Women's Six Nations: Ireland secure bonus-point win against Wales

Despite starting in sunshine, the second half felt the full force of Storm Ciara

Ireland's women battled through difficult conditions as captain Ciara Griffin led her team to a comfortable 31-12 win over Wales.

Tries from Beibhinn Parsons, Cliodhna Moloney, Lauren Delany and Linda Djougang earned the home side a bonus point after 42 minutes.

Scores from Lauren Smyth and Siwan Lillicrap gave Wales heart but Ireland finished with a late penalty try.

It was Ireland's second win and Wales' second defeat in the tournament.

Wales could not make the most of early pressure and Ireland scored with their first attack as 18-year-old wing Parsons, a match-winner against Scotland, sprinted 25 metres to touch down after 16 minutes.

Ireland piled on the pressure and hooker Moloney charged over from a line-break by Sene Naoupu, Claire Keohane converting, before Delany side-stepped inside some weak defence to dash in from 40 metres.

Wales lost prop Gwenllian Pyrs to the sin-bin for a high tackle but the visitors still got on the board with the last move of the half, as Keira Bevan was stopped just short from a quick tap penalty before full-back Smyth, a late call-up, darted over from close range to make it 17-5.

Powerful Cameroon-born prop Djougang, who only took up rugby four years ago, smashed her way over through three Welsh tacklers to seal the bonus point just after the break, Keohane adding the simple extras, but the visitors' captain Lillicrap hit back straightaway from close range with Robyn Wilkins converting.

Conditions worsened dramatically with 25 minutes left as torrential rain at Wales' backs added to the gusty wind.

But Ireland had the better of possession in the closing stages and added a penalty try from a scrum in the final move, with hooker Moloney named Player of the Match.

Ireland coach Adam Griggs told RTE Sport:

"Definitely satisfied, I think that was probably one of the better games that I've seen us manage, when those conditions came in during the second-half.

"Obviously the ball was slippy for both teams, but I thought the way we controlled it was really impressive.

"We definitely want to push on and make sure that we put those teams (England and France) under pressure.

"I think some of our play showed that we will be able to do that."

Wales coach Gareth Wyatt told BBC Sport Wales:

"Bitterly disappointed for the girls after a tremendous effort. Playing into the wind in the first half, we gifted Ireland three opportunities after the girls worked so hard to keep the ball.

"Ireland struck straightaway in the second half, the girls hung in but Ireland dominated the gain-line and we struggled to deal with their physicality.

"France (in the next round) is going to be a similar challenge, a big physical side with an off-loading game but we've got two weeks to dust ourselves down and go again."

For the latest Welsh rugby union news follow @BBCScrumV on Twitter.

Ireland: Eimear Considine; Lauren Delany, Sene Naoupu, Michelle Claffey, Beibhinn Parsons; Claire Keohane, Kathryn Dane; Lindsay Peat, Cliodhna Moloney, Linda Djougang, Aoife McDermott, Judy Bobbett, Ciara Griffin (capt), Edel McMahon, Anna Caplice

Replacements: Victoria Dabanovich-O'Mahony, Laura Feely, Anne-Marie O'Hora, Ciara Cooney, Dorothy Wall, Nicole Cronin, Larissa Muldoon, Aoife Doyle

Wales: Lauren Smyth; Jasmine Joyce, Hannah Jones, Kerin Lake, Lisa Neumann; Robyn Wilkins, Keira Bevan; Gwenllian Pyrs, Kelsey Jones, Cerys Hale, Natalia John, Gwen Crabb, Alisha Butchers, Manon Johnes, Siwan Lillicrap (capt).

Replacements: Molly Kelly, Cara Hope, Ruth Lewis, Georgia Evans, Alex Callender, Bethan Lewis, Ffion Lewis, Paige Randall.

Referee: Aimee Barrett-Theron (SA)

Assistants: Sara Cox (Eng), Beatrice Benvenuti (Ita)

TMO: Neil Patterson (Scot)