Women's Six Nations: Wales 0-45 Ireland

Ireland got their 2021 Women's Six Nations campaign off to a winning start with a 45-0 victory against Wales.

Eimear Considine and Beibhinn Parsons both crossed twice, with Sene Naoupu also scoring to give the Irish a 31-0 half-time lead.

Wales improved in the second half but could not offer much in response to Ireland's dominant start.

Dorothy Wall burrowed over and Hannah Tyrrell ran in late on to seal a comfortable Irish win.

The players observed a two-minute silence before kick-off following the death of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, with flags at half-mast at the Arms Park and neighbouring Principality Stadium.

Black armbands were worn with Sam Peard also remembered following the 16-year-old youth rugby player's death in March following a short battle with Leukaemia.

Wales remain without a win in the Championship since beating Ireland in the final round of the 2019 tournament and have now heavily lost their opening two matches after last week's 53-0 defeat in France.

It has been a bitterly disappointing start to Wales' tournament, with so much of the build-up to their campaign focussing on their licence to play attacking rugby under new head coach Warren Abrahams.

But with virtually no platform to implement that brand of play, they were behind after just two minutes with Ireland's returning full-back Considine crossing out wide after Tyrrell's initial break.

It was the perfect start for Ireland who were playing for the first time since beating Italy 21-7 in October 2020 and had spoken in the build-up of emerging from their six-month break as a new and improved force.

They seemed to emerge from their six-month break as an improved force and, with their backline causing Wales endless problems, wing Beibhhin Parsons broke through a Robyn Wilkins tackle to run in from her own half.

Parsons quickly grabbed her second after taking Tyrrell's cross-field kick to dive over in the corner and with less than a quarter of the game played, Consadine sliced through for her second and a fourth Irish try.

With a try bonus point secure, Ireland's backs were benefitting from a perfect platform set up by their dominant forwards and soon centre Naoupu dived over after a strong Irish scrum to extend their lead.

Wales rallied and frustrated the visitors but could not gain any foothold in the game and despite brave defence, they conceded a sixth try after 72 minutes with Wall driving over from close range.

Tyrrell, who was imperious throughout, then had the final say, running in from 40 metres to finish the game with 15 points to her name.

It was a near-perfect start for Ireland who host France next Saturday, with the victors setting up a winner's/runners-up play-off with Pool A winners England, who thrashed Italy 67-3 earlier on Saturday.

Wales, meanwhile, will finish bottom of Pool B and will now contest a 5/6th place play-off on 24 April with either Italy or Scotland, who face each other in Glasgow next weekend.

Wales: Robyn Wilkins (Gloucester-Hartpury); Lisa Neumann (Sale Sharks), Hannah Jones (Gloucester-Hartpury), Kerin Lake (Gloucester-Hartpury), Courtney Keight (Bristol Bears); Elinor Snowsill (Bristol Bears), Jess Roberts (Sale Sharks); Cara Hope (Gloucester-Hartpury), Kelsey Jones (Gloucester-Hartpury), Cerys Hale (Gloucester-Hartpury), Natalia John (Bristol Bears), Gwen Crabb (Gloucester-Hartpury), Georgia Evans (Saracens), Manon Johnes (Bristol Bears), Siwan Lillicrap (capt, Bristol Bears).

Replacements: Molly Kelly (Sale Sharks), Caryl Thomas (Worcester Warriors), Donna Rose (Saracens), Teleri Wyn Davies (Sale Sharks), Bethan Dainton (Harlequins), Megan Davies (Exeter Chiefs), Niamh Terry (Exeter Chiefs), Caitlin Lewis (Cardiff Met).

Ireland: Eimear Considine (Munster); Lauren Delany (Sale Sharks), Eve Higgins (Leinster), Sene Naoupu (Leinster), Beibhinn Parsons (Connacht); Hannah Tyrrell (Leinster), Kathryn Dane (Ulster); Lindsay Peat (Leinster), Cliodhna Moloney (Wasps), Linda Djougang (Leinster), Aoife McDermott (Leinster), Nichola Fryday (Connacht), Dorothy Wall (Munster), Claire Molloy (Wasps), Ciara Griffin (Munster).

Replacements: Neve Jones (Ulster), Katie O'Dwyer (Leinster), Laura Feely (Connacht), Brittany Hogan (Ulster), Hannah O'Connor (Leinster), Emily Lane (Munster), Stacey Flood (Leinster), Enya Breen (Munster).

Referee: Hollie Davidson (SRU).

Assistant referees: Sara Cox (RFU) and Maria Pacifico (FIR).

TMO: Marius Mitrea (FIR).