WXV3: Ireland edge out Spain in tight encounter to claim inaugural title win in third-tier of new competition

Ireland came out on top in what was a very tight contest in Dubai

Ireland staged an impressive second-half fightback to edge out Spain in a fiercely-contested encounter and claim the inaugural WXV3 title.

Tries from Grace Moore and Neve Jones, both from a rolling maul, meant the Irish came back from 13-3 down at the break to win 15-13 in Dubai.

Claudia Pena scored an early try for Spain, who could have won the title themselves with a victory.

Both sides went into the game having won their first two matches.

Ireland's win means they can no longer be caught having taken 14 points from three WXV games, three more than second-placed Fiji and four more than Spain, who dropped to third.

Having gone into the tournament without a win for a year and under the guidance of new head coach Scott Bemand, the Irish hammered Kazakhstan and then Colombia in their opening two games.

Against a determined Spanish side on Saturday, they had to overcome being temporarily reduced to 14 players twice, with Edel McMahon yellow-carded at the start of the first half and Linda Djoug shown a yellow in first-half injury time.

Indeed, they were never ahead in a tight contest until Jones crossed for their second try with eight minutes remaining to give them a two-point margin that Spain could not retrieve.

Their second-half fightback began on the hour-mark when flanker Moore bundled her way over at the back of an excellent rolling maul for her third international try, with Dannah O'Brien adding the conversion to bring Ireland to within three points of Spain.

A brave decision by Ireland to kick for touch rather than go for three points on 68 minutes, when a draw would have been enough to win them the title, proved to be crucial.

It did not lead directly to a score but it did set up a four-minute period of possession that finished with Jones capitalising on another fine maul to score her team's second try which put them 15-13 up and sealed the title.

Clinical Spain punish Ireland to take first-half lead

Ireland came out on top in what was a tight contest in Dubai

Ireland started the game on the front foot but suffered an early setback when co-captain McMahon was shown a yellow card in the third minute for a high tackle on Mario Calvo.

The Irish initially coped well with being a player down and should have scored the opening try on seven minutes when a sweeping move out to the right looked set to get Beibhinn Parsons in for a score, but she knocked on at the crucial moment.

It was another Ireland error that let in Spain for their try three minutes later, with a loose pass from Aoife Dalton being pounced on by Pena.

The outside centre showed outstanding pace to break from deep inside her own half and outstrip the Irish chasing pack to cross for an outstanding try, which was converted from in front of the posts by the in-form Amalia Argudo.

Ireland had another massive chance to score a try in the 13th minute, from another fine passing move that fed Natasja Behan on the right wing but she was tackled into touch just a few yards from the line.

Argundo stretched Spain's lead to 10-0 with a 24th-minute penalty before O'Brien got Ireland on the scoreboard with a penalty on 35 minutes, just after Eve Higgins' pass to Parsons was slightly forward when the winger looked set to run in for a try.

Sustained Spain pressure in the final five minutes of the first half almost forced a second try a few times, but it did lead to Ireland prop Djougang being shown a yellow card for an infringement that led to Argundo slotting over a penalty to give the Spanish a 13-3 lead at the break.

Ireland: Meabh Deely, Natasja Behan, Eve Higgins, Aoife Dalton, Beibhinn Parsons, Dannah O'Brien, Molly Scuffil-McCabe; Linda Djougang, Neve Jones, Christy Haney, Dorothy Wall, Sam Monaghan, Grace Moore, Edel McMahon, Brittany Hogan.

Replacements: Ciara Nelson, Niamh O'Dowd, Sadhbh McGrath, Eimear Corri, Aoife Wafer, Aoibheann Reilly, Nicole Fowley, Leah Tarpey.