Highfield comrade, Laura Guest, came on in the closing stages of the game, with Doyle opting for the Clonakilty woman’s experience, given that this is her third World Cup campaign. 

Ireland needed to close out the game, and defensively they did extremely well to counteract a very physical American outfit.

The Eagles in fact have a Corkman in their camp, with former Bishopstown hurler Ian Jones their assistant strength and conditioning coach, but with Irish captain Fiona Coghlan, Sophie Spence, substitute Jenny Murphy and the impressive Niamh Briggs leading the way, they had more smarts than the US.

Briggs, a former Waterford ladies footballer, racked up 18 of Ireland’s points, registering their second try just before half-time, while Ailis Egan crossed the line after a great maul just 10 minutes earlier.

In front of a number of Cork fans, who travelled over, Ireland led 20-10 at half-time, but when Carmer Farmer went over the whitewash from the second-half kick-off, it looked like a comeback was on the cards for the Americans.

Heads were kept cool however and Ireland took the win, with New Zealand now on Tuesday, and Kazakhstan on Saturday week at noon (live on TG4).

Article source: https://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/news/rugby-ashe-set-scotland-debut-150912786--spt.html

O"Brien and Guest starred for Irish rugby side